The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-12-21

certainly ave feet wide.-
"And two hundred dollars to the
ton" added Fairchlld. laughing. -No
wonder Rodaine wanted IT,"
"Tll sye sol" A long time Of con-
gratulatory celebration. then Harry
led the way to the far end OF the great
cavern. err It Isir he announced.
as he pointed to what seemed to both
OF them never to be anything more
than a fissure In the rocks "It's the
thing that saved my life."
Falrchlld stared into the darkness OF
the hole in the earth, a narrow crack
In the rocks barely large enough to a.
low a human form TO squeeze within.
He laughed
you must have made yourself
pretty small. Harry"
s"What7 When went through there7
Sye. could ave gone through the eye
Of needle. There were six charges
Of dynamite just about 20 go of behind
me-"
Again the men chuckled as they
looked at the fissure. a natural. usual
thing In a mine, and often leading. as
this one did. by subterranean breaks
and slips to the underground bed of
some tumbling spring. Suddenly, how
ever. Fairchild whlrled with a thought.
Harry | wonder-couldn't It have
been possible for my father TO have
escaped from this mine In the same
wayT"
"'E must ave"
"And that there might not have
been any killing connected with Lar
sen at all? Why couldn't Larsen have
been knocked out BY a flying stone
just like you were7 And why-f"
"'E might OF. Boy" But Harry's
voice was negative. "The only thing
about II was the fact that your father
'ad a bullet ole in Is cad" Harry
leaned forward and pointed to his own
scar. 1T 1T right about ere. and
glanced"
but the gun7 We didn't find any
II 'ad Il with I'm. II was Sissie
Larsens. No, Boy. there must ave
been fght-but don't think that
mean your father murdered anybody.
II Slssle Larsen attacked i'm with a
gun, then e 'ad a right to Kill. But
as I've told you before--there wouldn't
ave been a 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 lntently. Didn't you ear some
thingT
II thought so. Like a woman's
voice"
"Listen-there II Is again.!
"Mr. Falrchlldw
They ran to the foot Of the shaft,
and Falrchild cupped his hands and
called:
who wants mer'
Its me-" The voice was palmer
nova voice that Fairchild recog-
nized Immediately.
"rm-I'm under arrest or some
thing up here" was added with
laugh. The guard won't let me come
down"
wait. and I'll raise the bucket for
you. All right, guardT Then, blink
ing with surprise, he turned to the
staring Harry. Its Anita Richmond"
he whispered
The bucket was at the top now. A
signal from above. and Falrchild low
cred II, to extend a hand and TO aid
the girl 20 the ground. locking at her
with wondering, eager eyes. In the
light OF the carbide torch, she was the
same boyish-sppearlng little person he
had met on the Denver road except
that snow had taken the place OF dust
now upon the whipcord riding habit.
and the brown hair which caressed
the corners OF her eyes was moist
with the breath OF the blizzard. Some
way FairchIld found his voice, lost for
a moment.
"Are-are you in troubleT
mo" She smiled at him
"But out on a night like this-in a
blizzard. How did you get up hereT"
She shrugged her shoulders.
81 walked. Oh" she added with
smile, 1T didn't hurt me any. The
wind was pretty stiff-but then I'm
fairly strong ! rather enjoyed IT,"
AhuA NhAA hullfiith NhdA Ebut
wrong1 Can I help you with anything
or"
Then II was that Harry. with roll
Of his blue eyes and a funny waggle
of his big shoulders. moved down the
drift toward the stope, leaving them
alone together. Anita Richmond
watched after him with n smile. wait
ing until he was out Of hearing dis
tance. Then she turned seriously.
Mother Howard told me where you
were" came quietly. 1T was the
only chance had 10 see you. IL
maybe | was little lonely or-or
something. But. anyway. / wanted to
see you and thank you and"
Thank met For whatf"
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
engv time Most of the naonla I EnOw