The Raymer enterprise., 1922-12-21


Wouldn't 1t knock yonr eyes outi''
he exclaimed. beamins. That veins
certainly five feet wide"
"And two hundred dollars to til"
ton" added FaIrchlld, laughing. ~,
wonder Rodaine wanted IT,"
"I'll sye So" A long time Of con.
gratulatory celebration, then Harry
led the way to the far end Of the gr"at
cavern. Ere It is" he announ .ed,
US he pointed 10 what seemed to both
of them never to be anything more
than fissure In the rocks. 'It's the
thing that saved my life
Fairchiid stared into the darkness OF
the hole In the earth, narrow crack
In the rocks barely large enough to H.
low q human form 10 squeeze within.
He laughed
You must have made yourself
pretty small, Harry
What: When went through there
Sye, could ave gone through the eye
of needle There were six charges
of dynamite just about to 90 on be'ind
me-"
Again the men chuckled as the;
looked ut the tissure. II natural. usual
thing In mine and often leading. rs
this one did. by subterranean breaks
and slips to the underground bed OF
some tunbllng spring. Suddenly, how.
ever Fairchild whlrled with a thought.
Harry. wonder-couldn't II have
been possible for my father to have
escaped from this mine In the same
wayf"
"'E must ave"
"And that there might not have
been any killing connected with Lar.
sen al all? Why couldn't Larsen have
been Knocked out by a flying stone
just like you were? And why"
AZ might Of, Boy" But Harry's
voice was negative. "The only thing
nhou, II was the fact that your father
nd n bullet ole in Is cad" Harry
leaned forward and pointed to his own
scar. "It 1t right about ERE. and
glanced"
'Rut the gun? We didn't find any"
"'E nd 1t with In. II was SissIe
I.arsen's. No, Boy. there must ave
been fght-but don't think that !
mean your father murdered anybody.
II Sissie Larsen attacked i'm with a
gun, then e ad n right to kill. But
rs I've told you before--there wouldn't
ave been n chance for IN to prove 'is
story with SquInt working against
i'm" He ceased and perked his head
toward the bottom Of the shaft, listen
Ing Intently. "DIdnt you ear some
thing"
II thought so. Like a woman's
voice"
"Listen-there It Is againl"
"Mr. Fairchlld."
They ran to the foot OF the shaft.
and Falrchlld cupped his hands and
called:
"Who wants meT'
ITS me-" The voice was palmer
nova voice that Fulrchild recog.
nzed Immediately.
"I'm-Im under arrest or some
thing up here" was added with a
laugh. "The guard won't let me come
down"
Walt. and I'll raise the bucket for
you. All right, guard!" Then, blink.
ing with surprise. he turned to the
staring Harry. IT'S Anita Richmond"
he whispered.
The bucket was at the top now. A
signal from above, and FaIrchlld low.
cred 1t. to extend hand and to aid
the girl TO the ground. looking at ter
with wondering, eager eyes. In the
light Of the carbide torch, she was the
same boyish-appenrlng little person he
had met on the Denver road except
that snow had taken the place of dust
now upon the whlpcord riding habit.
and the brown hair which caressed
the corners Of her eyes WAS moist
with the breath Of the blizzard Some
way Falrchild found his voice, lost for
a moment.
"Are-are you In trouble?"
"NO." She smiled at him.
"But out on night like this-in q
blizzard. How did you get up here,"
She shrugged her shoulders.
~ walked. Oh" she added, with a
smile, ut didn't hurt me any. The
wind was pretty stiff-but then I'm
fairly strong. rather enjoyed Il"
"But what's happened-what's gone
wrong? Can ! help you with anything
-Or-
Then 1t was that Harry, with a roll
Of his blue eyes and funny waggle
of his big shoulders. moved down the
drift toward the stope, leaving them
alone together. Anita Richmond
watched after him with a smile wait
Ing until he was out of hearing dis
tance. Then she turned seriously.
Mother Howard told me where you
WERE" came quietly. ut was the
only chance had to see you. IL
maybe | was a little lonely or-or
something. But, anyway. l wanted to
see you and thank you and"
"Thank me2 For what"
"For everything. For that day on
the Denver road, and for the night
after the Old Times dance when you
came to help me. IL haven't had an
easy time Most Of the people know