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

simultaneously heard voices, and
saw approaching bronzed and beard.
ed man with STRONG unmarked Scotch
features and a determined air
THE doctor!" involuntarily ex-
claimed, with 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." | replied with as propitiatory
q smile as could muster up in face
of his brusk forbidding expression. II
came ON my own GRAND I ann rep
resentative of the New York 49,, and
hope you will not deny me word
with Mr.. Fairbrother-.''
With a gesture hardly knew how
to interpret he took my horse by the
rein and led us ON 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," I returned boldly. Ills wife
YOU know about his wife
No. How should I 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 most
mysterious murder in New York. 1t
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. Fairtbrother murdered" he ex-
claimed, but in a suppressed voice, to
which point was given by the cautious
look he cast behind him at the tent
which had drawn my attention. "He
must not know it, man. I could not
answer for his life if he received the
least shock in his present critical con-
dition. Murdered? When?'
Ten days ago, at ball in New
York. 1t was after Mr.. Fairbrother
left the city. He was expected to re-
turn, after hearing the news, but he
seems to have kept straight on to his
destination. He was not very fond of
his wife,-that is, they have not been
living together for the last year. But
he could not help feeling the shock
Of her. death which he must have
heard Of somewhere along the route .
He has said nothing in his delirium
to show that he knew it. 1t is pos.
sible, just possible, that he didn't read
the papers. He could not have been
we'll for days before he reached Santa
Fe."
when were you called in to attend
him?"
1.-THE very night after he reached
this place. 1t was Thought he wouldn t
live to reach the camp But he is a
man OF great pluck. He held UP till
his foot touched this platform. Then
he succumbed."
"If he was as sick as that" I NUT
tered, "why did he leave Santa F'e?
He must have known what it would
mean to be sick here"
II don't think he did. This is his
first visit to the mine. He evidently
knew nothing of the difficulties of the
road. But he would not stop. He was
determined to reach the camp, even
after he had been given a sight of 1t
from the opposite mountain. He told
them that he had once crossed the
Sierras in mtdwinter. But he wasn't
a sick man then"
Doctor, they don't know who KILLED
his wife"
"He didn't"
~ know, but under such circlen.
stances every fact bearing on the
event is of immense Importance. TheSe
IS one which Mr.. FairbTother only cab
N