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Show the Gf oss-Gut By Courtney Ry ley Cooper Copyright by Little, Brown A Co. a little sigh, Bardwell closed the book and looked out at the dawn, forcing its way through the blinding snow. "Yes, I guess we'll find a lot of things In this old book," came at last "But I think right now that the best thing nuy of us can find Is a little sleep." Rest rest for five wearied persons, but the rest of contentment and peace. And late In the afternoon, three of them were gathered In the old-fashioned parlor of Mother Howard's boarding board-ing house, waiting for the return of that dignitary from a sudden mission CHAPTER XX 16 ; Qnletly, as though nothing had happened, hap-pened, the three men went down the stairs, passed the sleeping night clerk, and headed back to the sheriff's office, , Where waited Anita and Harry, who bad completed his last duties in regard re-gard to the chalky-faced Maurice Rodalne. Ro-dalne. The telephone jangled. It was Denver. Mason talked a moment over the wire, then turned to his fellow officer. "They've got Barnhara. What's more, lie bad close to a million dollars in currency strapped around him. Guess we'd better stir up some horses now and chase along, hadn't we?" "Yes, and get a gentle one for me," cautioned Hapry. , "That goes fpr me, too," laughed Fab-child. not filled. The Immortal thing left me. I knew it would. Roady had come and told nie to dig a grave and put It In there. I did. We filled It with quicklime. Then we went upstairs and it was gone. I do not understand it. If Roady wanted me to kill him, why didn't he say so? I will kill If Roady will be good to me. I've killed before for him." "Still referring to somebody she's killed," cut In Anita. "I wonder If It could be possible " "I've Just thought of the date I" Harry broke in excitedly. "It was along about June 7, 1882. I'm Sure It was around there." The old books were mulled over, one after the other. At last Bardwell leaned forward and pointed to a certain cer-tain page. "Here's an Item under May 28. ,It says: 'Roady has been at me again 1 upon which Anita Richmond had sent her, Involving a trip to the old Richmond Rich-mond mansion. Harry turned away from his place at the window. "The district attorney 'ad a long talk with Barnham," he announced, "and 'e's figured out a wye for all the stock'olders In the Silver Queen to get what's coming to them. As It Is, tliey's about a 'unnerd thousand short some'eres." He wants me to fix things so thut the three men In the Blue I'oppy mine will get caught In there by a cave-In.' " The sheriff looked up. "This seems to rend a little better than the other stuff. It's not so Japged. Don't guess she was as much off her nut then as she is now. Let's see. Where's the place? Oh, yes: 'If I'll help him, I can have half, and we'll live together again, and he'll be good to me and I can have the boy. I know what It's all about. lie wants to get the mine without Sissle Larsen having anything to do with It. Slssie has cemented up the hole be drilled into the pay ore and hasn't told Falrehlld about It, because be-cause he thinks Roady will go partnerships partner-ships with him and help him buy In. But Roady won't do it. He wants that extra money for me. He told me so. Roady is good to me sometimes. But that's when he wants me to do something. If he'll keep bis promise I'll fix the mine so they won't get out.'" "The poor old soul," there was aching ach-ing sympathy in Anita Richmond's voice "I I can't help It If she whs willing to kill people. The poor old thing was crazy." "Yes, and she's 'ad ns bloody near crazy too. Maybe there's another entry." "I'm coming to it. It's along in June. The date's blnrred. Listen : 'I did what Roady wanted me to. I sneaked Into the mine and planted dynamite In the timbers. I wanted to wait until the third man was there, but I couldn't. Falrehlld and Larsen were fussing. Falrehlld had learned about the hole and wanted to know what Larsen bad fonnd. Finally Larsen Lar-sen pulled a gun and shot Falrehlld. He fell, and I knew he was dead. Then Larsen bent over him, and when he did I bit bint on the bead witli a single-Jack hammer. Then I set off the charge. Nobody ever will know how it happened unless they find the bullet or the gun. I dont core if they do. Roady wanted roe te do IL'" Falrehlld started to speak, but the sheriff stopped him. "Walt, here's another Item: M,I failed. I didn't klU either of them. They cot out someway and drove out of town tonight Roady la-mad la-mad at me. He won't come near me. And I'm so lonesome for him I' " "The explanation I" Falrehlld almost al-most shouted It as he seized the book and read it again. "Sheriff, Tve got to make a confession. My father always al-ways thought that he had killed u man. Not that he told me but I could guess It easily enough, from other things that happened. When he came to, he found a single-Jack hammer lying beside him, and Lnrsen's body across him. Couldn't he naturally believe be-lieve that he had killed him while In a daze? He was afraid of Rodalne that Rodalne would get up a lynching lynch-ing party and string him up. Hnrty here and Mrs. Howard helped him out of town. And this Is the explanation!", explana-tion!", Bardwell mnlled quizzically. "It looks like there's going to be o lot of explnnatlons. What time was it when you were trapped in that mine, Harklnsf "Along about the first of November." Novem-ber." The sheriff turned to the page. It was there the story of Crazy Laura and her descent Into the Blue Poppy mine, and again the charge of dynamite dyna-mite which wrecked the tunnel. With AAAAAAiVaAaAaAaAaAa6aAaAai Falrehlld looked up. "Whnt's the scheme?" "To call a meeting of the stock'olders stock-'olders and transfer all that money over to a special fund to buy Blue I'oppy stock. We'll 'ave to raise morey anyway to work the mine like we ought to. And it 'd cost sometnlng. You always 'ave to underwrite that sort of thing. I sort of like it, even if we'd 'ave to sell stock a little below be-low par. It'd keep Ohndi from getting get-ting a bad name and all that." "I think so, too." Anita Richmond laughed. "It suits me fine." Falrehlld looked down at her and smiled. ' "I guess that's the answer," be said. "Of course that doesn't Include the Rodalne stock. In other words, we give a lot of dlsnppolnted stockholders stock-holders pnr value for about ninety cents on the dollar. But Farrell con look after all that. He's got to have something to keep hlrn busy as attorney at-torney for the compnny." A step on the veranda, and Mother Howard entered, a package under her arm, which she placed In Anita's Inp. The girl looked up at the man who stood beside her. ' ' "I promised," she said, "that I'd tell you abont the Denver road." .He leaned. close. - "That Isn't all you promised Just before I left you this morning," came his whispered voice, and Harry, at the window, doubled In laughter. "Why didn't you speak it all out?" he gurgled. "I 'card every word." Anita's eyes snapped. "Well, I don't guess that's any worse than me standing behind the folding doors listening to you and Mother Howard gushing like a couple of sick doves I" t "That 'olds me," announced narry. "That 'olds me. I ain't got a word to syel" Anita laughed. "Persons who live In glass houses, you know. But about this explanation. I'm going to ask a hypothetical question. ques-tion. Suisse you and your family were In the clutches of persons who were always trying to get you into a position where you'd be more at their mercy. And suppose an old friend of the family wanted to make the family a present and called up from Denver for you to come on down and get It not for yourself, but Just to have around in case of need. Then suppose you went to Denver, got the valuable present and then, Just as you were getting up speed to make the first grade on Lookout, yon heard a shot behind you and looked around to see the sheriff coming. And if he caught you, It'd mean a lot of worry and the worst kind of gossip, and maybe you'd have to go to Jnll for breaking laws and everything like that? In a case of that kind, what'd you do?" "Run to beat bloody 'ell!" blurted out Harry. "And that's Just whnt she did," added Falrehlld. "I know because I saw her." Anita was unwrapping the package. "And seeing that I did run," she added with a laugh, "and got away with It, who would like to share In what remains of one beautiful bottle of Manhattun cocktails?" There was not one dissenting voice! THE END , ''And me I like automobiles better," bet-ter," Anita was twisting her long hair Into a braid, to be once more shoved under her cap. The start was made. A detour, then the tracks led the way to the Ohadl road, and behind them came the pursuers, heads down against the wind, horses snorting and coughing as they forced their way through the big drifts, each following one another for the protection It afforded. af-forded. A long, silent, cold-gripped two hours then finally the lights of OhadL But even then the trnll was not difficult diffi-cult The little 'town was asleep; Lardly a track showed In the streets fceyend the hoofprlnts of a horse loading load-ing up the principal thoroughfare and on out to the Georgevllle road. Onward On-ward until before them was the bleak, fat-ridden old roadhouse which formed Laura's home, and a light was gleaming gleam-ing within. Silently the pursuers dismounted and started forward, only to stop Bhort A scream had come to them, faint In the bluster of the storm, the racking scream of a woman In a tempest tem-pest of anger. Suddenly the light i seemed to bob about In the old house ; , it showed first at one window then another ns though some one were ! running from room to room. Once two I gaunt shadows stood forth of a i crouching man and a woman, one t. band extended In the air, ns she V ' whirled the lamp before her for an instant aud brought herself between Its rays and those who watched. Again the chase and then the scream, louder than ever, accompanied accompa-nied by streaking red flame which spread across the top floor like wind-blow wind-blow spray. Shadows weaved before the windows, while the flames seemed to reach out and enwrap every portion por-tion of the sjpper floor. The staggering stagger-ing figure of a man with the blaze all abeot him was visible; then a woman wbe rushed past blm. Groping as though blinded, the burning form of the man weaved a moment before the window, clawing in a futile attempt to open It, the flames, which seemed to leap from every portion of his body, enwrapping him. Slowly, a torch-like, stricken thing, be sank out of sight, and as the pursuers outside rushed forward, the figure of a woman appeared ap-peared on the eld veranda, half naked, ehrleklng, carrying something tightly locked In her arms, and plunged down the steps Into the snow. Falrehlld, circling far to one side, caught her. and with all his strength resisted her squirming efforts until Harry and Bardwell had come to his assistance. It was Crazy Laura, the contents of her arms now showing in the light of the flames as they licked every window of the upper portion of the house five heavy, sheepskin-bound sheepskin-bound books of the ledger type,! wrapped tight in a grasp that not eveu Harry could loosen. "Don't take them from me!" the Insane woman screamed. "He trUni St didnt be? And where'" he now i lip there burning! He hit me and -I threw the lamp at him i He wanted ' my books he wanted to take theii j away from me but I wouldn't let j blm. And you can't have them hear : me let go of my arm let go!" She bit at them. She twisted and butted there with her gray head. She screamed and squirmed at last to weaken. Slowly Hurry forced her arms aside and took from them the precious contentB whatever they might be. Grimly old Sheriff Mason wrapped bar In bis coat and led her to a horse, there to force her to mount and ride With him Into town.The house with flqulnt Rodalne was gone. Back lb the office of Sheriff Bardwell Bard-well the books were opened, and Fair-child Fair-child utlered on exclamation. "Harry! Didn't she talk about her books at the coroner's Inquest? See if there's an- entry along early In July about the time of the Inquest." Bardwell turned the closely written pages. At last he stopped. " Testified today at the Inquest.' he read. "I lied. Roady made me do it. I never saw anybody quarreling Besides, I did it myself.' " "What's olio mean did It herself?" the Kliwiir looked itp. "Giu-sh we'll have to e 'way hack fur that." "Firm lt's see lw accurate the thing Is." ralrclilld Interrupted. "See If thej-e-g on Mem under November of this yin". The Mn'ilif Ffurclieil, then read : 4, "I Una a grave tmibilit. It was |
