Oxford Democrat., 1915-02-23

had look around by the river, knew
at once his story was lie, and that
he'd got an interest in soaring Mr.. Pc
tersham away"
"How did you know that?"
"You mind. Puttick said the fella
come just when he was beginnin' to
mend the canoe? l took look at the
work he'd done on it and he couldn't
a got through all that under an hour
He's fixed little square Of tin over
the rent as neat as neat. And then
wasn't it queer the fella should have
come on him there-a place be
wouldn't be in not one morning Of q
hundred?"
"You believe he made up the whole
story? And that no one came at ALP
"I'm pretty sure Of Il. There wasn't
q sign or a track and as to the fella's
jumpin' from stone to stone, there's
distances Of fourteen and sixteen feet
between. Still he might a done 1t,
or he might "a walked in the water,
and I were not going to speak till
were sure"
go on. We're still In the dark, Joe, "
said Linda.
"Well, Miss Linda, you remember
how Puttick advised Mr.. Petersham to
pay or go. and how l told him to stick
1t out, and when I'd given him that
advice. I said to you that was going
across to Senlis lake, and asked Mr.
Quaritch to tell Puttick. 1 thought
there was a good chance that Puttick
would put ON one Of his partners to
scare me. You see nobody knew which
way l were going but you and him,
80 It'd be fair certain that If l was
interfered with it would prove Puttick
guilty"
..'That was clever, though you ran q
horrible risk. Was there any particu-
lar reason why you chose to go to Sen
lis lake?"
"Sure. 1 wanted to see II any one had
been over there looking for your
brooch. On'y US and Puttick knew 1t
was lost, and you'd said how your IA,
ther had paid dollars and dollars for
1t. When a thing like that's lost
woodsmen II 90 miles to try to find 1t,
and Puttick must "a told the Tomlin-
sons, for there was tracks all around
our fire where We boiled the kettle"
"Do you think they found my
broochr
Huh! No. I pick 1t up myself five
minutes after you drop 1t. only KEEP
It, pretendin' 1t was lost, as bait like.
I'VE told you what happened to me
coming back and how had to shoot
Dandy Tomlinson. His shooting at
me after I was down give me sur,
prise, for 1 didn't think he'd want to
| do. more than scare me, but I guess 1t
was natural enough. for Puttick was
gettin' ratified at me always nosin'
around"
"It's all very clear, November. and
We know everything except WHO It wa
shot Bill Worke."
II guess Muppy Tomlinson's thu
man"
"What makes you think thatT'
"Bill was shot with 1915 rifle
Both Puttick and Dandy Tomlinsor
carries 30-3O's. Muppy's rifle Is
1915"
"How can you know what sort o.
rifle was used to shoot with2 Th'
bullet was never found" said Linda.
"I picked up the shell the first tim'
was over with you"
"And you never told me!' said she
"But that doesn't matter. What In
really angry with you for Is your max
ing me promise not to 90 out yesterda!
and then deliberately going out your
self to draw their fire. Why did yo'
do it7 II you had been killed 1 shoulf
never have got over It."
"And what 'ud I have done If you't
been killed, Miss Linda"
"What do you mean, Joe?" said Lin
da softly.
II mean that If one Of the party
were with got killed in the wood
while I was their guide I'd 90 ngh
into Quebec and run a boarding hous'
or become a politician. That's all II
ho 0OOd fOri"