The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-09-13

IN eight tons Or rnar stun already
don't guess I'd be taking any risk or
that" he chuCkled. Fairchild reached
for the currency eagerly. All but
hundred dollars Of It would go &c
Mother Howard-for that debt must
be paid of first And, that accom-
plished. denying himself the invitation
OF rest that his bed held forth for him
he started out into town, apparently
to loiter about the streets and receive
the congratulations OF the townspeo-
pie. but in reality to watch for ont
person and one alone-SQuint Ro
dame!
He saw him late In the afternoon
shambling along. his eyes glazing, hi:
lips moving wordlessly, and he toeh
up the trail. But IL led only to the Of
fee Of the Silver Queen Development
company, where the scar-faced mar
doubled at his desk and, stuff1ng G
cigar into his mouth, chewed Oh II
angrily. Instinctively Fairchild knew
that the greatest part of his NEAR
temper was due to the strike in the
Blue Poppy; instinctively also he fell
that SQuint ROdaine had known Of the
value all along that now he was ours
ing himself for the failure Of hi:
schemes to obtain possession Of whai
had appeared until only a day before
to be nothing more than a disappoint
ing. unlucky, ill-omened hole in the
ground Fairchild resumed his loiter
ing, but evening found him near the
Silver Queen office.
Anita's note had told him little We
had implied much. Something wal
fermenting in the seething brain O.
Squint Rodaine, and If the past count
ed for anything, It was something thai
concerned him.
An hour more, then Fairchild sud
denly skunk into the shadows of {
doorway. SQuint had snapped out tbs
light and was locking the door, Fifty
feet, then Fairchild stepped from the
doorway and took up the trail.
1t was not a hard one to follow.
SQuint ROdaine passed the street lead
ing to his house without even looking
up. Two blocks more, and they
IcdCHeu tllS city HILLS.
A mile, and they were in the open
country, crossing and recrossing the
ice-dOtted Clear creek. furlong
more, then Squint Rodaine turned up
the lane which led to a great, sham
bling, old, white building that, in the
rosy days of the mining game, had
been a roadhouse, but which now,
barely furnished in only few of its
rooms, inhabited by mountain rats and
tiuttering bats and general decay for
the most part, formed the uncomfort-
able abode of Crazy Laura!
And Fairchild followed It could
mean only one thing when Rodaine
sought the white-haired, mumbling old
bag whom once he had called his wife.
1t could mean but one outcome, and
that of disaster for some one. Mother
Howard had said that Crazy Laura
would kill for Squint. And now that
SQuint Rodaine was seeking her, Fair.
child meant to follow, and to hear-i1
such thing were within the range OF
human possibility-the evil drippings
of his crooked lips.
He crossed to the side of the road
where ran the inevitable gully and
taking advantage of the shelter, hur
r1ed forward, smiling grimly in the
darkness at the memory of the fact
that things were now reversed; that
he was following Squint Rodaine as
Rodaine once had followed him. Swift
ly he moved. closer-closer; the scar
faced man went through the tumble
down gate and approached the house
not knowing that his pursuer was less
than fifty yards away!
A minute of cautious waiting then
in which Fairchild did not move
Finally light showed in an upstairs
room of the house, and Fairchild
masking his own footprints in those
made by Rodaine, crept to the porch
Swiftly, silently, protected by the paC
Of snow on the sOles of his shoes, he
made the doorway and softly tried the
lock. It gave beneath his pressure
and he glided within the dark hall
way. musty and dusty in its odor, for
bidding, evil and dark. Now Fair
child could hear voices, and in mo
ment more they became louder, as {
door opened.
1T don't make any difference!
amt going to stand for it! VIII!
didn't you wait until they were boil
there|