Tombstone epitaph., 1918-05-12
CHAPTER XVI.

p,oat smorad n,sc,d,v hr, tho hs.,,
within him was troubled II Hooked as
~ Selfridge hsd made mn his mind m
frame Gordon for a nrison sentence
The worst Of n was that he need not
invent any evidence or take apy
chances II Macdonald came through
on the stand with an Identification OF
Elliot as one of his assailants, the
young man would 20 down the river
to serve time. There was enough cor
roborative testimony to convict st.
Peter himself.
I'm Just telling you what he said"
Diane explained. .And It worried me.
His smile was cynical. / couldn't help
thinking that II he wants to get even
with Gordon"
Mrs. Paget stopped. The maid had
.ust brought into the room q visitor.
Diane moved forward and shook hands
with him How do you do. Mr..
Strongf Take this big chair"
Hanford Strong accepted the chair
and cigar. He came promptly to the
sbjec, Of his call.
Il don't know whether this is where
I should have come or not. Are you
Ioiks for young Elliot or are you Tor
ee'aeeF' ne demanded.
you put II that way. we're Tor FL
not smiieo feter.
All right Let me put 1t another
way. You work for Mac. Are you on
MS SIDE or on Elliot's In this matter OF
the coal claimsr
Diane looked at Peter. he took his
dtne to answer.
I'VE hope the coal claimants will
win, but we've got sense enough to
zee that Gordon Is in here to report
tbs facts. That's what he is paid for.
He'll tell the truth as he sees it. If
bis superior officers decide on those
facts against Macdonald. don't see
rat Elliot is to blame
That's how It looks to me-" agreed
strons I'm for a wide-open Alaska.
but ttat don't make 1t right to put this
yonrg fellow through for a crime he
didn't do. Fact is. like him. He's
square. So I've come to tell you some
thing"
He smoked for a minute silently be-
fire he continued.
I've got no evidence in his favor
er I bumped into something a little
While ago that didn't look GOOD to me.
you know / room next him at the ho-
tel. I heard a noise in his room. and
thought that was funny, seeing as he
vas locked M In istl. So I kinder
listened and heard whispers and the
sound of some one moving about
There's q door between his room and
mine that Is kept locked. I looked
through the keyhole. and in Elliot's
room there was wally Selfridge and
another man. They were looking
through papers at the desk. wally
put a stack Of them In his pocket and
they went out, locking the door behind
them"
They had no business doing that I"
burst ont Diane. "Wally Selfr,dge isn't
IN ofiicer Of the law"
Strong nodded dryly to her. .Just
what I thought. So / followed them.
They went to Macdonald's offices. Az.
ter a while wally came out and left the
other man there. Then presently the
lights went ont. The man IA canned
there for the night. VIII you tell me
wbyY
"whyr' repeated Diane with her
sharp eyes on the miner.
because WaIly has some papers
there he don't want to get away from
him"
sSome of Gordou's papers. of
course"
You've said Il"
"An his notes and evidence in the
case Of the coal claims, probably" con-
tr.buted Peter.
sMaybe. WaIly has stolen them. but
he hasn't nerve enough to burn them
I'LL he gets orders from Mac. So he's
holding them safe at the once. /"
Guessed Strong.
IT'S an outrage
.Surest thing you know. WaIly has
dxed II to frame him for prison and to