Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-01
CHAPTER vI1-continued.)

q .
simultaneously 1 heard voices, and
saw approaching a bronzed and beard
ed man with strongl SUMMARIZED Scotch
features and determined air
1.-The doctor!" / involuntarily ex-
cha lined, with a glance at the small
and curious tent before which he stood
guard.
eyes, the DOCTOR" he answered in
Unexpectedly good English "And who
are you? Have you brought the mail
and those medicines sent for?"
NO." l replied with as propitiatory
q smile as could muster up in face
of his brusk forbidding expression. II
came ON my own Grand am a rep
resentative of the New York ---, and
I hope you will not deny me word
with MI. Fairbrothe1.."
With gesture hardly knew how
to interpret he took my horse by the
rein and led us on a few steps toward
another large tent where he motioned
me to descend. Then he laid his hand
on my shoulder and, forcing me to
meet his eye. said:
You have made this Journey be-
Ieve you said from New York-to see
Mr.. Fairbrother. Why?"
Because Mr. Fairbrother is at pres.
ent the most sought-for man in Amer.
ica,' returned boldly His wife
YOU know about his wife"
No. How should know about his
wife? know what his temperature
is and what his respiration is-but his
wife? What about his wife? He don't
know anything about her now him
self; he Is not allowed to read let
ters.'
But you read the papers. You must
have known, before you left Santa Fe
Of Mrs. Fairbrother's foul and mos
mysterious murder in New York. Il
has been the theme of two continents
for the last ten days"
He shrugged his shoulders, which
might mean anything, and confined his
reply to repetition of my own words
Mrs. Fairbrother murdered" he ex
claimed, but in a suppressed voice, tt
which point was given by the cautious
look he cast behind him at the ten
which had drawn my attention. H
must not know 1T, man. / could no
answer for his life if he received tn
least shock in his present critical con
dition. Murdered? When?"
Ten days ago, at a ball in Ney
York. 1t was after Mr.. Fairbrothe
left the city. He was expected to re
turn, after hearing the news, but n
seems to have kept straight on to hi
destination. He was not very fond c
his wife,-that is, they have not bee
living together for the last year. Blu
he could not help feeling the shoe
Of her. death which he must hay
heard Of somewhere along the route.
"He has said nothing in his deQiriu1
to show that he knew it. 1t Is po
sible, Just possible, that he didn't rea
the papers. He could not have bee
we'll for days before he reached SAINT
Fe."
when were you called in to atten
him?"
"The very night after he reache
this place. 1t was thought he wolldn
live to reach the camp. But he is
man of great pluck. He held UP tt
his foot touched this platform. The
he succumbed."
eff he was as sick as that" I mu
tered, "why did he leave Santa Fl
He must have known what it wou
mean to be sick here
81 don't think he did. This is b
first visit to the mine. He evident
knew nothing of the difficulties of tt
road. But he would not stop. He WI
determined to reach the camp, eve
after he had been given sight of
from the opposite mountain. He to
them that he had once crossed Il
Sierras in midwinter. But he wesr
sick man then"
Doctor, they don't know who ktll
his wife"
"He didn't"
81 know but under such circ,k
stances every fact bearing on Il
event is of immense Importance. The
is one which Mr.. FairbTother only CT