The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-23
"whero's Van Loo !" he demanded Of

/ DuRBl.. Ill III bhlu eotSpluG u " HBECc MS
per TO the man next him. Tell her not there
at tho back doori" But before the messenger
T TSssis, a is9 w dGSF o sn'T soc %%s a al fu SIsspt r asSli IN
rushed TO the %veranda, only to see Mrs. Barker
driving away alone; stePt9s turned back into
Mrs. Barker. no had siipped. to the back door
s aRs t %i,S a a SIDE &c s sSSRiSS SS. G Gis int RH5ss' w Sae
right. Van Loo. when he dissppesred from the
S snd SSa nsS aliSsn ths H Woman ssni to sh Sse S fsts. n JACK
and dashed after him. Presently he caught 9
the hall: angry. hsif.ironical shouts Of the crowd
at the back door, and as he reached the hilltop
pisxiity, Mrs. barrier ). on the, other road
stil driving frantically In the direction
# the bs rHilSS" ihr, station a%sv A. e wSiS a MT;
the horse. barebacked but for his blanket pad.
dashed forward, with such good results that, as
Yam Loo galloped up TO the st,ge,eoach once az
waiting coach for Marysyille, the soft hand Of
MI, H Ian was r . laid on }nl his h SIhO o = Ina, 7 had
horse and the only saddle"
and reefiess. Bockonins Jack out Of earshot Of
the! ot aWhpp asss S Hs% follow he '9 %s, WV What siE e sosr
81 thought" said Hamlin dryly. that I was
to have the pleasure OF getting satisfaction from
wei, and. il 1 apologize for it, what thenr'
he said quickly,
I Also said something about the lady being the
wife of q friend Of mine"
can 4 taS. ba aa SssR left Without hss se sisSI.e ae FOR hq no ens
knows of her flight but YOU and ], Do Sou think
your shooting me will save heri It will spread
as l have apologized for what you choose to
call my, personal insult, unless you murder me
Know the reason Of your. quarrel. Ana / can
tell you more; Il you only succeed In stopping
Mr.. Hamlin looked at Van Loo curiously.
There was q certain amount of conviction In
creature before. He had surpassed even Ham:
Inns fret intuition OF his character. He amused
nmS ' OF the world na% and n Knew Mri that ha% Yam T LOS s'S Ssa.
pockets and said, What Is your little camel"
responsible for this situation. He knew that
secrets Of steptoe's that might be OF Importance
with this powerful free lance and haif:outiavf'
might DO Of interest to your S.S friends to hear
Hamlin took his hands out Of his pockets,
But I must go BY, that coach now, said Van
Loo, desperately, "or-fve told you what
Come With me-" said Jack. coolly. "nI'm
down At he next station an hour before that
..Yo1 swear it r. said Van Loo. hesitatinsly.
I've said it" returned Jack. Come" and
Van Loo followed Mr.. Hamlin into the hotel.
CHAPTER VI.
The abrupt disappearance Of Jack Hamlin and
scarcely 9otieed b., the other guests Of the
toe and his friends. who We're a distinct party
and strangers to the town. there was no excite
ment. Indeed, the hotel proprietor might have
iSo was no. far wrong sons'I IN his ha% BELIEF Ps't shss their heir
Identity had not been suspected. Nor were
episode in which they had taken part only at
the suggestion of their leader, and which. had
Terminated tern ! SO !a,m IN e Eyi,. That they would r haze
have been Incidentally forced to disgorse his
winnings. there was no doubt, but that their In
sonal spite, Of steptoes against Van Loo was
equally plain to them. There was some grum-
Sl 4Sis s Ras 9n isiss mad ssit % c e Ct ais ns 81 sss az.
party were eyidsntly waiting: II was a short,
f f"sse to ssep psss: IS sSA iRsn HATS Ghsn the nc d Eas n!si
marked Improvement IN. quality al and style, al:
though still characterized In the waist and chest
e eSl the middle HHSss ass. eif ffHsaS% q ha R1r Tsstr Sea slS Sis
potattons. or limited them to certain festivals
known as "sprees." and, his face was less puffy
he had lost bis good humor. and had the irrita-
bility and intolerance Of ~virtuous restraint.
whisky Si to me-, !f he sai SH au enS Sl gG to- st tSPtS;te as
he filed out with the rest Of the party through the
barroom Into the sdjscent apsrtmsnt; want
and reckon it wouldn't hurt you and your gang
to do the same. They're less likely to blab: and
he added. as Steptoe turned the key in the door
after the party had entered,
inss Of directors or political csucuseS. and was
roughly furnished with notched and whitfield
armchairs and a single long deal table, on which
It with a .half-embarrassed, Acknowledgements
attitude Of formality, their bent 5rows and iso-
ment and scarcely an attempt to veil that indi:
yidual selhshness that was prominent. Still
Sympathy lsss %as t IN tho amy ms ssnsy Of Of s stS@RsniS Ss hi su Or
denly raped on the table with his knuckles.
.,Gentlemen," he said with a certain ~delibera-
coarse direetness. IT reckon SA' You ali Ii have
q, sort of general idea what, you were
But you may or, may not Know that for
the present you are honest, hard-working miners
that You have formed yourselves into a Company
selves on the bar below Heavy Tree HiM ona
half a mile from where the big strike WAS made
Ave years ago. That's what you are, gentlemen;
nenoe that they all felt, "the man who forgets it
will have to reckon with me. Now he con.
tinued, resuming, his former ironical manner.
now. what are the cold facts OF the case Tho
Marshalls worked this claim ever since 40, and
never got ANYTHING out Of It; then they dropped
Tom Marshall, to work what was left OF
II; Well, a few days ago he found in.
dications' Of a big lead In the rock. and
instead OF rushin' out and yelIin' like an honest
on %se To- a sFfis ss,li and II sd sss S to tss to bs asin e. s he ' .e% ts
take a hand In II; We'll. you know when Jim
and the bank wouldn't see 1t until he promised
to guarantee possession of the whole abandoned
claim = dips. spurs, and ~angles'-and let them
work the whole thing, which the id fool did.
there tomorrow to report. But while he was
away some one on our side, who was an expert
Also, got wind Of 1t and made an examination all
by himself. and found 1t was a vein sure enough
and q big thing. and some ono else on our side
found out. too, all that Marshall had promised
The bank. and what the bank had promised him..
that expert tomorrow / expect that he will lind
you In possession OF every part OF the deserted
And what good is that to us r. asked one of