The Meeker herald., 1923-01-13
oepyrssAs by Little. 1rova = O..

not filed. The immortal thing left
me. knew 1t would. Roady had come
and told me to dig grave and put
1t In there. did. We nied II with
quicklime. Then we went upstairs
and 1t was gone. do not understand
1t. II Roady wanted me to kill him.
why didn't he say so7 will kill II
Roady will be good to me. I've killed
before for him."
"StiIl referring to somebody she's
killed." cut in Anita. II wonder II
1t could be possible"
'l've just thought Of the datel"
Harry broke In excitedly. ut was along
about June Z. 1892. I'm sure 1t was
around there"
The old books were mulled over.
one after the other. At last Bardwell
leaned forward and pointed to q GER
tain page.
Here's an item under May %. 1t
says: .Roajy has been At me again
He wants me lo nx things 70 that the
three men In the Blue Poppy mine
will get caught In there by cave-in.'"
The sheriff looked up. This seems
to read little better than the other
stuff. It's not 20 Jagged. Don't guess
she was as much of her nut then as
she 10 now. Let's zee. Where's the
place7 Oh. yes: II III help him. ]
can have half. and we'll live together
again, and he'll be good to me and
can have the boy. know what its
all about. He wants to get the mine
without Sissie Larsen having anything
to do with 1t. Sissie has cemepted up
the hole he drilled Into the pay ore
and hasn't told Fairchild about H. be-
cause he thinks Roady will 60 partner
ships with him and help him buy In.
But Roady won't do 1t. He wants
that extra money for me. he told me
30. Roady ID good to me sometimes.
But that's when he wants mo to do
something. II he'll keep his promise
I'll nx the mine 90 they won't get
OUT"
"The poor old SOUL" there was ach-
ing sympathy in Anita Richmond's
voice. Ill can't help 1t IL she was
willing to kill people. The poor old
thing was crazy"
''Yes. and she's 'ad Us bloody near
craxy too. Maybe there's another
entry"
"rm coming to II. It's along In
June. The dates blurred. Listen:
I did what Roady wanted me to. I
sneaked into the mine and planted
dynamite IN the timbefs. wanted to-
wait until the third man was there.
but I couldn't. Fairchild and Larsen
were fuasing. Fairchild had learned
about the hole and wanted to know
what Larsen had found. Finally Lar
sen pulled a-gun and shot Fairchild.
He fell, and l knew he was dead.
Then Larsen bent over him. and when
he did ! hit him-on the head with
single Jack hammer. Then set OF
the charge. Nobody ever will know
how It happened unless they md the
bullet or the gun. l don't care II they
do. Ready wanted me to do IT,"
Fairchild started to speak. but the
sheriff stopped him.
"WAit. here's another item:
"I failed. didn't kill either Of
them. They got out someway and
drove out Of town tonight. Roady II
mad at me. He won't come near me.
And I'm 70 lonesome for him!"
"The explanation l" Fairchild al
most shouted II a. he seized the book
and read 1t again. SHERIFF, I've got
to make q confession. Ny father al.
ways thought that he had killed Ia
man. Not that he told me-but could
guess 1t easily enough, from other
things that happened. When he came
to. he found . singie-jack hammer
lying beside him. and Larsen's bosly
across him. Couldn't he naturally be-
lieve that he had killed him while In
a daxe1 He was afraid Of ROdaine-
that Rodaine would get up . lynch
Ing party and string him up. Harry
here and Mrs. Howard helped him out
Of town. And this is the explnna-
tion!'
Bardwell smiled QuIzzlcally.
at looks like there's going to be
lot Of explanations. What time was
1t when you were trapped In that
mine. HarkIns7"
.Along about the FIRST Of Novem-
ber."
The sheriff turned to the page. It
wns there-the story Of Crazy Laura
and her descent into the Blue Poppy
mine, and again the charge Of dyna-
mite which wrecked the tunnel. With