Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-07-18
CHAPTER Xxx.
Hope Goes to Sheridan.

AAOni dUOul hSllu neck made III
impossible for Hope to remain quietly
for long in the hotel at Fort Larned.
The more carefully she thought over
the story OF that murder at the Chm
maron Crossing. and Keith's tale OF
how he had discovered and buried the
mutilatsd bodies, the more assured
she became that that was where this
locket came from, and that the slain
freighter must have been her own IA
Their. She never once questioned the
truth of Keith's report; there was that
about the man which would not per
nit Of her doubling 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 q consist
ent fabric of fact.
"Shure, honey, it's not so bad the
way they tell it now" she explained.
consolingly Nobody behaves now 1t
was yer father that got kilt. 1t was
two fellers what stole his outfit,
clothes an all, an was drivin' of wild
IT, H. f,,t1
does know who kilt EN-, but there's
some ugly stories travelin' about.
Some says Injuns; some says the
posse run EN- down; an Black Bart
an his dirthy outfit, they swear II was
Keith. Olive got me own notion. An
INFLOW, there's bout three hundred
dollars, some mules, an lot o. val
yble papers missin'."
But II it wasn't father, where is he
now2"
That's what Owe been tryin' ter
foind out First of he went out to the
Cimmaron Crossing, guarded by a
squad o. cavalry from the fort here.
Tommy Game whit along, an told
me all about II. They dug up the
bodies, but niver thing did they find
on 'em-not a paper, nor a 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 huntiH' fer Black Bart
He was two days gittin' on the trail
av 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 a towld morn that"
What do you msan7"
|. why shure, honey, what's the use
tryin' ter decave me? Didn't Jack
Keith, wild his own lips. tell me ye
was Christie Maclsire?"
But I'm not! I'm not, Mrs. Muir
ply. I don't even know the woman.
It is such strange thing; / cannot
account for it-both those men mis-
took me for her, and-and l 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 I didn't, only l sup
posed he finally understood. But
want you to believe, Mrs. Murphy
I am Hope Waite. and not Christie
Maclaire."
IT'S little the loss to ye not ter be
her, an, Oi'm thinkin' loikely Jack
Keith will be moighty we'll plased ter
know the truth. What's Black Bart
so ayger ter git hold av this Maclaire
gyurl fer?"
81 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.
at 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 pages In a pod. Loikeiy now
it's a twin sister we've got?"
Hope smiled. although her eyes
were misty.
"Oh, no; Fred and l were the only
children; but what shall l do? What
ought to dor"
The irish mouth of Kate Murphy
set firmly, her blue eyes burning.
Its not sthrong OF am on advisin', ?
she said, shortly, but If it was me
| ord be fer feindin' out what all this
mix-up was about. There's somethin
moighty Qusre in 1t. 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 divi
| admoire me av OF know where this
Maclaire gyurl comes in, but Orll bel
the black divil has get her marked
fer some part In the play. What
would OF do? Be goory, Ord go t.
Sheridan, an fond the Gineral, an
till him all | knew. Maybe he could
piece 1t together, and guess wha
Hawley was up ter"