Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-05-24
Through K
< Shaft Z.
BY Wv JOHNSON.
Copyright. 1907, by Homer sprague

| sented Calman.
ut takes six hours to 20 from here
to the mine," pursued the magistrate.
II can do it in five Oh Tenny.'
Not better than that, though. Well.
at IL O'Clock on that night | took "a
drink with Beecham, the accused, in
the Golden Crown. Case dismissed I'M
til we can find out who did it."
The judge clambered from the bench,
an elaborate structure of grocery box
es, and looked about expectantly. Cal.
man stepped forward.
IL suggest that the fact that there
really is Golden Crown be proved"
| he said genially.
Motion sustained" ordered the
judge, and the entire party retired
across the street to drink with such
others as might already be there at
| Claimants expense.
But while the evidence was beyond
question and Callnan accepted the ali
hi, he was none the less convinced that
| it was Bee,h ham who had led the at
tack. Beeclam not only bore bad
reputation. lut he deserved 1t. Evel
since hC IL. come to Ser Springs he
| lad headed all the villainy of the little
mining camp and more than once it
had been remarked that the Lucky
Hole produced a surprisingly large per
centage of rich ore. No one had ever
been able to prove that this ore came
from other mines than the one to
which it was credited, but suspicion
lay heavy upon Beecham, who worried
not at all.
For more than a year the Addie
Eta mine had suffered from the dep
relations, of ore thieves. AS the mine
was on the other side of the range, it
was a surprise that Calnan should
have charged Beecham with the theft
of the rich ore. 1t was impossible to
take it over the range, and by the d.
vide it was a good twenty even miles.
There was plenty of richer ore nearer
at hand, yet Calman was positive that
III Beecham he had recognized the man
who had fired at him when an attempt
was made to put the robbers to flight.
There were three marauders in the
party, and they had vanished so mys-
teriously in their retreat that there
|
pearance supernatural agencies 1t
was not humanity possible to drop out
of sight in the bare. unwooded valley
as the robbers had done.
But ghosts have no use for rich ore.
and Calman held to Il different opinion.
in which he was upheld by Ruth Clare,
the only woman at the Addie-Etta. She
was the sister of Ned Glare and acted
as bookkeeper and stenographer to Cal
man.
Wen get them yet" he promised as
he recounted the result of the trial.
"They are costing us more money all
Of the time, and it will soon reach a
point where they will cut off the prof
Its. I'm positive that it was Beecham
/ saw, and yet there were a dozen men
whom l can believe who saw him TAX
ing drink in the saloon not more than
an hour after he was here. Why, he
could not have made it in a balloon,
and yet I'm still convinced that it was
he at both places"
Then it remains to be seen how he
made his way so quickly" she said
quietly.
I'VE simply must find out" he insist
ed. Il was counting on getting mar
ried this fall but with the reduction
in the proats am afraid that we shall
not make enough to reach the bonus"
Il don't mind waiting, dear" she said
quietly. But for the sake Of all Of
us | want to see the mystery solved,
and it must be solved"
Several days later Calman, coming
into the Office, found a little child in.
stalled there.
who's the youngsterY" he asked
carelessly.
"Beecham's little girl" she explained.
"She was lost on the mountain. I
found her with a sprained ankle, cry
ing her poor little heart out We must
send her home"
"Beecham's childr' His voice was
harsh. Probably spying for her IA
Their"
mo, dear" Ruth laid a gentle hand
on his arm. "Beecham is wrapped up
In the little girl. She is all he cares
for"
Her pleading won, and late that aft
ernoon Ruth drove up to the Silver
Springs House with the child beside
her. Already searching parties had
set out, but gunshot signal brought
them back. and Beecham rather awk-
wardly thanked the girl
"I'll do as much for you some day"
he promised, not realizing how soon he
would be called upon to redeem his
pledge.
The following week he brought the
child over to see Ruth.
"She's been crying for you" he ex-
planned, land l didn't have the heart
to say No to her. I know I'm not
welcome here, but Daisy wanted to
see you, so had to come"
"I'm glad that you did," said Ruth
cordially as she took the child in her