Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-10

loOkef as II SelIrlQBe ndu Elaue up
his mind tc frame Gordon for a
prison sentence The worst of it was
that he need not invent any evidence
or take any chances. If Macdonald
came through on the stand with an
identification of Elliot as one of his
assailants, the young man would go
down the river to serve time. There
was enough corroborative testimony
to convict st. Peter himself.
I'm, just telling you what he
said" Diane explained. And it
worried me. His smile was cynical.
l couldn't help thinking that if he
wants to get even with Gordon"
Mrs. Paget stopped. The maid
had just brought into the room a
visitor. Diane moved forward and
shook hands with him. How do you
do, Mr.. Strong? Take this big chair" 1"
Hanford Strong accepted the chair
and a cigar. He came promptly to
the object of his call.
IT don't know whether this is
where 1 should have come or not.
Are you folks for young Elliot or are
you for Selfridge?" he demanded.
IF you put it that way, we're for
Elliot" smiled Peter.
"All right. Let me put it another
way. You work for Mac Are you
on his side or on Elliot's in this mat
ter of the coal claims?"
Diane looked at Peter He took
his time to answer.
I'VE hope the coal claimants will
win, but we've got sense enough to
see that Gordon is in here to report
the facts. That's what he is paid
for. He'll tell the truth as he sees
it. If his superior officers decide
on those facts against Macdonald, I
don't see that Elliot is to blame"
That's how it looks to me-"
agreed Strong. I'm for a wide
open Alaska, but that don't make it
right to put this young 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
before he continued.
1--WE got no evidence in his favor,
but I bumped into something q little
while ago that didn't look good to
me. You know 1 room next him at
the hotel. l heard a noise in his
room, and l thought that was funny,
seeing as he was locked up in Jail
So l kinder listened and heard
whispers ard the sound of some one
moving about. There's a door be-
tween his room and mine that is
kept locked. 1 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 be-
hind them"
'They had no business doing
that" burst out Diane. "Wally
Selfridge isn't an officer of the law"
Strong nodded dryly to her. Just
what l thought. So l followed them.
They went to Macdonald's offices.
After a while Wally came out and
left the other man there. Then
presently the lights went out. The
man is camped there for the night.
Will you tell me why?"
WHY" repeated Diane with her
sharp eyes on the miner.
Because Wally has some papers
there he don't want to get away
from him"
Some of Gordon's papers. of
course"
you've said it."
"All his notes and evidence in the
case of the coal claims, probably"
contributed Peter
Maybe. Wally has stolen them,
but he hasn't nerve enough to burn
them till he gets orders from Mac.
So he's holding them safe at the
office" guessed Strong.
IT'S an outrage"
"Surest thing you know. Wally
has fixed it to frame him for prison
and to play safe about his evidence
on the coal claims.
What are you going to do about
it?" Diane asked her husband
sharply.
Peter rose. First I'm going to
see Gordon and hear what he has
to say. Come on. Strong. We may
be gone quite while, Diane. Don't
wait up for me if you get through
your stint of nursing"
Gopher Jones let them into the
ramshackle building that served as
a JAIL and after three dollars had
jingled in the palm of his nand he
stepped outside and left the men
alone with his prisoner. The three
put their heads together and whisp-
cred.
ITO Be Continued.I