The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-07-05
The Tanning of Red Butte
By FRANCIS lYNDE
(Continued.)

excitement" he remarked. Some of them have grown to be shippers, haven't theyT'
 "Only two of any importance" re- piled the superintendent-"the Ruby, In Ruby gulch, and Flemister's Wire Silver, at Little Butte. You couldn't rall either of them a bonanza, but they are both shipping fair ore in good quantities.
 "Flemister." said the president re6ec- tively-"he's a character. Know him personally, Howard?'
 "A little," the superintendent admit ted.
 "A little is a-plenty. It wouldn't pay you to know him very well," laughed the big man good naturedly. He has a somewhat paralyzing way of get ting next to you financially. I knew him in the old Leadville days-a born gentleman in manner and also a born buccaneer. 1.-the men he has held up and robbed were to stand in a row they'd fill Denver street Is he alone in the mine?"
 T don't know that he has any part ners. Somebody told me when I first came over here that Gridley, our mas- ter mechanic, was in with him, but Gridley says that Is mistake-that he thinks too much. of his reputation to be Eaemister's partner"
 Hank Gridfey," unused the presi- dent-"Hank 0etaaey and his reputa- t1onv It wouldj certainly be pity if that were to get corroded in any way. There is 8 man.who properly belongs to the stone age, what you might call an elemental scoundrel.
 Ever hear. ofsthe story. of his mar riage? No? Remind sme of it some time and I'll tell you. But we were speaking of Flemister. You say the Wire Silver has turned out pretty wellr
 ''very well, indeed, I believe. Elem lister seems to have money to burn"
 "He always has-his own <or some body else's. It makes little difference to him. The way he got the Wire Silver would have made Black Beard, the pirate, turn green with envy. Know anything about the history of the mine?"
 Lidgerwood shook4his head
 ''Well, do; just happen to. You know how it hes-on the western slope of Little Butte ridge?"
 "Yes."
 "That is where it lies now. But the original openings were made on the eastern slope of the butte. They didn't pan out very well, and Elem ister began to look for a victim. to whom be could sell. About that time a man whose name can never recall took up a claim on the western slope of the ridge directly opposite Elem lister. This man struck it pretty rich and Flemister began to bully him on the plea that the new discovery was only continuation of his own vein straight through the hill. You can guess what happened"
 Fairly well," said Lidgerwood. "Flemister lawed the other man out"
 "He did worse than that He drove straight into the hill. past his own lines and actually took the money out of the other mans mine to use as fighting fund. Flemister put the oth- CT man to the wall in the end There was some domestic tragedy involved, too, in which Flemister played the devil with the other mans family, but I don't know any of the details"
 Just then the waiter opened the door was served.
 Don't forget to remind me that I'm to tell you Gridley's story, Howard" said the president, rising out of the depths of his lounging chair and strip ping of the dust coat. Reads like a romance, only fancy it was anything but a romance for poor Lizzie Gridley. Let's go and see what the cook has done for us.''
 At luncheon Lidgerwood was made known to the other members of the private car party. The white haired old man who had been dozing in his chair was Judge Holcombe. Van Lew's uncle and the father of the prettier of the two young women who had been entertaining Jefferis, the curly headed collegian. Jefferis laughingly dis claimed relationship with anybody. But Miss Carolyn Doty. the less pret- ty but more talkative of the two young women. confessed that she was a cousin twice removed of Mrs. Brewster.
 Quite naturally Lidgerwood sought to pair the younger people when the table gathering was complete and was not entirely certain of his prefguring Eleanor Brewster and Van Lew sat together and were apparently absorb ed in each other to the exclusion of all things extraneous. Jefferis had Miss Doty for companion. and the afliction of her well balanced tongue seemed to affect neither his appetite nor his enjoyment of what the young woman had to say.
 Miriam Holcombe had fallen to Lid gerwood's lot, and at first he thought that her silence was due to the fact that young Jefferis had got upon the wrong side of the table. But after she began to talk he changed his mind
 "Ten me about the wrecked train zr. passed little while ago, MT. Lid .-yvod," she began, almost abruptly. ''was any one killedT
 "No. It was a freight. and the crew