Phoenix tribune., 1922-09-23

and stand gasping. And before he
could speak. new voice had cut in,
one full Of excitement, tremulous,
anxious.
"Drowned2 Where's his body7"
"How do I know?" Squint ROdaine
turned upon his questioner. "Guess
it's at the foot of the shaft. All
saw was his hat. What're you so In
terested forr
The questioner, small, goggle-eyed
and given to rubbing his hands, stared
moment speechlessly.
'He-he bought a diamond from
me this morning-on the Installment
plan! !"
Rodaine smiled again In his crooked
fashion.
That's your own fault, SAM" he
announced curtly 'If he's at the bot
tom Of the shaft, your diamonds there
too. All know about 1t is that
was coming down from the Silver
Queen when saw this fellow go into
the tunnel Of the Blue Poppy. He was
all dressed up, else / don't guess /
would have paid much attention to
him. But as 1t was, kind of stopped
to look, and seen 1t was Harry Har-
kins who used to work the mine with
this"-he pointed to Fairchild-"this
fellows father. About a minute later,
| heard yell, like somebody was In
trouble. then a big splash. Naturally
| ran In the tunnel and struck q
match. About twenty feet down,
could see the water was all riled up,
and a new hat was floating around on
top Of It, That's all know. You can
do as you please about your diamond.
I'm just giving you the information"
Ee turned sharply and went on
then, while Sam the jeweler, the rest
of the loiterers clustered around him,
looked appeallngly toward Fairchild.
"What'n we do?" he walled.
Fairchild turned II don't Fnow
about you-but I'm going to the m,ne."
ut won't do any good-bodies Cont
float. 1t may never fioat-if it gets
caught down in the timbers some
where's"
Have to organize a bucket bri-
gade." 1t was suggestion from one
of the crowd
"Why not borry the Argonaut
pump? They amt using It,"
$50 get it! Go get IT." This time
1t was the wall of the little jeweler.
"Tell 'em Sam Herbenfelder sent you.
They'll let You have it,"
Another suggestion, still another.
Soon men began to radate, each on
mission. The word passed down the
street More loiterers-a silver miner
spends a great part of his leisure time
in simply watching the crowd go by
| hurried to join the excited throng.
Groups, en- route to the picture show,
decided otherwise and stopped to
learn of the excitement. The crowd
thickened. Suddenly Fairchild looked
up sharply at the sound Of feminine
voice.
Whats the matter?"
Harry Harkins got drowned" All
too willingly the news was dispersed.
Fairchild's eyes were searching now In
the half-light from the faint street
bulbs. Then they centered 1t was
Anita Richmond, standing at the edge
of the crowd, questioning a miner,
while beside her was a thin, youthful
counterpart of a hard-faced father,
Maurice ROdaine. Just a moment Of
queries. then the miners hand pointed
to Fairchild as he turned toward her.
ITS his partner
She moved forward then and Fair
child went to meet her.
I'm sorry" she said, and extended
her hand. Fairchild gripped 1t ca
gerly.
THANK you. But it may not be as
bad as the rumOrs."
Il hope not" Then quickly she
Withdrew her hand, and somewhat
fiustered. turned as her companion
edged closer. Maurice, this is Mr..
Fairchild," she announced, and Fair
child could do nothing but stare. She
knew his namei A second more and
1t was explained: MY father knew his
father very WELL"
Il think my own father was ac-
quainted too," was the rejoinder, and
the eyes of the two men met for an
instant in conflict The girl did not
seem to notice.
81 sold him ticket this morning to
the dance, not knowing who he was.
Then father happened to see him pass
the house and pointed him out to me
as the son of former friend of his.
Funny how those things happen, isn'f
it?"
Decidedly funnyl" was the caustic
rejoinder Of the younger Rodaine
Fairchild laughed, to cover the air of
intensity. He knew instinctively that
Anita Richmond was not talking to
him simply because she had sold him
ticket to a dance and because her
father might have pointed him out.
He felt sure that there was something
else behind 1.-THE feeling of debt
which she owed him, feeling of COM
panionsIip engendered upon a sunlit
road, during the moments of stress,
and the continuance of that meeting
a