The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-04-13

footprints at the ford, showing bow
they moved over the ground as they
fought. So he could not have BEEN
unconscious from the first blow"
'Unless they were masked he must.
have known them. 1t was iighk:
enough" agreed Elliot.
"Peter is still trying to get the OFF,
GERS to accept bail, but don't think
he will succeed. There is good deal
Of feeling In town against you.''
Because am supposed to be ans
enemy to an open Alaska, judge"
Mainly that. w " Selfridge has
been talking good deal. He takes it
for granted that you are guilty. Wen
have to wait in patience till Mr.. Mac.
fdonald speaks and clears you"
Gopher stuck his head in at the door,.
you'll have to go. ladies'. Times up.~
+ When Sheba bade the prisoner good
by it was with phrase OF the old
Irish sernacular. "God save YOU
kindly"
He knew the peasants answer to the,
wish and gave 1t. "And you, too"
The girl left the prison with mist:
In her eyes. Her cousin looked at her.
with a queer, ironic little smile Of af.,
lection. To be in trouble was sure.
passport to the sympathy of Sheba.
Now both her lovers were in a sad
way. Diane wondered which Of them
would gain most from this new twist
of fate.
Selfridge had been shocked at the
sight Of Macdonald. The terrible beat
Ing and the loss Of blood had sapped
all the splendid, vital strength Of the
Scotsman. His battered head wasa
swathed In bandages, but the. white.
face was bruised and disfgured. The,
wounded man was weak as kitten
only the steady eyes told that he was,
still strong and unconquered.
II want to talk business for a min
ute, Miss Sedgwick. Will you please
step out?" said Macdonald to his.
nurse.
She hesitated. "The doctor says
do as / say, please"
The nurse left them alone. Wally
told the story Of the evidence against
Elliot in four sentences. His chief
caught the point at once.
After Selfridge had gone, the wound
ed man lay silent thinking out his pro-
gram. Not for moment did he doubt
that he was going to live, and his brain
was already busy planning for the fu.-
ture. He knew now that in the vio--
lence of his anger against Elliot he7
had made mistake. To have killed
his rival would have been fatal to the
Kamatlah coal claims, would have
alienated his best friends, and would
have prejudiced hopelessly his chances"
with Sheba. Fate had been kind to-
him. He had been in the wrong and It.
had put him in the right. BY the same
cut Of the cards young Elliot had been.
thrust down from an impregnable poe
sition to one in which he was a dis
,scTgaifadz suspect fin NH his evil
dence to show that he had conspired
against Macdonald, his report to the
department would be labor lost.
Diane came into the sickroom strip
ping her gloves after the walk. Mac
donald smiled feebly at her and fired
the first shot of his campaign to de-
feat the enemy.
''Has Elliott been captured YETI" ne,
asked weakly.
The keen eyes Of his hostess fas-
tened upon him. Captured! What
do you mean? It was Gordon Elliot,
that brought you In and saved your
life"
brought me from where?''
"From where he found you uncon.
scious--at the ford"
"That's his story, Is it7r
The young woman stood with her
gloves crushed tight In both hands. 10
was her nature to be always parti-
san. Without any reserve she was for
Gordon in this new fight upon him.
What had Wally Selfrldge been saying,
to Macdonald? Did the mine owner
mean to suggest that he had identified
Elliot as one Of his assailants? The.
thing was preposterous,
And yet-that was plainly what hs.
had meant to imply. II he told such a.
story, things would go hard with Cor.
don. In court 1t would clinch the case
against him by supplying the one MISC
ing link in the chain Of circumstantiaf
evidence.
Diane, in deep thought, frowncd
down upon the wounded man, who
seemed already to have fallen into a
light sleep. She told herself that this
was some of Wally Selfridge's devil
try. Anyhow, she would talk 1t over
with Peter.
The reason Wally was so pleased
with himself was that he had dropped
hint into the ear of the wounded
man not to clear Elliot of completely
in the attack upon him. The news
that the special investigator had been
arrested for robbery and attempted
murder. flashed all over the United
States, would 60 far to neutralfze any
report he might make against the va
lidity of the Macdonald claims. If to
this could be added later reports az
an indictment, trial, and possibly a
conviction. 1t would not matter two
straws what Elliot said In hts official