The Holly chieftain., 1898-12-09
vTII.-coSrrSuEp.
leoprien,. 1884. by May H.I,oek eoo...,

Mr.. Bingham produced a letter in u
long blue envelope, unsealed, and with.
out an address. He offered it to Faith.
Il will not touch it," she cried. "For
shame, father! Can you stoop to read
a private letter picked out Of the pock-
cts of your guest by your own serv-
ants?"
my guest! A pretty sort of guest.
My guest is a spy, and he is my pris-
oner," shouted Mr.. Bingham. II have
the right to search, and l have proved
his trade on him by the papers he
carries. Abby was right to inform our
boys of this meeting. and they were
right to be there, prepared to take him
alive or dead. The time demands it.
spy expects the treatment of spy;
he knows what that is when he agrees
to take the job. Now hear what he
says for himself. This is letter ad-
dressed TO Sir Peter Plympton, the
president of our company, rs you know
The date is June 80, the day of that oc-
casion you refer to in manner so re-
spectful to your father, when we first
, met this Mr.. Dnrcie Hamilton, alias
Jack Darcie. His father is Archibald
Hamilton. one of our directors, so it's
not for the wages he has taken up the
trade; it's pure love of the business.
will not stop to read each specific
charge that he brings against me; you
can read the letter yourself. il you like.
Perhaps you have read it."
Faith rejected the letter with pas
sionate gesture.
Then you will have to take my word
for the contents. It's the old list of
charges that is always put up when
there is kick against one man on the
Misrepresentation of lot of other
men who have something to gain by
his downfall. I'm liar and thief,
and I'm generally incompetent; there's
nothing wrong that haven't done. and
there's nothing right that have. II
you won't read it, you can take for
granted there's nothing left out But
here is his summing up:
~ would unhesitatingly recommend
that work be suspended, and the mine
shut down, pending complete reor-
ganization of the force. The morale OF
the men is what might be looked for as
travagance, and corruption in the off
GERS. l should recommend the dis
charge of every man on the pay rolls,
beginning with the manager and ex-
cepting the doctor. At present the
mine is run in the interests of the man
ager and Of the Miners union. The
force includes some of the most un-
scrupulous of the Idaho "Mollies,r and
In the existing state of feeling between
the Mine-owners' association and the
unions the mine is regarded as danger
and menace to the peace Of the COM
munity; and in the event of these
troubles coming to crisis, demanding
the presence of the troops, think it not
unlikely that the mine would be shut
down by order of the district COM
mander.'
"All this he submits respectfully, and
signs himself John Darcie Hamilton
'sNow. whether the charges agninst
me are true or false has nothing to do
with the question. Is this Darcie Ham,
ilton entitled to be called my guest, to
enjoy the shelter of my house, and the
privilege of my daughters society? Is
she doing right by herself and by me
in making him her friend-not to speak
Of anything more?"
"Let me look at the letter." said Faith.
She held it in her trembling hands.
trying to fix her mind upon the last
few sentences, and to compare the
written words with those she had heard
her father pronounce; she turned TO the
date, and then she went back again to
the signature.
take It, please" she said, handing
1t to her father. II think there is not
much to choose among u.s."
II don't know what you may mean
by that. Include yourself If you think