Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-09-29
Continued from last week.
CHAPTER TX


again, that the last Of the water nigh
be drained from the shaft before tn
pumps must be returned to their own
ers.
Several hours passed, then Harr,
returned, minus his gorgeous clothing
and his diamond ring, dressed in min
ing costume now, with high leathe
boots into which his trousers wer,
tucked, and carrying a carbine lantern
Dolefully he looked at the vacant fin
ger where once a diamond had spar
kled. Then he chuckled
"Sam took 1t back" he announced
"And / took part of the money anC
paid 1t out for rent on these pumps
We can keep 'em as long as we want
'em. It's only costing about a fourth
of what 1t might of. Drowning's
worth something" he laughed again
Fairchild Joined him, then sobered
at brought Rodaine out of the
bushes" he said. "Squint threatened
us after they'd hauled you down town
on the rail"
Harry winked jovially.
"Ain't it just what 1 expected? It's
better that wye than to ave i'm snoop-
In around"
They chuckled together then; it was
something to know that they had not
only forced Squint Rodaine to show
his enmity openly, but 1t was some
thing more to make him the instru-
ment of helping them with their work.
Harry looked down the hole, stared
intently at nothing, then turned to the
rusty hoist.
"'Ere's the thing we've got to fix
up now. This ere chiv wheels all
out of gear"
''What makes your face so red2'
Fairchild asked the question as the
be-mustached visage of Harry came
nearer to the carbide. Harry looked
up.
Mother 'Oward almost slapped it
% came his rueful answer. For
not telling 'er what 1 was going to do,
and letting 'er think got drownded.
But 'Ow was to known"
Fairchild absently examined the en-
gines and pumps, supplying water to
the radiators and filling an oil cup
or two. Then he turned swiftly, voic-
ing that which was uppermost in his
mind
when you were here before, Harry,
did you know Judge RichmondY
'Yeh." Harry paved his mustache
and made greasy, black mark on his
face "But 1 don't think 1 want to
know i'm now"
"Why mott"
"'E's mixed up with the Rodaines"
"How much?"
'They own 'im-that's ALL"
There was silence for a moment. 1t
had been something which Fairchild
had not expected. If the Rodaines
owned Judge Richmond, how far did
that ownership extend? After long
time, he forced himself to statement.
81 know his daughter. She sold me
ticket to a dance" Fairchild care
fully forgot the earlier meeting.
"Then we've happened to meet several
times after that. She said that her
father had told her about melt
seems he used to be a friend of my
own father"
Harry nodded.
$50 e was. And good friend. But
that was before things 'appened-like
they've 'appened in the last ten years.
Not that / know about it of my own
knowledge But Mother 'Oward-she
knows a lot"
"But what's caused the change?
What-2"
Harry's intent gaze stopped him.
COW many times ave you seen
Judge RichmondT
81 haven't ever seen him."
"You won't-if Mother 'Oward |
knows anything. p amt able to get
out Els sick-apoplexy--a stroke.
Rodaine's taken advantage of It,"
"How2"
SOW does anybody take advantage !
Of somebody that's sick? 'Ow does
anybody get a old on a person7 I
money! Judge Richmond |
'ad lot of 1t. Then e got sick. Ro-
dame, e got old of that money. Now
Judge Richmond as to ask i'm for
every penny he gets-and e does what
says"
''But a judge"
Judges is like anybody else when
they're bedridden and only 'arf their
faculties working. The girl, so Mother
'Oward tells me, is about twenty now.
That made 'er just a little kid, and
motherless, when Rodaine got in is
work. She amt got a thing to sye.
And she loves 'er father. If e don't
die pretty soon, you'll see weddlng"
you mean"
"She'n be Mrs. Maurice Rodaine.
She loves 'er father enough to do it.
after 'er Wills broken"
Again Robert Fairchild filled an oil
cup, again he tinkered about the
pumps. Then he Strengthened.
How. are we going to work this