The Mena weekly star., 1911-11-09
ing Eyes.

Keith Strengthened Up, Looking Di
rectly into the Fierce Question
ing Eyes.
| ty to his grandchiid, providing she
could be found and identified within a
certain time, failing which the proper
ty was to be distributed among Ger.
tain designated charities. Waite was
named sole administrator. Well the
old man took as much interest in 1t as
though It was his own girl, but made
mighty little progress. He did dis
cover that the father had taken the
child to St Louis and left here there
with a woman named Raymond, but
after the woman died the girl com
pletely disappeared.
Then Miss Maclaire Is Hope
Waite's half-sister?"
That's the way 1t looks now"
And Hawley merely happened to
stumble on to the right party?"
"Sure; It's clear enough how THAI
came about The boy told him about
the lost heiress his father was search
ing after, and showed him his sisters
picture Black Bart instantly recog-
nized her resemblance to Christie
Maclaire, and thought he saw good
chance for some easy money He
needed the papers, however, to ascer-
tain exactly the terms of the Will,
and what would be necessary for the
Identification He never intended to
go into court, but hoped to either get
Waite out of the way. or else convince
him that Christie was the girl, relying
on her gratitude for his profits. When
Waite played into his hands by com
ing to Carson City the chance was too
good to We lost I'm not sure he meant
TO kill him, but he did mean to have
those papers at any cost Probably
you know the rest--the girl was easy,
because she was so ignorant Of her
parentage. and nothing prevented
dawey from winning except that
Waite got mad and decided to fight.
That Knocked over the whole thing.
They were outside now, and the
first touch of the cool night air, the
nrst glance up and down the noisy
street, brought Keith to himself, his
mind ready to grapple with the prob
lem of Hopes disappearance. 1t
seemed to him he had already looked
everywhere, yet there was nothing to
do except to continue the search, only
more systematically. The sheriff as
sumed control-clear headed, and &C
customed to that sort of thing--cali
ing in Hickock and his deputies to
assist, and fairly combing the town
from one end to the other. Not a RAT
could have slipped unobserVed
through the net he dragged down thai
long street. or its intersecting alleys
but 1t was without result; nowhere
was there found trace of either the
gambler or his companion.
They dug into saloons, bagnios
diatce-hsi.s. searching back rooms
and questioning inmates; they routed
out every occupant of the hotel, in
yaded boarding houses, and explored
shacks and tents, Indifferent to the
protests of those disturbed-but with
out result. They found several VINO
knew Hawley, others VINO had seen the
two together passing by the lighted
windows OF the Trocadero, but beyono
ehat-nothing Convinced, at last, tna'
he parties sought we're not awe IL
Sheridan, and beginning to fear the
worst the searchers separated, anc
began spreading forth over the biaci
surrounding prairie. and by the hgh
of lanterns seeking any semb,ance o
/ trail. There was no lack OF volun
teers for this work, but 1t was Gay
light before the slightest clue pre-
sented itself Keith, with the shefif
and two or three others, had gropet
their way outward until, with the hrs
flush of dawn. they found Themselves
at the opening of small rocky ra
vine. near the foot of Boots Hill.
peeripg down into its still shadowe'
Depths, they discerned what appeared
Ike pody lying there motionless
Keith sprang down beside 1t, and turn
ed the rigid form over until the deaf
face was revealed IN the wan light
II was that of the red moustache'
Scott. He staggered back at the rec
ignition. barely able TO calculate
Here. Sheriff. This is one OF raw
leys meni"
The sheriff was bending instanti'
above the corpse, searching for tn
ruth
you know the fellow"
Yes. his name was Scott"
We'll, he's been dead some hours
n least six l should say. shot Jus
above the eye. and good Heavens
COX here. Keith. st the size Of mi
bullet wound that's 10 mans sun l