The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1916-05-25
CHAPTER XIII.
Proof at Last.

Mighty unusual said Ma Daily.
this here heat. Hottest It's been fer
many a year; ITS a.goin' TO be a
mighty dry season an it's a.comin
early"
Which prophecy seemed due TO be
fulfilled. 4 blue heat haze lay deep IN
the valleys. hung amid the hills. The
deep floor OF pine needles in the big
woods was already dry as powder. and
It was only late July. The camp was
humming ahead with the work. They
h.d exceeded their expectations In
getting out logs, sending out more
than they had planned.
Miss Ordway. still mistress OF the
little south room. worked feverishly
at the new story OF the timberlands.
A bit OF her brightness. some OF her
painstaking ch%eeriness. was gone with
the summers heat. She had thought
that long before this she would have
that the engagement she had so
daringly announced would be a fact.
She could not understand his holding
out against her.
Sandry had made many trips to
Salem, consulting with the lawyer he
had summoned from the East. who was
turning heaven and earth in an effort
TO prove what Sandry knew 10 be
true OF Hampden. but IL was ~unavail.
ing. The young commissioner at Sa.
lem was ION 10 his job" and the weeks
few by with not one rayeled end TO
the ball OF fraud and deception and
criminal intrigue which lay snug in the
doctored records OF the state land OF.
fee. Miss Ordway had dropped her
filing for the timber claim and the
young commissioner was uneasily
| searching his Offices for the two let.
ters and n missing account book. He
did not family suspect that the last
time he had seen them was during the
visit TO Salem OF the charming new
ACQUISITION to the ring" In fact.
some OF those days we're still shrould.
ed In a nebulous haze OF mystery-red
wine and red lips and a heady infatua.
ton.
But things were approaching an.
other change in Daily's lumber camp,
One day N late July Sandry wrote sew.
eral letters and Poppy ordway. lean.
ing Familiarity over hts shoulder.
reached ont n hand for them.
I'm going up TO the forked stick"
she said %languidly. and III take
4 them"
The dainty fingers were all but
trembling with eagerness. for she saw
that one OF them was addressed to
John II. Musseldorn, at a town In New
Jersey. There was none TO observe
her on the sunny Siletz road behind
tho low growth OF spruce, and when
she strolled down the little meadow
again toward the cook.shack. that par
ticular letter lay safe inside the bosom
OF her dress.
She wen straight to the south room
entered and closed the door. Hell
hands trembled violently. but there
was no compunction for what she wal
about TO do in her heart. She was
pretty well armed with knowledge thai
would give her a hold OF Sandry, IL
case she was forced to use Il, buI
i'lft SHt u'llfN'Nt "ohlh w W wv IbH
tive. the actual written word that she
might hold before his eyes In som
hard event OF the future.
With strong excitement she slit tn,
envelope. drew out the sheet aud be-
gan TO read, Faster and faster cam,
her hot breath, rcdder and rcddo
grew her checks, while triumph spar
killed. In her eyes She moved slight!
on her ]slippered feet. a little motor
OF satisfaction that set her garment
wh~ispering-as when the tiger. scent
ing It's prey, squIrms before the lear
= With eager haste she sat down a
, her typewriter and began to write
When she had finished an hour later
: after long Intervals OF study, there la.
under her hand n very creditable brie
OF the famous Whitby Casa verba
tim copy OF President Whi,by's las
{ letter. a concise history OF Walter Sar
dry's life since college. the notes 1.
i the red morocco book. plainly spec
fed as his dellrious words. and a cop
OF this letter to Musseldorn. Take