The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-12-14
CHAPTER xVI-cen,ing.s.

days n waiting Rad no; been IN vain
al the cutting hopeiessness o seeing
her. only % have her turn away her
bad and fam to>recoznlze him. hal
seen for their purpose aftsr all AM
yet FslrchIid remembered that size
vas engaged 70 Maurice Rodainc. and
that the tine % the wedding must -
fast approaching. Perhaps there had
been q quarrel. perhaps Then be
smiled There was 10 perhaps shout
iii Anita Richmond was his friend,
she had been forced Into the promise
os marriage 10 Maurice R0dalne. bat
she had not been forced into reiln-
quishment % her desire ~ reward him
somehow. some way. for the attention
that be had shown her and the liking
that she knew existed 10 his heart.
Hastily FairchIld folded the pape-
and stuffed Il into an inside pocket.
Then. seeking out one of the worsrnea.
he appointed him foreman of the gang
10 take charge 10 his absence. Pol
lowing which. be made bis way out of
tie mine and into town. there 70 hire
men q Mother Howard's suggestion
and send them 10 the Blue Poppy to
take their stations every few feet
along the tunnel. 20 appear mere spe~
taiOrs. bot IN reality to be guards wh1
were constantly on the watch for any
thing untOward that might occur
Fairchild was taking no chances now.
An hour more found him al the sam
pier. watching the ore a. II Tan through
the great crusher hOppers. 20 come
forth finely crumbied powder and BE-
sampled. ton by ton. ~. the assays by
old Undertaken Chastlne and three
other men of his type. without which
no sampler pays for ore. BittsOB ap-
preached. grlnning.
You guessed just about right he
announced. THAT stuff-s running
around two hundred dollars a ton.
Need any money nowT'
"All you can let me have!"
-Four or FIVE hundred1 We've gotten
IN eight tons OF that stun already:
don't guess I'd be taking any risk on
thati" he chuckled. Fairchild reached
for the currency eagerly. All but o
hundred dollars OF II would 20 20
Mother Howard-for that debt must
be paid OF first. And. that accom-
pIIshed. denying himself the Invitation
Of rest that his bed held forth for him.
he started out into town, apparently
20 ioiter about the streets and receive
the congratulations Of the townspeo-
pie. but In reality 20 watch for one
person and one alone Squint RO-
dainei
He saw him late In the afternoon.
shambling along. his eyes glaring. his
lips moving wordlessly. and he took
up the trail. But 3; led only % the Of
fee OF the Silver Queen Development
company. where the scnr.faced mau
doubled at his desk and stuffing q
cigar into his mouth. chewed on Il
angrily. Instinctiyely Fairchild knew
that the greatest part Of his mean
temper was due 10 the strike IN the
Blue Poppy: Instlnctlyely also he felt
that Squint Rodalne had known OF the
value all along. that now he was ours
Ing himself for the failure Of his
schemes 20 obtain possession Of what
had appeared until only day before
20 be nothing more than disappolnt-
ing. unlurky. lll-omened hole In the
ground. Falrchlld resumed HIS loit-r.
ing. but evening found him near the
Silver Queen Office.
AnIta's note had told him little. yet
had implied much. Something was
fermentlng in the seething brain Of
squint Rodalne. and II the past count
ed for anything. IL was something that
concerned him
An hour more, then FnIrchild sud
denly skunk into the shadows Of q
I doorway. Squint had snapped out the
? Hight and was locking the door. Fifty
feet then FaIrchlld stepped from the
doorway and took up the trail.
F, II was not hard one 10 follow.
( Squint Rodalne passed the street lead
7 ing 10 his house without even looking
up. Two blocks more. and they
reached the city limits
;. A mile, and they were IN the open
:. country. crossing and recrOsslng the
= ice-dOtted Clear creek. furlung
more, then Squint Rodaine turned up
! the lane which led 10 a great. sham
q bling. OIL, white building that. in the
O rosy days OF the mining game. had
"a been a roadhouse. but which now
!, barely furnished in only few Of It's
rooms, Inhabited by mountain rats and
:, i'uftering bats and general decay for
u = the most part, formed the uncomfort-
II able abode OF Crazy Laura
IL And Falrchild followed. Il could
Ia mean only one thing when Rodalne
bought the white-haired mumbllng old
). hng whom once he had called his wife
Slt could mean but one outcome. and
!. THAT Of disaster Tor some one. Mother
Howard had said that Crazy Laura
would kill for Squint. And now that
'e' Squlnt ROdaine was seeking her. Fair
child meant TO follow. and 70 hear-if
& such a thing were within the range Of
'ir human possibnlty-the evil dripplngs
rof his crooked lips.
m He crossed to the side Of the road
where ran the Inevitable gully and.