Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-10-13
CHAPTER XII.

Again there was a long moment OF
silence, while Harry stood paving al
his mustache and while Robert Fair
child sought to summon the strength
to do the thing which was before him
All the soddenness of the old days
had come back to him, ghosts which
would not be driven away; memories
of a time when he was the grabbing
though willing slave of a victim OF
fear-of a man whose life had been
wrecked through terror of the day
when intruders would break their way
through the debris, and when the dis
covery would be made. And IL had
remained for Robert Fairchlld, the
son, to find the hidden secret, for him
to come upon the thing which had
caused the agony of nearly thirty
years of suffering, for him to face the
alternative of again placing that grue-
some find into hiding, or to square his
shoulders before the world and take
the consequences.
There was no time to lose In making
his decision. Beside him stood Harry,
silent, morose Before him-Fair-
child closed his eyes in an attempt to
shut out the sight of 1t. But still 1t
was there, the crumpled heap of tat
tered clothing and human remains,
the awry, heavy shoes still shielding
the feshless bones of the feet. He
turned blindly, his hands cropping be-
fore him.
Harry" he called, Harry Get
me out of here-I-can't stand tip
Wordlessly the big man came to his
side Wordlessly they made the trip
back to the hole in the cavern and
then followed the trail of new-laid
track to the shaft. Up-up-the trip
seemed endless as they jerked and
pulled on the weighted rope, that
their shaft bucket might travel to the
surface. Then, at the mouth of the
tunnel, Robert Fairchild stood for
long time staring out over the soft
hills and the radiance of the snowy
range, far away. 1t gave him a new
strength, a new determination. His
eyes frightened with resolution. Then
he turned to the faithful Harry, wait
ing in the background.
There's no use trying to evade any
thing, Harry. We've got to face the
music. VIII you go with me to notify
the coroner-or would you rather stay
here?"
"Ill CO."
Silently they trudged into town and
to the little undertaking shop which
also served as the office of the coro-
ner. They made their report, then ac-
companied the officer, together with
the sheriff, back to the mine and into
the drift There once more they
clambered through the hole in the
cavern and on toward the beginning
of the stope And there they pointed
out their discovery.
A wait for the remainder of that
day--a day that seemed ages long, a
day in which Robert Fairchild found
himself facing the editor Of the Bugle,
and telling his story, Harry beside
him. But he told only what he had
found, nothing Of the past, nothing of
the white-haired man who had waited
by the window, cringing at the slight
est sound on the old, vine-clad veran-
da, nothing of the letter which he had
found in the dusty safe. Nothing was
asked regarding that; nothing could
be gained by telling 1t. In the heart /
of Robert Fairchild was the convic-
ton that somehow, some way, his IA
Their was innocent, and in his brain
was a determination to fight for that
innocence as long as 1t was humanity /
possible. But gossip told what he did .
not.
There were those who remem-
bered the departure Of Thornton Fair
child from Ohadi. There were others
who recollected perfectly that in the
center of the rig was man, appar-
emily "Sissie" Larsen. And they asked
questions. They cOrnered Harry, they
shot their queries at him one after
another. But Harry was adamant
81 amt got anything to sye And
here's an end to itP'
Late that night, as they were en-
gaged at their usual occupation Of re-
ating the varied happenings of the
lay to Mother Howard, there came
mock at the door. Instinctiyely, Fair
,hild bent toward her:
Your names out of this-as long
Is possible"
She smiled in her mothering, know
ng way. Then she opened the door,
here to find a deputy from the
herifrs Office.
They've impaneled Jury up at the
he announced. 'The
oroner wants Mr.. Fairchild and Mr..
Iarkins TO come I'D there and tell