The Arizona copper camp., 1920-09-18


addressed to me?"
The hotelkeeper shook his head,
"When did you see her last.''
"'Bout nine O'Clock, [ reckon; she
came down inter the dinin' room fer
drink O. water"
"How much longer were you up?"
"Oh, maybe an hour"
''No message for Miss Donovan up
to that timer
"No."
"You left the door unlocked?"
"Sure: them New York fellers was
both out. | oughter waited till they
come in, maybe, but 1 was plum tired
OUT
s'When did they come back?"
ooh, bout midnight, I reckon. Bill
Lacy an Matt Moore was along with
EN-"
81 see! And these New York people
they are still here?"
"They wus all three down ter break
fast; amt seen nuthin' of 'em since.r
'What became of Lacy?"
tiles down in his saloon; he sed
il you showed up, an asked fer him.
ter tell yer that's whar he'd be-"
'TIe told you that? He expected me
to show up, then?"
tI reckon as how he did," and Tim
mons grinned in drunken good humor
'He's pretty blame smart, Bill Lacy
is; he most allars knows whut's goin'
ter happen" He leaned over the desk
and lowered his voice. eff yer do
hunt him up, Jim," he said confiden-
TALLY, 'yOu better go heeled."
WestcOtt laughed. The first shock
of the discovery of Miss Donovan's
Disappearance had passed, and he was
himself again. He must have time to
think and arrange some plan and,
above all, must retain a clear mind
and proceed cO0lly
"AIl right, old man." he said easily.
'.Ill try and look out for myself. /
haven't eaten yet today. What can
you find me in the larder?"
Although feeling the need of food,
Westcott entered the dining-room of
the Timmons' house, more desirous of
being alone than for any other pur-
pose. He realized that he was sud
denly brought face to face with most
serious condition, and one which must
be solved unaided. So Bill Lacy ex-
pected him? Had left word where he
was to be found? What was the prob
able meaning of this? WestcOtt did
not connect this message directly with
the strange disappearance of Miss
Donovan. Moore must have recog-
niZed him during their fight, and re-
ported to his master who it was that
had been discovered listening at the
window. Realizing the nature of that
conversation, Lacy naturally antici-
pated being sought the very moment
Westcott came to town. That was
what this meant. All right, he would
hunt Lacy as soon as he was ready
to co SO; and, as Timmons suggested,
would go "heeled."
But the girl? What had really be-
come of the girl? Westcott drew the
brief note from his pocket, snoothed
out it's creases and read the few
words over again. The writing was
unquestionably feminine, and he could
recall seeing nothing Miss Donovan
had ever indited, with which it could
be compared. But would she have de-
parted, however hurriedly, without
leaving him some message? UncOn-
sciousIy he still held the letter in his
hand when the waitress came in with
his breakfast. She glanced about to
make certain they were alone and
leaned over, her lips close to his ear.
''Is that the note they say that New
York young lady left?"
"Yes, Sadie" in surprise. "Whyw
"Well, she never wrote it, Mr.. West
cott," hurriedly placing the dishes be-
fore him, "thats all. Now don't yer
say a word to anybody that 1 told
yer; but she dida't go East at all she
wus took il q wagon down the desert
road I saw 'em take her."
"You saw them? Who?'
"Well, ! don't just know that, 'cept
it was Matt Moores team, an he wuz
drivin' it. I didn't see the others so
es to be sure. Yer see us help sleep
over the kitchen, an bout one o'clock
I woke up. I thought l heard noise
outside, an got up an went to the
winder. I couldn't see much, not
'nough so I could swear to nuthin';
but there was three or four men out
there just across that little gully, you
know, an they had woman with 'em.
She didn't scream none, but she was
tryin' ter git away; wunst she run,
but they caught her. I didn't see no
wagon then; it was behind the ridge,
[ reckon. After a while it drove off
down the south trail, an little later
three men come up them outside stairs
back into the hotel. They was mighty
still bout it, too.'
"You couldn't tell who they were?''
''They want like nuthin but shad-
1OI,c, n Il g.