The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-08-11
CHAPTER II.

/ In spite of all that omens could
/ foretell, In spite Of the dull, gloomy
/ life which had done its best to fash
/ ion a matter-of-fact brain for Robert
/ FaircFild, one sentence in that letter
had found an echo, had started a pull
/ sating something within him that he
/ never before had known:
/ at is the blood Of an adventurer.' -
| And 1t seemed that Robert Fair
/ child needed no more than the knowl-
| edge to feel the Jingle of It: the old
house suddenly became stuffy and
/ prisOnlike as he wandered through it..
/ Again and again pounded through his
/ head the fact that only a night of
! travel interviewed between IndianapO-
! lis and st. Louis; within twelve hours
/ he could be in the office Of Henry
/ Beamish. And then
\ hurried resolution. A hasty pack
! ing Of travelling bag and the cashing
/ Of check at the cigar store down on
! the corner wakefuI night while
the train clattered along upon its
| journey. At last:
I'm Robert Fairchild" he said, as
he faced a white-haired Cupid-faced
man in the rather dingy offices in the
| Princess building. A slow smile
spread over the pudgy features of the
| genial-appearing attorney, and he
waved a fat hand toward the Offices
extra chair.
"Sit down, Son." came casually.
! Needn't have announced yourself.
I'd have known yOu-just like your ia
Their, Boy. How is he?" Then his
| face suddenly sobered I'm afraid
/ your presence is the answer. Am I
right?"
| Fairchild nodded gravely. The old
attorney stared out of the window to
! the grimy roof and signboards of the
next building.
perhaps it's better So" he said at
last. did he get any cheerier be-
fore-he went?"
mo. Afraid of every step on the
| veranda, of every knock at the door"
Again the attorney stared out of
the window.
"And you? Are you afraid2"
"Of what?"
The lawyer smiled
81 don't know Only" and he
leaned forward-''it's just as though I
were living my younger days over
/ again this morning. 1t doesn't seem
/ any time at all since your father was
sitting just about where you are now,
and CAD. Boy, how much you look like
! he looked that morning! The same
/ gray-blue eyes. the same dark hair,
/ the same strong shoulders, and good,
/ manly chin, the same buiId-and look
Of determination about him. The call
of adventure was in his blood, and
he sat there all enthusiastic, telling
me what he intended doing and ask
| ing my advice-althOugh he wouldn't
have followed it if I had given it.
! Back home was a baby and the woman
| he loved, and out West was sudden
/ wealth, waiting for the right man to
! come along and find it. GadI" White
haired old Beamish chuckled with the
memory of it. Then four years later
the tone changed suddenly, "he came
back"
"What then?" Fafrchild was on
only spread his hands.
"Truthfully, Boy, L don't know. I
| have guessed-but I won't tell you
what. All I know is that your father
! found what he was looking for and
| was on the point of achieving his ev-
cry dream, when something happened.
Then three men simply disappeared
Ahn {rfT
that they had failed and were going
to hunt new diggings That was all.
One of them was your father"
But you said that he'd found"
"Silver. running twenty ounces to
the ton on an eight-inch vein which
gave evidences of being only the be-
ginning of a bonanza! I know, be-
cause he had written me that month
before
And he abandoned it?"
He'd forgotten what he had writ
ten when I saw him again. | didn't
question him. He went home then,
after giving me enough money to pay
the taxes on the mine for the next
twenty years, simply as his attorney
and without dtvulging his where
abouts. l did it. Eight years or 81
later l saw him in Indianapolis. He
gave me more money-enough fol
eleven or twelve years"
"And that was ten years ago?'' Rob
ert Fairchild's eyes were reminiscent
Il remember-I was only a kid. He
sold off everything he had, except the
house"
Henry Beamish walked to his saft
and fumbled there a moment, to re
turn ut last with few slips of paper
Here's the answer he said qui
city. the taxes are paid until 1922"
Robert Fairchild studied the re
ceipts carefully-futtlely They TOLD
him nothing. The lawyer stood look
ing down upon him; 1t last he laid {
hand on has shoulder
Boy" came quickly. I know jus
about what you're thinking. I've spen
a few hours at the same kind Of a jol
, myself. and I've called old Henri,
{ D.. fs-b