Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-10-06

"8ond Accepted--I'I Set This Trial
for"
cheerfully. ave put one over on his
royal joblots that time, anyway. Hates
me from the ground up. Worst we
can hope for is conviction and then
Supreme court reversal. I'll get him
so mad he'll fill the case with errors.
He used to be an instructor down at
Boulder, and l stuck the pages of a
lecture together on him one day That's
why asked for an early trial. Knew
he'd give me late one. That'n let us
have time to stir up little favorable
evidence, which right now we don't
possess. UNDERSTANDABLE money that
comes from the mine is held in escrow
until this case is decided. But I'll ex-
plain that. Going to stick around here
and bask In the effulgence of really
possessing a case. S'long"
And he turned back into the court,
room, while Fairchild the dazed Har-
ry stalking beside him, started down
the street.
SOW do you figure it?" asked the
Cornishman at last.
"WhatY'
"Rodaine. 'E elped us out~
Fairchild stopped 1t had not oc-
saw it: that if Rodaine, as an expert
on mining had condemned the Blue
Poppy, it could have meant only one
thing, the denial of bond by the judge
and the lack of freedom for Harry.
Fairchild rubbed a hand across his
brow.
Il can't figure it," came at last.
"And especially since h.s son is the
accuser and since l got the best of
them both last nightr'
SCOT the best of EN-? You?
The story was brief in its telling.
And it brought no explanation of the
sudden amiability displayed by the
crooked-faced Rodaine. They went on
striving vainly for a reason, at last to
stop in front of the post office, as the
postmaster leaned out of the door.
"Your names Fairchild, isn't itT'
asked the person of letters
eyes"
Thought so. Some of the fellows
said you was. There's been a letter
for you here for two days."
'For me?" Vaguely Fairchild went
within and received the missive, a
plain, bond envelope without re-
turn address. He turned it over and
over in his hand before he opened it
then looked at the postmark-Den-
yer. At last:
"Open it, why don't youY
Harry's mustache was tickling his
ear, as the big miner stared over his
shoulder. Before them were figures
and sentences which blurred for a mo-
ment, finally to resolve into:
'Mr. Robert Fairchild,
"Ohadi, Colorado.
Dear Sir:
81 am empowered by client whose
name / am not at liberty to state, to
make you an offer of $4,000 for your
in Clear Creek county, known
as the Blue Poppy mine. In replying
kindly address your letter to
"Box $50, Denver, Colo"
Harry whistled long and thoughtful
ly.
'That's a 'ole lot of money"
"An awful lot, Harry But why was
the offer made? There's nothing to
base it on. There's"
Then for a moment, as they stepped
out Of the post office, he gave up the
thought, even Of comparative riches
Twenty feet away, man and a girl
were approaching, talking as though
there never had been the slightest
trouble between them It was Maurice
Rodaine and Anita Richmond; they
came closer, her eyes turned toward
Falrchild, and then
She went on, without speaking, with
out taking the trouble to notice APP
that he had been standing
here.
After this. there was little eonyersa-
ion until Harry and Fairchild had
reached the boarding house. Then,
With Mother Howard for an adviser,
he three gathered in the old parlor'
md Fairchild related the events Of
he night before, adding what had
at the post Office, when Ami
a had passed him without speaking.
iother Howard, her arms folded as )
lsual bobbed her gray head.
Its like her, Son. she announced
# last. "Shes a good girl. I've known
Ter ever since she was little tad not
zig enough to walk. And she loves
Ter fsther"
"But-"
"She loves her father Isn't that
nough? The Rodaines have the
they have almost every
hing that Judge Richmond owns. It's
asy enough to guess what they've c