The Mena weekly star., 1911-09-28
Continued from Last Issue.)
 CHAPTER xx.
uons Goes to Sheridan.

rnossjble for Hope to remain quietly
 long fin the hotel at Fort Larned,
 rhe more carefully she thought oves
 ss story Of that murder at the Cim-
 aaron Crossing, and Keith's tale O.
 Aow he had discovered and buried the
 nstiated bodies, the more assured
 .he became that that was where this
 IooEet came from, and that the slain
 trechter must have been her own fa-
 ,her. she never once questioned the
 truth of Keith's report; there was that
 shout the man which would not per
 mlt of her doubting him. He had
 imply failed to mention what he re-
 moved from the bodies, supposing this . would be of no special interest
 Mrs. Murphy, hoping thus to quiet
 he apprehensions of her charge. set
 herself diligently at work to discover
 tbe facts. As her house was filled
 with transients. including occasional
 visitors from Carson City, and was
 also lounging headquarters for many l If the officers from the nearby fort, l she experienced no difficulty in pick \ Ing up all the floating rumors. Out of these with Irish shrewdness, she soon managed to patch together a consist ent fabric of fact.
 "Shure, honey. it's not so bad the way they tell 1t now" she explained, consollngly. Nobody belaves now 1t was yer father that got kilt It was two fellers what stole his outfit, clothes an all. an was drivin' off wid 'em inter the sand hills. Divil a wan does know who kilt 'em. but there's some ugly stories travelin' about Some says Injuns; some says the posse run 'em down; an Black Bart m his dirthy outfit. they swear 1t was Keith. Dive got me own notion. An nyhow, there's bout three hundred dollars, some mules, an lot O val yble papers missin'."
 But If it wasn't father. where is he pow?"
 That's what Dive been tryin' ter foind out First otf he went out to tho Cimmaron Crossing. gyarded by a squad O cavalry from the fort hore. Tommy Caine wint along an told me all about it. They dug up the bodies. but niver a thing did they find on 'enl-not a paper. nor uo...-- They'd bin robbed all roight. The ovid Gineral swore loike wild mon all the way back. Tommy said. an the first thing he did at Carson City was 10 start huntin' fer Black Bart He was two days gittin' on the traii av him; then he heard the feller was gone away trapsing after a singin' or 6ancln' gyurl called Christie Maclaire. She was supposed to be ayther at Topeky or Sheridan. freighter toid the ovid man she was at Sheridan, an so he started there overland. hopin' ter head of Black Bart Oi reckon we could towld morn that
 What do you mean?"
 Why shure, honey. what's the use tryin' ter decave me? Didn't Jack Keith wid his own lips. tell me ye was Christie Maclaire?"
 But I'm notl I'm not. Mrs. Mur- phy I don't even know the woman It is such q strange thing; l cannot account for it--both those men mis- took me for her, and--and l let them. didn't care who the man Hawley sup posed me to be, but I intended to have told Mir Keith he was mistaken don't know why l didn't. only l sup posed he finally understood. But l want you to believe. Mrs Murphy l am Hope Waite, and not Christie Maclaire"
 It's little the loss to ye not ter be her. an Oi'm thinkin loikely Jack Keith will be noighty well biased ter know the truth Whats Black 2. .s SO ayger ter git hold av this Maclaire gyurl ferf"
 T do not in the least know. He must have induced me to go to that place in the desert believing me to be the other woman Yet he said noth' ing of any purpose; indeed, he found no opportunity"
 Mrs. Murphy shook her head dis paragingly.
 Tt was shure some divilment," she asserted, stoutly. Hell be up to some trick wid the poor gyurl; Oi know the loikes av him. Shure. the two av yez must look as much aloike as two payes ir a pod. Loikely now, It's twin sister ye've got?
 Hope smiled, although her eyes were misty.
 oh, no; Fred and were the only children; but what shall do? What ought l to do?"
 The Irish mouth of Kate Murphy set firmly. her blue eyes burning.
 It's not sthrong Oi am on advfsin, she said, shortly. but if 1t was me Ord be fer foindin' out what all this mix-up was about There's somethin' moighty quare in 1t It's my notion that Hawley's got hold av thim papers av yer fathers. The ovid gint thinks so. too. an that's why he's so hot afther catchin' him. May the divii admoire me av Oi know where this Maclaire gyurl comes in. but Oi'll bet the black divfl has g,t her marked Ter some part In the play. What would Oi do? Be goory. oid go to sheridan. an foind the Ginefal. an fiii him all l knew Maybe he could piece 1t together. and guess what Hawlcy was up ter"
 Hope was already upon her feet. her puzzled face frightening.
 Oh. that Is what l wanted 10 do.