River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-11-09

But if it wasn't father, where is he
now?"
That's what Owe been tryin' ter
foind out First off he went out to the
Cimmaron Crossing, guarded by
squad o. cavalry from the fort here.
Tommy Caine whit along, an told
me all about it. They dug up the
bodies, but niver a thing did they find
on 'em-not a paper, nor dollar.
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 to start huntin' fer Black Bart
He was two days gittin on the trail
ay him; then he heard the Teller was
gone away trapsing after singin' or
dancin' gyurl called Christie Maclaire
She was supposed to be ayther at
Topeky or Sheridan. A freighter told
the ovid man she was at Sheridan, an
so he started there overland, hopin'
ter head Off Black Bart OF 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, wild his own lips, tell me We
was Christie Maclaire?"
But I'm not! I'm not, Mrs. Muir
ply. l don't even know the woman.
1t is such a strange thing; | cannot
account for it-both those men mis-
took me for her, and-and | let them.
| didn't care who the man Hawley sup
posed me to be, but intended to have
told Mr.. Keith he was mistaken. |
don't know why l didn't, only sup
posed he finally understood. But |
want you to believe, Mrs. Murphy
| am Hope Waite, and not Christie
Maclaire.
Its little the loss to We not ter be
her, an Dim thinkin' loikely Jack
Keith will be moighty well plased ter
know the truth. What's Black Bart
so ayger ter git hold av this Maclaire
gyurl fer?'
Il 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 moth
ing of any purpose; indeed, he found
no opportunity"
Mrs. Murphy shook her head dis
paragingly.
1T was shure some divilment," she
asserted, stoutly. He'll be up to
some trick wild the poor gyurl; OF
know the loikes av him. Shure, the
two av yez must look as much aloike
as two payes in pod. Loikely now.
it's twin sister we've got?"
Hope smiled, although her eyes
were misty.
"Oh, no; Fred and | were the only
children; but what shall l do? What
ought to do?"
The Irish mouth of Kate Murphy
set firmly. her blue eyes burning.
Its not sthrong Oh am on advisin',"
she said, shortly, "but If it was me
Old be fer foindin' out what all this
mix-up was about There's somethin
mcighty quare in It. It's my notion
that Hawley's got hold av thin papers
av yer fathers. The ovid gint thinks
so, too, an that's why he's so hot
afther catchin' him. May the divil
admoire me av OF know where this
Maclaire gyurl comes in, but Oil bet
the black divil has get her marked
fer some part in the play What
would OF do? Be goory, Old go to
Sheridan, an foind the Gineral, an
till him all / knew. Maybe he could
piece it together, and guess what
Hawley was up ter"
Hope was already upon her feet.
her puzzled face Frightening.
.Oh, that is what / wanted to do.
but I was not sure it would be best.
How can l get there from here?"
"Ye'd have ter take the stage back
to Topeky; loikely they'd be runnin'
thrains out from theirs CT the new
road. leil 10 sssy fsS no ter fond