The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-11-23

why didn't he NV so7 + VIII Kill n
Roady Will DO good 10 ms. I've killed
before Tor him
aStill referring to somebody she's
killed. cut In Anita. II wonder IL
1t could be possible
I've just thought of the dateP'
Harry broke In ~excitedly. 1T was along
about June Z. 1892. I'm sure 1t was
around there.
The old books were mulled over
after the other. At last Bardwell
leaned forward and pointed TO q cer-
tain page.
Here's an item under May 28. It
says: Ready has been at me again.
He wants me to fix things 30 that the
three men In the Blue Poppy mine
win get caught In there by a cave-in.'
The sheriff looked up. '"This Seems
to road a little better than the other
stun. It's not so Jagged. Don't guess
she was as much off her nut then Is
she, is now. Let's see. Where's the
placer Oh, yes: II TIL help him, I
can have halt, and Wen live together
again, and he'll be good to me and /
a have the boy. I know what It's
all about. He wants to get the mine
without Sissie Larsen having anything
to do with 1t. Sissie has cemented up
the hole he drilled into the pay ore
and hasn't told Fairchild about it, be-
cause he thinks Ready will go partner
ships with him and help him buy In.
But Ready won't do it. He wants
that extra money for me. He told me
50. Ready is good to me sometimes.
But that's when he wants me to do
something. If he'll keep his promise
I'll fix the mine 50 they won't got
out"
"The poor old SOUL" there was ach-
ing sympathy In Anita Richmond's
voice. IL can't help it If she was
willing to kill people. The poor old
thing was crazy"
Eyes, and she's 'ad us bloody near
crazy too. Maybe there's another
entry"
I'm coming to it. It's along In
June. The dates blurred. Listen:
I did what Ready wanted me to. I
sneaked into the mine and planted
dynamite in the timbers. / wanted to
wait until the third man was there,
but I couldn't. Fairchild and Larsen
were fussing. Fairchild had learned
about the hole and wanted to know
what Larsen had found. Finally Lar
Gen pulled a gun and shot Fafrchild.
He fell, and I knew he was dead.
Then Larsen bent v him, and when
single-jack hammer. Then I set of
the charge. Nobody ever will know
how it happened unless they find the
bullet OF the gun. l don't IN If they
do. Ready wanted me to do it,"
Fairchild started to speak, but the
sheriff stopped him.
"Wait here's another item:
81 failed. I didn't kill either Of
them. They got out someway and
drove out of town tonight. Ready IL
mad at me. He won't come near me.
And I'm so lonesome for him!"
"The explanation Fairchild al
most shouted 1t as he seized the book
and read it again. SHERIFF, I've got
to make a confession. My father al
ways thought that he had killed u
a Not that he told me-but / could
guess it easily enough, from other
things that happened. When he came
to, he found a single-jack hammer
lying beside him, and Larsen's body
across him. Couldn't he naturally be-
hete that he had killed him while In
q daze? He was afraid of Rodaine-
that Rodaine would get up a lynch
ing party and string him up. Harry
here and Mrs. Howard helped him out
Of town. And this Is the explana-
ton I"
Bardwell smiled quizzically.
1T looks like there's going to be q
lot of explanations. What time was
1t when you were trapped In that
mine, Harkins?"
"Along about the first of Novem-
ber."
The sheriff turned to the a It
was there-the story Of Crazy Laura
and her descent into the Blue Poppy
mine, and again the charge of dyna-
mite which wrecked the tunnel. With
q little sigh, BardweTl closed the book
and looked out at the dawn, forcing it's
way through the binding snow.
Z, Yes, l guess Wen find a lot OF
things In this old book" came at last.
"But I think right now that the best
thing any of us can find is a little
sleep"
Rest-rest for five wearied persons,
but the rest of contentment and peace.
And late in the afternoon, three Of
them were gathered in the old-fashion-
ed parlor of Mother Towards board
ing house, waiting for the return Of
that dignitary from a sudden mission
upon which Anita Richmond had sent
her, involving a trip to the old Rich
mond mansion. Harry turned away
from his place at the window.
'sThe district attorney aid "a long
talk with Barnham, z he announced,
land 'e's figured out a wye for all the
stockholders In the Silver Queen to get
what's coming to them. As 1t iA
they's about a 'unnerd thousand short
some'eres." &
Fairchild looked up. @G ~
whats the scheme"
ITO call a meeting Of the stock
'olders and transfer all that money
over to q special fund to buy Blue
Poppy stock. Wen ave to raise money
anyway to work the mine like we
ought to. And 1t i'd cost something.