The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-10-05
aHaFFY Hafkins got drowned.ss I

sHaTFy Hafkins got drowned..r An
too willingly the news was dispersed.
SFairchild's eyes were searching now Id
the half-light from the faint street
bulbs. Then they conferred. It was
Anita Richmond, standing AZ the edge
Of the crowd, questioning q miner,
while beside her was q thin, youthful
counterpart sof hard-faced father.
Maurice Rodaine. Just d moment OF
queries, then the miners hand pointed
to Fairchild as he turned toward her.
IT'S his partner
She moved forward then ana Fair
child went to meet her.
I'm sorry,a she said, and extended
her hand. Fairchiid grippped 1t ca
gerly.f sS#
thank you. But It may not be al
bad as the rumors.n r.
Il hope not" Then quickly she
Withdrew her hand. and somewhat
Mustered. turned as her companion
edged closer. Maurice, this liz Mr..
Fairchild," she announced. and Fair
child could do nothing but stare. She
knew his name y "A second more and
It was explained : my father knew his
father very wen" !. n.y.
Il think my own father was ac-
fquainted too, the reJoinder, and
the eyes Of the two men met for an
Instant IN conflict. The girl did not
seem TO notice. xas z.f il y /
81 sold him 4 ticket this morning to
the dance, not knowing who he was.
Then father happened to see him pass
the house and pointed him ont to me,
as the son Of a former friend OF his,
Funny how those things happen. Isn't
sft?"s "~&+ =*7,r ~
Decidedly funny" was the caustic
rejoinder Of the younger Rodaine.
FairchiId laughed, to cover the air Of
intensity. He knew instinctively that
Anita: Richmond was not talking to
him simply because she had sold him
a ticket to a dance and because her
father might have pointed him out.
He felt sure that there was something
else behind it--the feeling OF a debt
which she owed him. a feeling of COM
partnership e%ngendered upon a sunlit
road. during the moments of stress,
and the continuance of that. meeting
In those few moments In the drug
store, when he had handed her back
her ten-dollar bill. She had called
herself a cad then. and the feeling
that she perhaps had been abrupt
toward a man who had helped her out
Of a d~isagreeable p~redicament was
prompting her action now ; Fairchild
felt sure Of that. And he was glad OF
the fact, very glad. Again, he laughed,
while Rodaine eyed him narrowly.
FairchiId shrugged his shoulders.
"T'm not going to believe this story
until it's proven to me-" came calmly.
"Who brought the news?" -
Fa,rchild deliberately chose his
words. Y -. s.
"A tall, thin, ugly old man, with
mean squint eyes and q scar straight
up his forehead" ~ w.
A flush appeared on the other mans
fac>. Fairchfld saw his hands con-
TRAY then loosen. X
You're trying to insult my father"
"Your fatherT Fairchild looked at
him blankly. wouldn't that be a
rather difficult job-especially when I
don't know him?"' =
"You described him."
"And you recognized the descrip-
tion." = w %a -#.*@
Maurice Stop itR' i The girl, was
Juggling at Rodaine's sleeve. Don't
say ANYTHING more. I'm sorry and
she looked at Fairchild with a glance
he could not interpret-"that anything
like this could have come up"
Il am equally Soft It has caused
you embarrassment" " -" '
you'll get a little embarrassment
out Of 1t yourself-before you get