The Adair County news., 1918-02-13
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object OF his call.
81 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 FL
lot" smiled Refer.
'All right. Let me put it another
way. You work for Mac. Are you on
his side or on Elliot's in this matter of
the coal claims?"
Diane looked at Peter. He took his
time to answer.
eve 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, 1 don't see
that Elliot is to blame"
That's how it looks to me-" agreed
Strong. "Fm 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 be-
fore he continued.
"Tve got no evidence in his favor,
but 1 bumped into something a little
while ago that didn't look good to me.
You know room next him at the hO-
tel. 1 heard a noise in his room, and
I thought that was funny, seeing as he
was locked up in Jail. SO I kinder
listened and heard whispers and the
sound of some one moving about.
There's a 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"
burst out Diane. "Wally Selfridge isn't
/ an officer of the law
Strong nodded dryly to her. "Just
what 1 thought. So 1 followed them.
They went to Macdonald's offices. At
ter a while Wally came out and left the
other man there. Then presently the
lights went out. The man is eamped
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" con.
tributed 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 ha:
fixed it to frame him for prison and tC
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 a while, Diane. Don't wait VI
for me if you get through your stint
of nursing"
Gnnhnr. Tnnn- 1af int tho M
shackle building that served as a Jail
and after three dollars had jingled il
the palm of his hand he stepped out
side and left the men alone with hi:
, prisoner. The three put their heads
together and whispered.
'tTll meet you outside the house O
Selfridge in half an hour, Strong" wa:
the last thing that Gordon said befor,
Jones came back to order out the Wis
, itors.
As soon as the place was dark again
, Gordon set to work on the films.
, framework of his cell window. II
I knew already 1T was so decrepit tina
but until now there had been no rea
son why he should. Within a quartz
of an hour he lifted the iron-grille
sash bodily from the frame an
4 crawled through the window.
8 He found Paget and Strong waitin
n for him in the shadows of pine out
. side the yard of Selfridge.
# 'To begin with, you walk straigf
Y home and go to bed, Peter" the youn
h man announced. you're not in thi.
f You're not invited to our party.
&c don't have to tell you why, do II"
The engineer understood the reason
Z He was an employee Of Macdonald,
: man thoroughly trusted by him. Eve
!. though Gordon intended only to rigl
a wrong, 1t was better that Pag,
!" should not be party to 1t. Reluctan
e. ly Peter went home.
p Gordon turned to Strong. Il ov
q you a lot already. There's no need fl
you to run a risk of getting into tro
d BILE for me. If things break right,
r. can do what I have to do withol
Is helm"