The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-02-01

threatening him But Waite evidently
knew the man under another name
his given name-and the gambler had
sent him off Oh false trail. The lost
papers apparently contained the solu-
ton to all this mystery Waite be,
lieved Hawley possessed them. gut
did not suspect that Bartlett and siaw
ley were the same person. What
would he most naturally do now?
Seek Hawley in Topeka probably,
seize the first opportunity of getting
there. Keith turned impatiently to
the clerk.
ANY train running east?"
Well. they generally start one out
every day with glance toward the
clock, long bout this time. Maybe
it's gone, and maybe it hasn't"
1t was already nearly dark outside
as the two men FASTENED toward the
depot. They arrived there barely in
time to see the red lights on the last
car disappear No inquiries made OF
those lOurging about brought results
they had been interested in lot OF
drunken graders loaded on the fat
cars by force, and sent out under
guard-and not one could tell whether
any man answering Waite's descrip-
ton was in the single passenger
coach Convinced, however, that the
General would waste no time in prose
cutting his search, Keith believed him
already on his way east, and after dis
missing Neb, with instructions to
watch out closely for Hawley, he
made his own way back to the hotel.
It seemed strange enough how COM
pletely he was blocked each time, just
AS he thought the whole banning mys-
terry was about to be made clear. Haw-
ley was playing in rare luck, all tho
cards running easily to his hand. thus.
at least, gaining time, and strengthen
ing his position. There could no long
er be any doubt that the gambler pos
sessed some knowledge which made
him q formidable adversary. From
Waite's statement 1t was the loss of
the papers which left him helpless to
openly resist the claim being made
upon him on behalf of the mysterious
Phyllis. His only hone, therefore, lay
in recovering these; but, with time
limited, he had been sent back on q
wild goose chase, while Keith alone
knew, with any degree of positiveness,
where those documents really were.
Hawley certainly had them in his pos
session the day before, for he had
taken them to Miss Maclaire to thus
convince her as to the truth of his
statements. And Hawley was still
in Sheridan. However, 1t was not
likely the man would risk carrying
documents of such value, and docu-
ments connecting him SO closely with
that murder on the Santa Fe Trail,
about upon his person. At best, life
was cheap in that community, and
Black Bart must possess enemies in
plenty Yet If not on his person
where? Scott was only a tool, a mere
ignorant desperado, not to be trusted
to such degree-yet apparently he
was the only one working with the
cogniZant as to his plans. Christie
Keith came to a stop IN the street at
the recurrence Of the woman's name.
Why not? If she had been convinced,
II she really believed that these pa
pers proved her right to both property
and parentage, then she would guard
them as a tigress does her young And
Hawley would know that, and must
realize they would be far safer In her
hands than in his pocket. She could
not use them without his aid and
guidance, and yet. whatever happened
to him they would still be safely be-
yond reach. True, this might not have
been done, the gambler might not yet
have felt that he had sufficient hold
upon the woman to trust her thus far,
but it was, at least, possibility to be
considered. and acted upon.
Still wrestling with the intricate
problem, Keith entered the dining
room, and weaved his way, as usual.
through the miscellaneous crowd, to-
ward the more exclusive tables at the
rear. A woman sat alone at ono of
these, her back toward the door. His
first thought was that It must be
Hope, and he advanced toward her,
his heart throbbing. She glanced up,
a slight frown wrinkling her forehead,
sad he bowed, recognizing Christie
Maclaire