The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-07-26
CONTINUED from last issue)

.5.Ia &iSoUCIuuel AToW iNS5 lSHOoJ y
And yet why?e That one little word
halted Fairchild as he left the eleva-
A tor. Why? What did they know
about the Blue Poppy rhine, when
neither he nor Harry had any idea of
what the future might hold for them
4 there? That day in court Rodaine
had said that the Blue Poppy mine
was a good property and that it was
worth every cent of the value which
had been placed on it.. How did he
know? And why? ...
Suppose that it had been Anita
Richmond after all who had arranged
this? II. was logical in a way. Maurice
Rodaine was the one man who could
give direct evidence against Harry as
the man who had held up the Old
7 Times dance. and Anita now was en-
gagged to marry him. Judge Richmond
had been friend Of Thornton Fair
\ child; could it have been possible that
this friendship might have entailed
the telling of secrets which had not
/ been related to- anyone else? The
matter of the finding Of the skeleton
cOuld be handled easily, Fairchild
saw, through Maurice Rodaine. One
word from him to his father could
change the story of Crazy Laura and
make it, on the second telling, only
e the maundering tale of an insane,
{ herb gathering woman. Anita could
have arranged it., and Anita might
have arranged it. Yet, why should
she have gone through this procedure
to reach him? Why had she not gone
to Farrell with the proposition--to a
man whom she knew Fairchild trust
ed, instead Of to q greasy, hand-rub-
bing shyster?- And besides ~
But the question was past answer
ing nov. Fairchild had made his de-
cision, and. he. had told the lawyer
where to go. But one thing was GER
/ tain: the Blue Poppy mine was worth
money, Once before an offer had
come, Ind now that he thought Of it.
Fairchild felt almost certain that II
! had been from, the same source That
was for, fifty thousand dollars. Why
should theayalue have now jumped to
four times its original figures? It was
more than the adventurer could EN-.
compass; he sought to dismiss It all,
went to d picture show, then trudged
back to his hotel and to sleep.
The next day found him still striv.
ing tn put the problem away from him
y MS he went about the various errands
outlined by Harry. A day after that,
then the putting, snorting narrow,
}gauged train took him again through
I Clear Creek canon and back to Ohadi
J The station was strangely deserted
Only the bawling bus man for the
hotel, the station agent wrestling with
q trunk or two-that was all. Fair
Child looked about him in surprise,
then approached the agent.
Y "What's happened?"
"a lot. . From what I hear it's a
strike that's going to- put Ohadi on
the map again" a.<s.. -
e"Who made it?" F.! s.g...... =.
"Don't know. Sonic fellow came
running down here an hour or so ago
and said there'l been q tremendous
strike made on the hill, and everybody
beat it up there" G.it .;iF u
TFairclild went on, to turn into a de-.
serted street-a street where the
doors OF, the stores had been left open
and the owners gone. Everywhere it
was the same; 1t was as If Ohadi sud
denly had been struck by some catas-
trophe which had wiped out the whole
population. Only now and then, a hui
man being appeared, a few persons
left behind at the banks, but that was
about ALL Then from far away. up
the street leading from Kentucky gulch,
came the sound Of cheering and shout
Ing Soon q crowd appeared, led by
gesticulating, vociferous men,. who
yeered suddenly into the Ohadi bank
at the corner, leaving the multitude
without for moment, only to return,
their hands full of gold certificates,
which they stuck into their hats,
punched through their buttonholes,
stuffed into their pockets, allowing
them to hang half out, and even
jammed down the collars of their
rough shirts, making outstanding dec
orations Of currency about their
necks. On they came, closer-closer,
and then Fairchild gritted his teeth.
There were, four, Of them leading the |
parade, displaying the wealth that |
stood for the, bonanza Of the silver |
strike they had just made, four men
whose names were gall and wormwood |
to Robert Fairchild. s.. IT,
/ Blindeye Bdzefnan and Taylor Bill
were two of thetri The others were
Squint and Maurice Rodainel ~
W. @ CHAPTER XIV
e. Ind !, o11 H,s. I