The weekly Iberian., 1920-08-07


room."
AS tne three stood watching pain.
fully, Cullen put out his hand to Hill
lard, and spoke under his breath.
"Henry-when did he Gomez"
"Only just now An hour ago"
Hadn't he told you? Or hadn't
you heard?"
Heard whatY"
Cullen motioned to Waring.
Give 1t to him, Rufus Oh
/ see; l see"
The law student, without a word
produced yellow blank and thrust
1t at Hilliard. He flashed a glance OF
fndescribable contempt at the supine
broker; his eyes had lost some OF
their anxiety.
"Oh, the big crook :" he said boy
ishly. 'The big crook !"
"Sh-h-h! Rufus" !" Still, Hilliard, at
heart, agreed with him to the letter.
The boy stood close to the
masquerader.
I'm sorry, Hilliard 1t came
at four this afternoon we'd
been hunting for you ever since -
Hilliard wasn't interested.
"Tll wait until"
Cullen signed to him peremptorily.
Read 1t, tell you! It'll give
you slant on him'
Hilliard peered over the foot of ths
bed; Harmon was still lying inert. The
physician nodded sidewise.
Nothing for you to do" ne said
grimly; and Hilliard. only partly aware
of what he was doing, gave heed to
the yellow blank.
The fourth telegram of the day was
from Butte, Mont, addressed to War
ing.
arrived here last night after delay
in Chicago This mornings papers con-
tain information as follows: The
faulted vein on XLNC property adj
joining Silverbow claim number one
has been located about twenty feet
from Silverbow boundary. Indications
are ore body running at least eighty
per cent average and some places high
as twenty. Also some zinc and silver
and traces of manganese. This evil
dently extends well into Silverbow,
where the greatest values are uLdoubt-
edly lying, and judging from records
of old MING vein it's tremendously
big strike Understand XLNC own
ers offering large sum. said to be well
over half-million, for controlling in
terest I strongly advise all of you to
get aboard for as much as Hilliard
will let go. Am sending this from Of
fee of Cooley. Benjamin & Russell,
who will not send separate report un.
less you want 1t. This is wonderful
news and mine is sure winner, even If
only fraction as large as reported.
Please show this message to Hilliard.
Sig. J. ]. ARMSTRONG;"
Hilliard sat down in the nearest
chair. The lump in his throat was
choking him; the moment was so big
that his feelings were primitive; his
expression of them were very simple.
He only smiled; the meaningless, vacu-
GUS smile of an infant. That smile en-
braced the entire universe; it was in
dicative Of happiness so limitless. so
perfect, that it was almost foolish. So
Harmon. knowing from his own sources
Of the sudden strike, had rushed to
Syracuse to pose as man of honor
SO Harmon had wanted to meet War.
ing-and find if Waring had yet heard
the news, and, if he hadn't. stop the In
vestigation by apparent frankness and
ready restitution. So Harmon had
been eager to destroy the contract, to
promise Hilliard anything and every
thing. to repay the money that was
subscribed already-and then, as sole
owner, to take an enormous profit for
himself.
No one in the whole worId-and
least of all, Waring and Cullen-cOuld
have. remotely fathomed the thoughts
that were eddying In Hilliard's brain.
They were not for his own aggran-
dizement; they were for the Cullens
and Durants and for the others who
need never know the acid Of disillu-
sionment. They were for the ideals
he had struggled toward; they were
for the friends who had stood by him.
And there was one very especial and
very manly thought for Jack Arm
strong, who had been so courageous in
his defeat, and so neutral in his be-
havior afterward, and who now had
sent the generous news winging east
ward, with the request that Hilliard
should learn at once Of his vindica-
ton.
And as Hilliard sat there, smiling
out into the silent room, and strug-
Cling to visualize the extent of fortune
which had so abruptly smitten him.
there was dry murmur from the bed
where Harmon lay, and resulting ST
lence so pregnant with meaning that
the smile faded, and Hilliard was on
his feet, open-eyed with the present
horror brought back to him.
The physician was rising slowly from
knees.
ITS all over" he said; paused, and
added: "Apoplexy."
The only man in all America who
could have testified to Hilliard's simu-
lation had ceased TO breathe.
CHAPTER XIV.
AS DR. Durant. having already given
counsel this morning to seven patients.
annaarad at the door of the antp-rOnm