New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-06-10

gone out of the big gray eyes, and Il
look in them as If she had suddenly
become so wise that nobody could
Yer fool her.
"iou are feeling better now?' she
her.
| told her l guessed l was, but that
my hand hurt me some.
you have had a great shock of some
kind-besides the burn, Jimmie" she
reioined, folding up the bed covers so
that the bandaged hand would rest
easier. THE doctors are all puzzled.
Does your head feel quite clear now
so that you can think"
ut feels as if l had a crazy clock
in it," | said. But the thinking part
is all right. Have you heard any
thing from Mr.. Norcross yet?"
"Not a word. We have been hop
ing that you could tell us something
when you should recover sufficiently
to talk. Can't you, Jimmie"
Remembering what Maisie Ann had
told me just before l went off the
hooks, | thought l might tell her a
lot If l dared to. But that wouldn't
do. So l just said:
II told Maisie Ann all I knew about
Mr.. Norcross. He left the office some
little time before | did-with Mr.. Rip
ley. l didn't know where they were
going"
They went to the hotel" she helped
out. "Mr. Ripley say they sat In the
lobby until after ten o'clock, and then
Mr.. NorcrOss went up to his rooms"
OF course, l knew that Mr.. Ripley
knew all about the Hatch ructiOn f;
but if he hadn't told her, l wasn't 60
ing to tell her.
There was some trouble In con-
nection with Mr.. Hatch that evening.
wasn't there?" she asked.
Hatch had some trouble-yes. But
| guess the boss didn't have any," |
replied.
''Tell me about It," she commanded;
and | told her just as little as | could
how Hatch had had an interview with
! vas away.
ut wasn't a quarrel?" she suggested.
"Why should they quarrel?" l
asked.
She shook her head. you are spar
ring with me, Jimmie, in some mis-
taken idea of being loyal to Mr.. Nor
cross. You needn't, you know. Mr..
NorcrOss has told me all about his
plans: he has even been generous
enough to say that | helped him make
them. That is why | cannot under
stand why he should do as he has
done-or at least as everybody be-
lieves he has done"
saw how it was. She was trying
to find some explanation that would
clear the boss, and perhaps implicate
the Hatch crowd. | couldn't tell her
the real reason why he had run away
Maisie Ann had been right as right
about that we must keep 1t to our
two selves. But | tried to let her
down easy.
"AIr. Van Britt has told you about
those two kilograms hat came after
Mr.. Norcross left the office" | said.
still covering up the fact that the tele-
grains hadn't been d~elivered-that they |
were probably in the pocket of my
coat right now, wherever that was.
They were enough to make any man
throw up his hands and quit, | should
NO. she insiNai looking me
In the eyes. "You are not
the truth now, Jimmie. You
know Mr., Norcross better than any
Of US, and you know that it isn't the
little bit like him to walk out
and leave everything to 90 to wreck.
Have you ever known of his doing
anything like that before?"
| had to admit that | hadn't; that,
IN the other hand, it was the very
hing you'd least expect him to do.
But ut the same time | had to hang
IN to my sham belief that 1t was the
hing he had done: either that. or
ell her the truth.
Every man reaches his limit, some
line :" | protested. what was Mr..
\orcross to do, I'd like to know; with
'lr. Chadwick getting scared out, and
Dunton threatening to fire hlm?"
The thing he wouldn't do would
'e TO 90 OFF and leave all of his
riends, Mr.. Van Britt and Mr.. Hor-
lack, and all the rest, to fight 1t out
lone. You know that as well as
Jimmie DOdds! !"
IF you won't take my theory, you
must have one of your own" | said
Iot knowing what else to say.
Il have" she flashed back, "and
want you to hurry and get well so
hat you can help me trace 1t out"
Me- | queried.
Yes, you. The others are all so
even Mr.. Van Britt and Mr..
They insist that Mr.. Norcross
east to see and talk with Mr..