The Arvada enterprise., 1921-06-02

| dead white man. The features were
dlscolored. distorted from the agony
in which he had died. the lips drawn
back. disclosing . grinning row Of
teeth. The face scarcely appeared
human. and yet wat vaguely familiar.
He had seen 1t once before. revealed
in the glare of q match. and the recol-
lection came back haunting him-the
fellow was slagin, Hanley's partner.
Then he had come there for no good!
Had come there in the night like 4
sinking eur. knowing of Macklin's ab-
sence, to carry out some foul object Of
his own.
The ranchman drew in q long
breath. and stood up. The silence and
gloom oppressed him. as his eyes once
more swept about the dismal apart
ment. 1t was surely a ft abode for
murder. but the sight Of those two
dead bodies interlocked on the floor
was more than he could bear. Obey.
ing the first impulse he dragged them,
still gripping each other. across the
floor, and thrust them under the bench,
hinging over them the folds of q tat
tered blanket.
But what Of her-Olga7 Surely no
one could have been here since these
two men fought? Otherwise their
bodies would have been found. and
cared for. 1t must be that Macklin
had not yet returned, and that Hanley
knew nothing Of Slagin's desperate
venture. Then the girl must still be
cape and guarded by these dead men.
The thought sent the blood surging
into Shelby's throat. and his eager
eyes sought the only door opening
through the side wall. It was tightly
closed and secured by a strong bar of
wood. He picked up the revolver
from the floor. and went swiftly for.
ward, prepared to face whatever might
be revealed beyond. The bar fitted
snugly. yet he forced It free Of the
clasps. and pushed the door open with
his knee, watchfully peering into the
darkness behind. He saw nothing. no
nutter Of movement, no evidence that
the place was occupied. In spite Of
daylight without, the room. with it,
shuttered windows. remained black.
His heart almost ceased to beat, Jet
he advanced into the room. dinging
the door wide open behind him. This
admitted sufhcient light to enable him
to dimly make out his surroundings-
Q couch, covered with q bearskin. Q
rudely made chair. q bucket Of water
In one corner. and . faintly revealed
figure against the further wall.
''Olga!" he exclaimed. "Olsa!"
She moved. leaning forward eagerly.
"Who are your Who calls mer
ut Is you. thenf'' he spranx forward.
"Don't be afraid; am Shelby!"
"Shelby-you! Tom Shelby! o
God this 10 not dream3''
mo. no! I am Just a. real ~ you
arc. See: touch me. You thought l
was desdr'
Her hands were in his own; her
eyes. still incredulous. searching his
face In the dim light.
"Dead-yes! They told me 80: an
Indian said he had crushed In your
skull. He boasted of It; and when I
asked that Macklin, he only laughed,
when he said It was so."
Laughed. howf"
Her eyes fell.
"He-he didn't seem to think 1t
could make much difference to me;
that ! would care"
but do you know who he is7 Did
he tell your Did the fellow explain
his purpose in this outrager''
~ do not know: he had no time. NO
opportunity; We were never alone.
What do you meant Was this all
done for some deliberate purpose7''
"Yes. 1t was. Olga. His name Ii not
Macklin at all; It IL probably Churchill
have you ever heard that name be-
fore?"
"No: I am sure not"
1T wus your mothers name. She
came from Virginia. and was heiress
to considerable property. II was left
10 her In trust, and her uncle WAS the
trustee"
MY mother?"
ayes; she never knew this while she
lived. hut your father learned some
Of the facts after her death. and en-.
deavored to verify them. His search
was what started trouble: for your
uncle. the irustce-his nnme In Cor
nclius Churchill-had made no effort
to locate the heir TO the property left
In his care. Instead he had used the
money, believing himself perfectly
safe. when he learned OF your IN.
theirs suspicious. he became fright
cned"
''Cnn this be truci"
at evidently Is true. strange ms II
seems. Then your father was killed.
perhaps through some row engineered
by Churchill to put him out Of the
way. and they made every effort to
ind you, You nlone stood between
them and this ill.gOttcn wealth. For.
tunatcly you could not Immediately be
located: you Ind been hidden away In
| a Catholic school, and. before Church