The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-07-29

Bardwell's Office. That parsonage was
nodding in his chair, but removed his
feet from the desk and turned drow-
silly as Fairchild entered. =. .. -
,"Well?' he questioned, whats up?'
my partner has disappeared. I,
want to report to you-and see IL
can get some help" w.. =
'Disappeared? Who" f. -
"Harry Harkins. He's big Cor
nishman, with large mustache, very
red face, about sixty years old, l
should Judge" Y
"Wait a minute" Bardwells eyes
narrowed. "Ain't he the fellow I ar
rested in the Blue Poppy mine the
night Of the Old Times dance7" 1{'T.
EYES," ~ - s?EF':.<
"And you say he's disappeared?
When does his trial come up?'
"A week from tomorrow" :'@'
"And he's disappeared" "A slow
smile came over the other mans lips.
II don't think it will help much to
start any relief expedition for him.
The thing to do is to get picture
and general description and send it
around to the police in the various
parts Of the country! That'll be the
best way to find him - ;, 70, .
Fairchild's teeth gritted, but he
could not escape the force of the ar
gument, from the sherifI's standpoint.
For. a moment there was silence, then
the miner came closer to the desk. j..
Sheriff." said he as calmly as pos
sible, you have perfect right to
give that sort of view. That's your
business-to suspect people. However,
some sort of an accident happened at
the mine this afternoon-a cavern or
an explosion that tore out the roof
Of the tunnel-and I am sure that my
partner is wandering among the hills.
viii you help me to find him?' ~
The sheriff wheeled about in his
chair and studied moment. Then he
rose. ~ ~. Cd, =, - H.
'Guess WILL" he announced. ut
can't do any harm to look for him,
anyway" sss: 49,. p. e.......'ls.'' ,
Half an hour later, aided by two
deputies who had been summoned
from their homes. Fairchild and the
sheriff left for the hills to begin the
search for the missing Harry. Late
the next afternoon, they returned to
town, tired, their horses almost crawl
Ing in their dragging pace after six
teen hours of travel through the
drifts of the hills and gullles. Harry
had not been found, and SO Fairchild
reported when, with dropping shoul-
ders, he returned to the boarding
house and to the waiting Mother How
ard. And both knew that thfs time
Harry's disappearance was no Joke, as
it had been before. They realized
that back Of it all was some sinister
reason, some mystery which they
could not solve-for the present, Mt
least. That night, Fairchild faced the
future and made his resolve.
There was only week now until
Harry's case should come to trial.
Only a week until the failure of the
defendant to appear should throw the
deeds Of the Blue Poppy mine into the
hands Of the court, to be sold for the
amount of the bail. Z And in spite of
the fact that Fairchild now felt his
mine to be q bonanza, unless some
sort Of miracle could happen before
that time, the mine was the same as
lost, True, it would 30 to the highest
bidder at public sale and any money
brought in above the amount Of bail
would he returned to him. But who
would be that bidder? Who would
get the mine-perhaps for twenty or
twenty-five thousand dollars, when it
now was worth millions? Certainly
not he. Unless something should hap.
pen to intervene, unless Harry should
return, or In some way Fairchild
could raise the necessary Ave thou
sand dollars to furnish a cash bond
and again recover the deeds Of the
Blue Poppy, he was no better of than
before the strike was made. Long he
thought. finally to come to his ccnclu-.
stbn. and them Wit Che air of asgam-
bier who has plaeed Msslast bet to
viii or lose. he went to bed. "a
But morning found him awake long
befors interest Of the house. was stir
ring. fheshrst' workersSu the street
that morning sfound Faifchild offering
them,,six dollars a day. And by eight
O'Clock, ten OF them wsfeS at work
In the drift Of the Blue Poppy mine,
working against time that they might
repair the damag' which Ind been
caused by the cAve-in.
That day and the next and the next
after that, they labored. Then Fair
child glanced ct the progress that was
being made and sought out the pseudo
foreman.