The Hope pioneer., 1922-12-07
child's employ and stare upward at the

wouldn't 1t knock your eyes out?"
he exclaimed, beaming. "That veins
certainly five feet wide."
"And two hundred dollars to the
ton," added Fairchild, laughing. "No
wonder Rodaine wanted it."
"I'll sye sol" A long time Of con-
gratulatory celebration, then Harry
led the way to the far end Of the great
cavern. "'Ere 1t isl" he announced,
as he pointed to what seemed to both
of them never to be anything more
than flssure in the rocks. "It's the
thing that saved my life"
Fairchild stared into the darkness Of
the hole in the earth, q narrow crack
in the rocks barely large enough to al-
low human form to squeeze within.
He laughed.
you must have made yourself
pretty small, Harry"
"What? When went through there?
Sye, could ave gone through the eye
OF needle. There were six charges
Of dynamite Just about to go of be'ind
met!
Again the men chuckled as they
looked at the dssure, a natural, usual
thing in 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 whirled with a thought.
Harry! wonder-couldn't it have
been possible for my father to have
escaped from this mine in the same
way?"
"'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 were? And why-7"
"'E might of, Boy" But Harry's
voice was negative. "The only thing
about it was the fact that your father
'ad a bullet 'ole in is cad" Harry
leaned forward and pointed to his own
scar. 1T it right about ere, and
glanced"
"But the gun? We didn't find any"
"'E 'ad it with i'm. It was Sissie
Larsen's. No, Boy, there must ave
been f1ght-but don't think that 1
mean your father murdered anybody.
If Sissie Larsen attacked i'm with a
gun, then e 'ad right to kill. But
as I've told you before-there wouldn't
ave been 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 intently. Didn't you ear some
thing?"
II thought so. Like a woman's
voice."
"Listen-there 1t is again!"
"Mr. Fairchild!"
They ran to the foot Of the. shaft,
and Fairchild cupped his hands and
called:
"Who wants me?"
"It's me-" The voice was palmer
nova voice that Fairchild recog-
nized Immediately.
"Tm-Tm 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, guard!" Then, blink
ing with surprise, he turned to the
staring Harry. "1t's Anita Richmond"
he whispered.
The bucket was at the top now. A
signal from above, and Fairchild low
cred 1t, to extend hand and to aid
the girl to the ground, looking at her
with wondering, eager eyes. In the
light Of the carbide torch, she was the
same boyish-appearing 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
moment.
"Are-are you in trouble?"
"No." She smiled at him.
"But out on night like this-in
blizzard. How did you get up here?"
She shrugged her shoulders.
II walked. Oh" she added, with
smile, lit didn't hurt me any. The
wind was pretty stiff-but then I'm
fairly strong. I rather enjoyed It,"
."But what's happened-what's gone
wrong7 Can I help you with anything
Or"
Then 1t was that Harry, with a roll
Of his blue eyes and funny waggle
Of his big shoulders, moved down the
drift toward the stope, leaving them
alone together. Anita Richmond
watched after him with a 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 to see you. IL
maybe I was a little lonely or-or
something. But, anyway, wanted to
see you and thank you and"
"Thank me? For what?"
"For everything. For that day on
the Denver road, and for the night
after the Old Times dance when you