The Dolores star., 1922-12-22

he exclaimed, bClWlng. That VEN
certainly i've feet wide"
And two hundred dollars to tine
ton" added FaTchild. laughing. M
wonder Rodainc wanted IT,"
"Tll sye sol" 4 long time OF con
gratulatory celebration, then Harry
led the why To the far end of the Graat
rnvcrn. Ere Il ls!" he announ ed,
rs he pointed to what seemed to both
Of them never to be anything more
than a 0sSurc In the rocks. Its the
thing Hat saved my lirc."
FarrIiId stared into the darkness Of
the hole In the earth, narrow crack
In the rocks barely large enough to ~
low human form TO squeeze within.
lie laughed
You must have made yourself
pretty small, Hurry"
What? When went through therer
Sye. could ave gone through the eye
Of needle There were six charges
Of dynamite just about TO go or be'ind
mel"
Again the men chucIlcd as they
looked ut the issura. natural, usual
thing in a mine. and often leading. as
this one did, by suh,crrnncaG breaks
and slips to the underground bed of
some tumbllng spring Suddenly. how
ever. Fairchild whirled with thought
Harry! | wonder-couldn't 1t have
been possible for my fnther to have
escaped from this mine in the same
way?"
r must ave"
And that there might not have
been any killings connected with Lar
sen at all? Why couldn't Larsen have
been knocked out by flying stone
Just like You We're? And why"
"'E might OF. Boy" But Harry's
voice was negative. "The only thing
about 1t was the fact that your father
al bullet ole in is cad" Harry
leaned forward and pointed to his own
scar. at 1t right about ere. and
glanced"
"But the gun? We didn't find any"
"'E 'ad it with I'm 1t WIS Sissie
Larsen's. No, Boy. there must ave
been Il fight-but don't think that ]
mean your father murdered anybody.
If Sssie Larsen attacked i'm with Il
gun. then e nd right to Kill But
as I've told you before-there wouldn't
ave been chance for IN to prove is
story with Squlnt working against
i'm" He ceased and perked his head
toward the bottom of the shaft, listen
ing intently. ''Dldn't you ear some
thingf"
81 thought so. Like a woman's
voice"
"Listen-there 1t Is agaln!"
"Air. Falrchildw
They ran to the foot OF the shaft.
called:
"Who wants me?"
ITS me-" The voice was palmer
nova voice that FaIrchild recog-
nized Immediately.
"Tm-rm 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. Its 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
a moment.
"Are-are you in trouble?"
"No." She smiled Mt him.
But out on night like this-in a
blizzard. How did you get up here'-
She shrugged her shoulders
81 walked. Oh" she added, with n
smile, cit didn't hurt me any. The
wind WIS pretty stiff-but then I'm
fairly strong. rather enjoyed It"
"But what's happencd-whats gone
wrong? Can help you with anything
or"
Then It was that Harry. with 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. at was the
only chance had to see you. IL
maybe l was a little lonely or-or
something. But. anyway. wanted to
see you and thank you and"
'"rhank me? For what?"
'FOr everything. For that day on
the Denver road, and for the night
after the Old Times dance when you
came to help me. IL haven't had an
easy time. Most of the people / know
are afraid and-same of them aren't