The Connecticut labor news. (New Haven, Conn.) 1921-1925, 1921-04-01
The H0meSteader
By ROBERT J. c. STEAD
IIIIIIIIIIIII7;
CHAPTER XIII.
(CONTINUED.)

still remember how frightened and yet
how cool l was in that last moment.
l held the gun to my shoulder and
waited for 1t to thrust itself against
the blanket. In another moment I am
sure L should have fired. But before
that moment | heard my name called,
and I knew my husbands voice, and
l came out of the nightmare"
Most extraordinary" the coroner
repeated, after a silence. ut seems
to account for the shooting of Riles,
but it leaves US as much as ever
more than ever, l should say-in the
dark concerning the~diSappearance of
the money, and the part which has i'm
plicated the young man Travers in the
affair.""
The banker gave his evidence. 1t
was not unusual, he said, for cons1d-
cradle sums in bank notes to be han
died among spectators and land buy
ers, but the amount withdrawn by
Harris was so great that it had left
him somewhat ill at ease, and as Ser
geant Grey had happened his way he
had mentioned the matter to him.
During the hearing of the various
witnesses Gardiner had attempted an
air of impersonal interest," but with no
great success. His demeanor, studied
though it was, betrayed a certain
anxiety and Impotence. He was
dressed just as he had dismounted
from his horse, having removed only
his hat. But he smiled confidently
when asked for his evidence, and told
his story calmly and collectedly.
It is quite true that he was asso-
ciated with Rifles and Mr.. Harris in
the coal mine investment. He was
acting for the owner Of the property,
but had seen that a large profit was
to be made from the turnover, and
had been glad to place the opportunity
in the way Of two old friends.
81 feel a grave responsibility in this
whole matter" Gardiner protested,
with some emotion. 81 feel that I am
at least indirectly, responsible for the
serious loss that has befallen Mr.. Har-
ris, and for the injury to his son.
But when you have heard the whole
circumstances you will agree that the
situation was one I could not possibly
have fOreseen. Let me give them to
you in some detail.
''The day before yesterday, in COM
pany with Riles, met Mr.. Harris and
his son, and found that their money
had arrived. The remittance was not
as large as they expected, but l be-
lieved that I could raise some money
privately, and that we would still be
able to put the deal through. I ad-
vised against losing any time, as l
knew that if the owner should meet
anyone else interested in a proposition
of a similar nature we would find it
much harder to make a bargain with
him. 1t was arranged that the two
Mr.. HAIRLESS were to drive ahead, TAX
ing the money with them, and that
Riles and 1 would follow. We were
to overtake them at the old building
where this unfortunate tragedy Oc-
CURED. AS it happened, had sick
horse at the ranch, and, as l was de-
layed in getting some medicine for
him, Rifles suggested that he would
ride out to the ranch-that is, where
I live-and wait for me there. Up to
that time I had no suspicious, and
agreed to that.
"Well, when reached the ranch,
could find nothing Of Riles, and, on
further search, could find nothing Of
TraverS, who was working for me.
Their riding horses were gone, and so
were their saddles and brides. l
found that Travers had taken his re-
volver out of the house. I confess my
suspicious were then somewhat
aroused, but found myself with the
sick horse on my hands, and l could
not very well leave the place. OF
course, never thought of anything so
bad as has happened, or I would not
have considered the horse, but 1 ad-
nit was at loss to understand their
conduct. But when I heard, early this
morning, what had happened, it was
all clear to me-"
During the latter part of this evil
dence Travers had fixed his eyes on
Gardiner, but the witness had steadi-
ly avoided him. Jim was now con-
Vinced that he was the victim, not Of
coincidence, but a plot. OF course,
he could give his evidence, which
would be directly contradictory to that
suspicion, and anything he might say
would be unconsciously discounted by
the jurors. But he began calmly, a
quiet smile still playing about his thin
lips and clean teeth.
II am sorry l cannot corrObOrate all
the last witness has said," he COM
menced. 81 did not leave the ranch
with Rifles; ON the contrary, I was fish
ing down by the river when l saw
Riles and Gardiner ride by. Gardiner
was talking and I heard him mention
Mr.. Harris name. 1 worked for Mr..
Harris not long ago, but l did not
know he was in this part of the cOun-
try. I heard Gardiner say" Jim
colored a little, and stopped.
"Well, what did you hear him say?"
said the coroner. THAT is what we
are anxious to know"
II heard him say something about
Mr.. Harris losing all his money that
night, in the old shanty up the river
road. Strange things have happened
up there, Riles,' he said. That made
me suspicious, and l hurried back to
the ranch, determined to follow them.
I found that my revolver had been
taken. I armed myself as best l could,
and set out. When 1 came near the
building which Gardiner had men
toned I diSmOuntpd and anDrOached