The searchlight., 1911-11-17


Never. She's glad enough to let
him alone. guess"
Why isn't she witness enough
them" asked the district attorney.
We'll, she's mixed up in Il in rather
a nasty way. She's afraid she'll suffer
II her part Of 1t Is made public"
Il can fix that" said Rutherford
cooily enough. "A promise of immun-
ity. and"
she won't do IT," returned the
chief. You can drive these women
Just so far. and there you stop. Be-
sides. 1t amt never goin' to come into
court"
What do you mean7" asked Ben.
son.
Il mean." said Connell emphaticaily.
that Gormly IL goin' to give up the
game"
Give up the same,- repeated Hal.
dane.
That's what said. It's goin' to be
put up to him as to whether he wants
this told or whether he withdraw
from the field"
You might back your put up to
him with a warrant for murder. I be-
lieve." said the district attorney. IF
the evidence Is what you say, I'll have
charges preferred against him."
| All right" answered the chief
MIR. Rutherford and will fix that up.
| Now. gentlemen. you leave this to ma
] am accustomed to deal with GRIM
inals. and I'll FIX Gormly. ought to
have all the reports in my hands the
day after tomorrow"
Wouldn't 1t be well to spring II to-
night?"
Hardly. Besides it's too late. Not
even Gormly himself could keep the
stun out Of the papers now.
Il guess now. Mr.. Haldane," said
Rutherford. as the assembly dissolved
and the two found themselves alone
together. the others being gone, "that
you are rather glad than otherwise
that your bribe did not work"
Yes. | suppose so. ! don't know"
answered Haldane brokenly. Il had
heard some intimations of this. moth.
Ing definitely. Connell has been very
close mouthed. tried to bluff CORN.
ly with that I don't know what Of.
feet the disclosure is going to have.
! don't know how true II is. II seems
rather suspicious"
"Connell had better be careful what
he does" returned Rutherford. He'd
better be very sure Of his facts"
why did you leave the handling OF
the affair to him?"
We'll. he'd make a good scapesoat
II anything went wrong" answered
Rutherford with cynical Indifference.
Now. as II happened. Colonel Bill
Hamilton was not SO guileless as he
looked. After the first exclamation
and the frst few condolences over the
drinks which he gave to the plain
clothes man who had SO adroitly
sought to get his story on that event
ful night, Colonel Bill shut up like
clam. The interest OF the stranger In
the story was suspicious. Colonel Bill
knew great many things that he had
not told. and did not intend to tell un.
less 1t was necessary. Therefore. he
soon got rid Of his new friend and
went to his room to think II over.
He was morally certain that Gormly
and the man whom he had known as a
boy as George Fordyce were one and
the same. Fortunately he had always
liked Fordyce. and he was not dis.
posed to do anything that would in.
jure him.
OF course he had heard. rs had ev.
eryone else In the United States, OF
the remarkable campaign Of George
Gormly for the mayoralty of New
York. He had not had a great amount
OF personal interest In the matter.
however. But when he Identified
Gormly with Fordyce. the affair at
once engaged his keenest attention.
Since the day he had left KIN Devil
Camp. he had never heard one word
OF either the man or the woman. He
had supposed. as everyone else had,
that they had perished in the storm.
and although their bodies had never
been recovered there were plenty Of
reasons to account for that.
What was he to do! Was he to see
Gormly. or Fordyce a. he called him,
and put him on his guard? Or was
he to wait and be governed BY cir.
cumstances! This was not an easy
problem to decide: but Colonel Bill
Hamilton finally came to the conclu.
sion that his best game was the walt.
ing one. Besides he liked to play Q
lone hand. and he felt every conn.
dence that he could do Il.
Meanwhile he determined to fortify
himself with such evidence as he
could secure. and at the proper time,
II the story was ferreted out and an
attempt was made to make use of II,
he would. as he phrased II. butt into
the game!" He set the telegraph to
work. therefore. and presently receiv.
ed from his partner In Butte by ex.
press a tin box full Of very private
official documents. Thereafter be
amused himself by following the prog.
ress Of the campaign and doing some
highly profitable local investigating on
his nUn account the vaa,,le ,,ht~h