The copper era and Morenci leader., 1912-04-19

reason to trust my informant as | have you. He, at least, has proven himself friend" 'I wish I could feel as fully assurea of that as you do," he returned honest ly. q would then have every tempta- | tion to meddle further taken away from me. Do you realize that my in- teres. is very largely upon your ac- count?"
 "Oh, no," laughing, 1 couldn't be lieve that. IT have heard it whis- pered it might be because of the other girl"
 ''The other grill" in complete sur prise at this swift return. Yes, sir," conscious of having at ,tained the upper hand. Miss Hope Waite"
 Some more of MT. Hawley's fan cies," he retorted. perplexed that so much should be suspected. Have you seen herr"
 Mir Keith, with all the natural curi- i osity of my sex. In this case I had special reason to be interested. One does not meet her counterpart every day"
 
 certainly most striking"
 Sufficiently so," she said slowly, her eyes on his face, ''to abundantly confirm in my mind the truth of all that has been told me-"
 The waiter approached with the or ders, and the two remained in silence until he had deposited his load upon the table, and departed. She was watching the face opposite through lowered lashes that yelled her eyes, but Keith was first to break the still ness.
 "I wish I might be told what that was"
 "To what do you refer?" apparent ly forgetful as to where their conver- sation had been broken.
 ''To Hawley's proposition"
 "No doubt" her lips smiling, "but you have come to the wrong market, MT. Jack Keith.'
 'Yet," he insisted earnestly, eff this Is all straight, with no fraud conceal ed anywhere, if you have the proofs in your hands, why are you afraid to talk openly? The very manner in which Hawley works should convince you he is himself afraid to face the truth
 "No, you are wrong. There are per fectly satisfactory reasons why we should for the present keep our plans secret. There are details yet to be de- cided upon. and MT. .Hawley's present objection to publicity Is only ordinary prudence"
 She leaned toward him, her fingers playing nervously with a knife.
 MT. Keith, I cannot help but like you, and also feel most kindly dis posed toward MT. Hawley. I wish in this was no longer compelled to con- sider you an enemy of us both There Is no reason why I should, except for your blind prejudice against this other man who is my friend. I know you have some cause, for he has told me the entire story, yet I am sure he did no more than his actual duty. He let me realize how very sorry he was that the marshal at Carson City had called upon him for assistance"
 Who? Haw1ey?" Keith questioned, hardly trusting his own ears
 "Yes; indeed hesfs very different man from what you have been led to believe. know he is a gambler, and all that, but really it is not altogether
 
 and it was very sad: He was driven from home when only boy. and naturally drifted into evil company His one ambition is to break away, and redeem himself. am so anxious to help him, and wish you could real ize his purpose, as I do, and become his friend. Won't you, for 1ny sake? Why. even in this affair he has not the slightest merceuary purpose-he has only thought of what was rightful- ly mine'
 Keith listened, feeling to the full the woman's earnestness, the impossibili- ty of changing her fixed conviction. Hawley had planted his seed deep and we'll in fruitful soil.
 You make a strong and charming advocate, Miss Maclaire" he returned. feeling the necessity of saying some thing 'T should like to have you equally earnest on my side. Yet 1t will be hard to convince me that Black Bart Is the paragon of virtue you describe. I wish I might believe for your sake. Did he also explain how he came into possession of these papers?"
 "Oh, yes, indeed; there is no secret about that. They were entrusted to him by an old man whom he discov- cred sick in Independence, and who died in his rooms three years ago MT, Hawley has been searching ever since for the old mans granddaughter. It is remarkable now he was finally convinced that was the one"
 "A photograph was 1t not?"
 A gleam of sudden suspicion ap- peared in the brown eyes, a slight change in facial expression.
 That was clue, yes, but far from being all. But why should I tell you this 7-yol, believe nothing say"