The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-10-12
TRsDAY ocT. II, 1921
Your names Fairclild, isn't No
asked the person of letters.

asked the person of letters.
eyes.
Thought SO. Some Of the fefissvs
said yOu There's been q lct1sr
for you here for two daysg.
'.For me?r Vaguely FafrchIld wei
within and received the missive, 1
plain. bond envelope without d =.
turn address. He turned II over ma
over I'm his hand before he opened n
then looked at the postmark-Dsn-
e AT last:
open it, why don't your
Hsr. s's mustaehe was tickling ~
ear. as the big miner stared yer his
shoulder. Before them were figures
and sentences which blurred Tor q -
ment. finally TO resolve into:
MFR. Robert FairchiId,
aOhadi. Colorado. s.
Dear Sir: a
Il am empowered by a client wheoe
name / am not at liberty to state. -
make you an offer of $4,000 for yOH
property In Clear Greek county, known
as the Blue Poppy mine. In replying,
kindly address your letter to
- BOX $50, Denver, Colo"
Harry whistled long and thoughtfsa-
~. .@~- r..
THAT'S a ole lot of money!"
IAN awful lot, Harry. But why WINS
the offer made? There's nothing -
base it on. There's"
Then for a moment. as they stepped
out of the post office, he gave up the
thought, even of comparative riches.
Twenty feet away, a man and a girl
were approaching. talking as. though
there never had been the slightest
trouble between them. 1t was Maurice
Rodaine and Anita Richmond they
came closer, her eyes turned toward
Fa'rchild. and then,
She went on, without speaking, with
out taking the trouble to notice. ap-
parently, that he had been standing
there. r.
After this, there was little converse
ton until Harry and Fairchfld had
reached the boarding house., Then,
with Mother Howard for an adviser,
the three gathered in the old parlOr.
and FairchiId related the events Of
the night before, adding what had
happened at the post Office. when Ami
ia had passed him without speaking.
Mother Howard, her arms folded as
usual, bobbed her gray head.
Its like her, Son." she announced
at last. "She's a good girl. I've known
her ever since she was a little lad nct
big enough to walk. And she loves
her father"
But"
"She loves her father. Isn't that
enough7 The Rodaines have the
money-and they have almost every
thing that Judge Richmond owns. It's
Easy enough to guess what they've
lone with tilted it up so that he
can't touch it until they're ready for
him to do it. And they're not going
to do that until they've gotten what
they want"
(which is"
"Anital Any fool ought to be able
to know that. That stroke last night
was the second one for the Judge.
There usually amt any more after
the third n Now, can't you see why
Anita is willing to do anything on
earth just to keep peace and just to
give her father a little rest and com
fort and happiness In the last days G1
his life? You've got to remember that
he amt like an ordinary father that
you can 60 to and tell all your troa-
bles to. He's laying next door to death.
and Anita, just like any woman that's
got a great, big. good heart In her,
Is willing to face worse than death
to help him. It's as plain to me %
the 8 on Harry's face" ~ =
switch In quite plain" agreed Fair
child ruefully. Harry rubbed the u
beled proboscis, paved at his mus
taehe and fidgeted In his chair.
II understand that. all right" h
announced at last. 'But why sheuld
anybody want to buy the mine1"
1t brought Fairchild to the realtxa-
ton Of q new development, and he
brought forth the letter, ono nor 10
stare at It
"Fffty thousand dollars 10 . lot e
money" came at last. ~
"And what Them Mother Howard,
still looking through uncelored glasses,
took the letter and scanned It Tea
two amt cutters, are your"
800. as1' Harry bristled-
Eyes. you II you are, get ycur-
selves a piece Of paper and write =
Denver and take the offer. II ysu
ain't-keep on nghting."
Il believe you're right, Mother How
ard" Fairehild had reached for the
letter again and was staring at 1t ~
though for inspiration. '@sThat amount
of money seems to be a great deal.
Still, IL q person will offer that much
for q mine when there's nothing IN
sight to show Its value, II ought 10
mean that there's something dark IA.
the woodpile and that thesathinas
worth fighting out. And personally
speaking, I'm willing to fghtis
Il never quit in my Hfef" Harry
Strengthened i'm HIS chair and his mus
tache stuck. forth pugnaeiously. Moth
er Howard locked down ait him,
pressed her lips, then smiled.
No. she announced, except to run
away like a whipped pup after you'd
gotten 4 poor lonely boarding house
keeper in love with you "
Mother pWard, TIL,
But the laughing, gray,haired ON