The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-08-30
CHAPTER XII,

Again there was a long moment Of
silence, while Harry stood paving at
his mustache and while Robert Fair
child sought TO summon the strength
to do the thing which was before him.
All the sOddenness of the old days
had come back to him. ghosts which
would not be driven away; memories
of time when he was the grubbing,
though willing slave of a victim Of
fear-of a man whose life had been
wrecked through terror of the day
when intruders would break their way
through the debris, and when the dis
cOvery would be made. And it had
remained for Robert Fairchild. the
son, to find the hidden secret for him
to come upon the thing which had
caused the agony of nearly thirty
years of suffering, for him to face the
alternative of again placing that grue-
some find into hiding, or to square his
shoulders before the world and take
the consequences.
There was no time to lose in making
his decision. Beside him stood Harry,
silent, morOse. Before him-Fair-
child closed his eyes in an attempt to
shut out the sight of it. But still it
was there, the crumpled heap Of tat
tered clothing and human remains,
the awry, heavy shoes still shielding
the fleshless bones of the feet He
turned blindly, his hands cropping be-
fore him.
Harry" he called, Harry! Get
me out of here-L-can't stand itr
Wordlessly the big man came to his
side. Wordlessly they made the trip
back to the hole in the cavern and
track to the shaft. Up-up-tffe trip
seemed endless as they jerked and
pulled on the weighted rope, that
their shaft bucket might travel 10 the
surface. Then, at the mouth of the
tunnel, Robert Fairchild stood for a
long time staring out over the soft
hills and the radiance of the snowy
range, far away. 1t gave him a new
strength, a new determination. His
eyes frightened with resolution. Then
he turned to the faithful Harry, wait
ing in the background.
There's no use trying to evade any
thing, Harry. We've got to face the
music. Will you go with me to notify
the coroner-or would you rather stay
here?
"In CO."
Silently they trudged into town and
| to the little undertaking shop which
also served as the Office of the coro-
ner. They made their report, then ac-
| companied the officer, together with
| the sheriff, back to the mine and into
the drift. There once more they
clambered through the hole in the
! cave-in and on toward the beginning
of the stope And there they pointed
out their discovery.
A wait for the remainder Of that
day-a day that seemed ages long, a
day in which Robert Fairchild found
himself facing the editor of the Bugle,
and telling his story, Harry beside
him. But he told only what he had
found, nothing of the past, nothing OF
the white-haired man who had waited
by the window, cringing at the slight
est sound on the Old vine-clad veran-
/ da, nothing of the letter which he had
found in the dusty safe. Nothing was
=! asked regarding that; nothing could
be gained by telling 1t. In the heart
of Robert Fairchild was the convfc-
ton that somehow, some way, his ia
Their was innocent, and in his brain
was a determination to fight for that
innocence as long as it was humanity
possible But gossip told what he did
not.
There were those who remem-
bered the departure of Thornton Fair
child from Ohadi. There were others
who recollected perfectly that In the
center of the rig was a man. appar-
emily 'Sissie" Larsen. And they asked
questions. They cornered Harry, they
shot their queries at him one after
another But Harry was adamant
81 amt got anything to sye! And
, there's an end to it!
Late that night. as they were en-
gagged at their usual occupation of re
lating the varied happenings OF the
day to Mother Howard, there came q
knock at the door Instinctively, Fair
child bent toward her: