The copper era and Morenci leader., 1912-03-22
CHAPTER XX.
Hope Goes to Sheridan.

lHpOSSlDl0 IOT nope Co ISuldlA QulOI1J for long in the hotel at Fort Larned. The more carefully she thought over the story Of that murder at the Ctm- maron Crossing, and Keith's tale of how he had discovered and buried the
 mutilated bodies, the more assured she became that that was where this locket came from, and that the slain freighter must have been her own fa- ther. She never once questioned the truth of Keith's report; there was that about the man which would not per init of her doubting him. He had simply failed to mention what he re- moved from the bodies. supposing this would be of no special interest.
 Mrs. Murphy, hoping thus to quiet the apprehensions of her charge, set herself diligently at work to discover the facts As her house was filled with transients, including occasional visitors from Carson City, and was also lounging headquarters for many of the officers from the nearby fort, she experienced no difficulty in pick ing up all the floating rumors. Out Of these, with Irish shrewdness, she soon managed to patch together consist ent fabric of fact.
 "Shure, honey, it's not so bad the way they tell 1t now," she explained. consolingly. Nobody belaves now it was yer father that got kilt It was two fellers what stole his outfit, clothes an all, an was drivin' of vtd 'em inter the sand hills. Divil wan does know who kilt 'em, but there's some ugly stories travelin' about Some says Injuns; some says the posse run 'em down; an Black Bart an his dirthy outfit, they swear it was Keith. Dive got me own notion. An nyhow, there's bout three hundred dollars, some mules, an lot O val yble papers missin'."
 But if 1t wasn't father, where is he now?"
 That's what Dive been tryin' ter ,foind out First off he went out to the ,Cimmaron Crossing, gyarded by squad O cavalry from the fort here. Tommy Caine wint along, an told me all about it. They dug up the bodies, but niver a thing did they Ind on 'em-not a paper, nor a dollar. They'd bin robbed all roight. The ovid Gfneral swore 1oike 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 av him; then he heard the feller was gone away trapsing after singin' or dancin' gyurl called Christie Macla1re. 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 Oi reckon we could a towld morn that"
 What do you mean?"
 Why shure, honey, what's the use tryin' ter decave me? Didn't Jack Keith, wid his own lips, tell me ye was Christie Maclaire?"
 But I'm noti I'm not, Mrs. Mur- phy. I don't even know the woman. It is such a strange thing; I cannot account for it-both those men mis- took me for her, and-and let them I didn't care who the man Hawley sup posed me to be, but I intended to have told MT. Keith he was mistaken don't know why I didn't, only I sup posed he finally understood. But I want you to believe, Mrs. Murphy I am Hope Waite. and not Christie Maclairs."
 Its little tho loss to ye not ter bs her. an Oi'm thinkin' loikeiy Jack Keith will be moighty well biased ter know the truth. What's Black Bart SO ayger ter git hold av this Aaclairs gyurl fer?"
 "I 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 noth- ing of any purpose; indeed, he found no opportunity"
 Mrs. Murphy shook her head dis 
 'It was shure some divilment," she asserted, stoutly. Hell be up to some trick wid the poor gyurl; Oi know the loikes av him. Shure, the two av yez must look as much aloike as two payes in a pod. Loikely now, it's twin sister ye've got?"
 Hope smiled, although her eyes were misty.
 "Oh, no; Fred and I were the only but what shall I do? What ought I to do?"
 The Irish mouth of Kate Murphy sot firmly, her blue eyes burning.
 Its not sthrong Oi am on advisin'," she said, shortly, but if it was me ord be fer foindin' out what all this mix-up was about. There's somethfn' Quare in 1t. It's my notion that Hawley's got hold av thim papers av yer fathers. The ovid gint thinks SO, too, an that's why he's so hot afther catchin' him. May the divfl admoire mo av Oi know where this Maclaire gyurl comes in, but Oi'u bet the black divil has get her marked fer some part in the play. What would Oi do? Be goory, oi'd go to an foind the Gineral, an' till him all I knew. Maybe he could