The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-08-19
The heavy green curtain extended to

Ing he gained a partial glimpse Of the
interior. There were three men In the
room. and Westcott drew a quick
breath of surprise as he recognized the
two faces fronting him-BilI Lacy at
the desk, a pipe in his mouth, his feet
elevated on a convenient chair, and
Benton, leaning back against the wall,
apparently half asleep with his eyes
closed. The third man was facing
Lacy. but concealed by the stove; be
seemed TO be doing the talking. and
held a payer In his hand resembling a
map. Suddenly he rose TO his feet and
bent over the edge of the desk, and
Westcott knew h~im-Enrightl
Desperately determined to learn
what was being said. the miner thrust
the heavy blade Of his jackknife be-
meath the ill-ftting window sash and
succeeded In noiselessly lifting II a
scant half inch. He bent lower. the
speakers voice clearly audible
through the narrow opening. 'There
was a dead man back East, wasn't
there?'
what difference does that maker"
"None, particularly. except TO nat
urally increase the worth Of my serv-
ices. I'm not squeamish about stifs,
but ! like TO know what | am doing.
What are you holding on to this other
fellow for?"
Enright walked ~nervously across
the room. chewing at his cigar, only 10
come back and face his questioner.
"Well. ! suppose might as well tell
you," he said almost savagely. you're
In too deep already to wiggle out. We
made rather q mess Of 1t In New York,
and only q bit of luck helped us
through. W. had the plans ready for
three months, but nothing occurred to
give us a chance. Then all at once
C%avendish got his first telegram from
Westcott and decided to pull out, not
telling snyoDe where ne was going. He
employed me to draw the will, and told
me he planned to leave the city for
some time. AS soon as I could | told
the others over the phone. and we got
busy"
Lacy stared incredulous.
"And there hasn't been no killin'T
Enright shook his head.
"Not by any Of u.s."
''Then how about that dead man In
New York-the n that was buried
for Cavendish? Oh. | read about
that. Beaton showed Ii to me In the
paper"
THAT'S the whole trouble" Enright
answered gravely. 81 do not know
who he was. or how he came there.
All | know Is. he was not Frederick
Cavendish. But his being found there
dead In Cavendish's apartments. and
identified, puts US In an awful hole,
II the rest Of this affair should eve
charge would he murder. and how are
we going 20 bold the real Cavendish
alive, and not have II come out?"
1.-THE ether one--the-stif-wasn't
C~avendishT"
Certainly not; you know where
Cavendish is."
~ never saw Fred Cavendish; I
wouldn't know him from Adams on
OK. rye got the fellow Beaton turned
over to me-"
"wep. he's the man; the dead n
Isn't"
Show TO you known
Because Frederfek Cavendish
bought and signed a rourd-trip ticket
to Los Angeles. and boarded the mid
night train. My man reported that to
me, and Beaton Just had time TO catch
the same train before n pulled out
Isn't that true. NedY"
Eyes. II Is. and 7 left hsEs"
"But.r insisted Lacy s~tubbornfy.
did you see the dead oney'
"Yes. kept away from the IN
quest. hut attended the funeral 70 get
a glance at his face. II seemed toe
strange TO be true. The fellow wasn't
Cavendish: ia swear 70 that. but he
did look enough like him 10 fool any.
body who had no suspicious aroused.
Dammit. IT'S spooky. the very Thought
OF It."
'Bus You saw a differeDeer
"Because ] looked for ~ J never
would have otherwise. Bnt anyway,
was already convinced that he was
not the m.n. L am not sure what J
should have thought II ! had met him
alive upon the street."
Lacy appeared amused. crossing the
room. and expectorating into the open
stove.
"You fellows make me laugh" he
said grimly. am hardly idiot
enough 10 be taken IN by that sort
OF old wives tale. However. II that
Is your story stick to it-but II you
were 10 ever tell II In court. II would
take q Jury about fve minutes 10 bring
IN their verdict. Let's GET to busi-
ness. You want me TO help out in a
sort OF accident. I presume--a fall
! over 4 elm. or the premature discharge
Of blasting sscwder;; these things are
quite common out here. And 70 pre-
vent d sur a. tfis end. before you
fellows get hold Of the stufl. you want
me 70 cail on my worrying gang and
iss wsstcoss aIone. Come. nov. sneak
up.
eyes, acknowledged Enright. II
doo't cars o. much Tor westcott. but