The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-07-15

S''How do I known" squirt 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 for?'' MA oez@% !.
The questioner, small, goggle-eyed
and given to rubbing his hands, stared
a. moment speechlessly. ~ .E;.& r. E@;@:
S"He--he bought q diamond from
me this mOrning-On the Ginstallment
planr' w. y $50 " WIZ w. ".9
+ Rodaine smiled again in his crooked
fashion. 49, ...'
'"rhat's your own fault, SAM" he
announced CURLY. III he's at the bot
tom Of the shaft, your diamonds there
too. All I know about it is that l
was coming down from the Silver
Queen when l saw this fellow go into
the tunnel Of the Blue Poppy. He was
all dressed up, else I don't guess I
would have paid much attention to
him. But as 1t was, kind of stopped
to look, and seen it was Harry Har-
kins, who used to work the mine with
this''-he pointed to Fairchild-"this
fellows father About a minute later,
l heard a yell, like somebody was in
trouble, then big splash. Naturally
! ran in the tunnel and struck a
match. About twenty feet down, I
could see the water was all riled up,
and new hat was floating around on
top OF it. That's all I know. You can
do as you please about your diamond
I'm just giving you the information"
He turned sharply and went on
then, while Sam the jeweler, the rest
Of the loiterers clustered around him,
looked appealingly. toward Fairchild.
"What'll we do'' he walled.
Fairchild turned. II don't fnOw
about you-but I'm going to the m:ne.'
1T won't do any good-bodies cont
float. 1t may never foat-if it gets
caught down in the timbers sone-
where's" 49,.
''Have to organize bucket bri-
gade" 1t was a suggestion from one
of the crowd. IT,
"Why not borry the Argonaut
pump? They amt using it,"
= go get it Go get it!'' This time
1t was the wall Of the little jeweler
'"rell 'em Sam Herbenfelder sent you.
They'll let you have it."
IA Another suggestion, still another.
Soon men began to radiate. each on
mission. The word passed down the
street. More loiterers-a silver miner
spends 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 a feminine
voice. -
4. 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 conferred. 1t was
anita Richmond, standing atithe edge
Of the crowd, questioning miner,
while beside her was thin, youthful
counterpart of a hard-faced father,
Maurice Rodalne. Just moment of
queries, then the miners hand pointed
to Fairchild as he turned toward her.
TITS his partner"
She moved forward then and Fair
child went to meet her. ~ re.
"Im sorry" she said, and extended
her hand. Fairchild gripped it ca
gerly.
'"rhank you. But it may not be as
bad as the rumors"
II hope not" Then quickly she
withdrew her hand. and somewhat
flustered, turned as her companion
edged closer. Maurice, this is Mr..
Fairchild,'' she announced, and Fair
child could do nothing but stare. She
knew his name! A second more and
1t was explained: MY father knew his;
father very WELL" =
II 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.
II 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't
it,"
Decidedly funny!"' was the caustic
rejOfnder 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 dance and because her
father might have pointed him out.
He felt sure that there was something
else behind 1.-THE feeling Of a debt
which she owed him, a feeling Of COM
partnership engendered upon sunlit
road, during the moments, of stress,
md the continuance Of that meeting
in those few moments in the drug
store, when he had handed her back
her ten.dOllar bill. She had called
herself cad then. and the feeling
that she perhaps had been abrupt
toward a man who had helped her out
Of a disagreeable predicament was
prompting her action now; Fairchild
felt sure Of that. And he was glad Of
the fact, very clad. Again he laughed.