Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-10-28

|
he felt that he was right What wa,
more, he was as sure as he was sure
of life itself that Anita Richmond
had not arranged the Interview and
| did not even know of It. One streak
ing name was fitting through Fair
child's brain and causing 1t to seethe
with anger. Cleverly concealed though
the plan might have been, nicely ar
ranged and carefully planted to Rob
ert Fairchild 1t all stood out plainly
and clearly-the Rodanes
And yet why? That one little word
halted Fairchild as he left the eleva-
tor Why? What did they know
about the Blue Poppy mine when
neither he nor Harry had any idea of
what the future might hold for them
there? That day in court Rodalne
had said that the Blue Poppy mine
was good property and that II 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? 1t was logical in way. Maurice
Rodaine was the one man who could
give direct evidence against Harry as
the man who had held up the Old
Times dance, and Anita now was en-
gagged to marry him Judge Richmond
had been friend of Thornton Fair
child; could il 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, Falrchild
saw. through Maurice Rodane. One
word from him to his father could
change the story Of Crazy Laura and
make it. on the second telling, only
the Numbering tale Of an insane,
herb-gathering woman. Anita could
have arranged II. and Anita might
have arranged II. Yet why should
she have gone through this procedure
TO reach him? Why had she not gone
to Farrell with the proposltion-to
man whom she knew Fairchild trust
ed, instead of to greasy, hand-rub-
bling shyster? And besides
But the question was past answer
ing now. Fairchlld had made his de-
elsIon, 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, and now that he thought of II,
Fairchild felt almost certain that 1t
had been from the same source That
was for fifty thousand dollars. Why
should the value have now jumped to
four times its original figures? 1t was
more than the adventurer could en-
compass; he sought to dismiss 1t all,
went to a picture show, then trudged
back to his hotel and to sleep.
The next day found him still striv-
ing to put the problem away from him
as he went about the various errands
outlined by Harry. day after that,
then the putting, snorting, narrow,
gagged train took him again through
Clear Greek canon and back to Ohadi.
The station was strangely deserted
Only the bawling bus man for the
hotel. the station agent wrestling with
trunk or two-that was all. Fair
child looked about him in surprise,
then approached the agent.
whats happened?"
"A lot. From what hear it's
strike that's going to put ohadi on
the map again"
'Who made it7"
Don't know Some fellow came
running down here an hour or so ago
and said there'd been a tremendous
strike made on the hill and everybody
beat II up there"
FairchiId went on, to turn into de
serted street,-a street where the
doors of the stores had been left open
and the owners gone. Everywhere II
was the same; il was as If Ohadi sud
denly had been struck by some catas-
trophe which had wiped out the whole
population. Only now and then hui
man being appeared. few persons
left behind at the banks, but that was
about all. Then from far away, up
he street leading from Kentucky gulch,
came the sound of cheering and shout
ng Soon a crowd appeared, led by
vociferous men. who
reered suddenly into the Ohadi bank
1t the corner, leaving the multitude
without for a moment, only TO return.
heir hands full of gold certificates.
which they stuck into their hats
punched through their bHttOnholes
stuffed into their pockets, allowing
hem to hang half out and even
ahmed down the collars of their
ough shirts, making outstanding dec
,rations Of currency about their
lecks On they came, closer-closer,
md then Fairchild gritted his teeth.
There were four of them leading the
,arade. displaying the wealth that
TODD for the bonanza of the silver
trike they had just made. four men
whose names were gall and NORWOOD
o Robert Fairchlld.
Blindeye Bozeman and Taylor Bill
we're two Of them. The others were
.oufut and Maurice ROdainQ