Phoenix tribune., 1923-07-14
THE CROsS-CUT
CONTINUED from page p

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
reached the city limits
A mile, and they were in the open
country, crossing and recrossing the
ice-dotted Clear creek. A 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 a few of it's
rooms, inhabited by mountain rats and
1uttering bats and general decay for
the most part, formed the uncomfort-
able abode of Crazy Laura
And Fairchild followed. 1t could
mean only one thing when Rodaine
sought the white-haired, mumbling old
hag 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-,f
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 ard
taking advantage. of the shelter, hur
ried forward, smiling grimly in the
darkness at the memory of the fact
that things were now reversed; that
he was following Squint Rodalne as
Rodaine once had followed him. Swift
ly he moved, closer-closer; the scar
faced man went through the tumble
down gate end approached the house.
not knowing that his pursuer was less
than fifty yards awayl
A minute Of cautious waiting then,
in which Fairchild did not move.
Finally a. light showed in an upstairs
room of the house. and FairchiId,
masking his own footprints in those
AAlelOC ny 1bOuu1ACt ClCPI " llC DOECll
Swiftly, silently, protected by the pad
of snow on the soles of his shoes, he
made the doorway and softly tried the
lock. 1t 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 a mo-
ment more they became louder, as
door opened
1T don't make any differencel
amt going to stand for itl Why
didn't you wait until they were both
there?"
II thought they were, Roady :"
The woman's voice was whining
pleading. "Ain't you going to kiss me?"
''No, amt going to kiss you. You
went and made a mess of things"
You kissed me the night our boy
was born Remember that, Roady?
Don't you remember how you kissed
me then?"
"That was long time ago, and you
were a different woman then. You'd
do what I'd tell you"
"But 1 do now, Roady. Honest,
do. I'll do anything you tell me to-
If you'll just be good to me. Why
don't you hold me In your arms any
more-T'
A scuffiing sound came from above
Fairchild knew that she had made an
effort to clasp him to her, and that he
had thrust her away. The voices
came closer.
You know what you got us into,
don't you? They made strike there
today-same value as in the Silver
Queen. If it hadn't been for you"
But they get out someway-they
always get out" The voice was high
and weird now. They're immortal
That's what they are-they're immor-
tai. They have the gift-they can get
out"
"Boshl Course they get out when
you wait until after they're gone. Why,
one Of 'em was downtown at the as
sayers, so 1 understand, when you
went in there"
But the other-he's immortal. He
got out"
you're crazyI"
"Yes, crazyl" She suddenly shrieked
at the word. "That's what they all
call me-Craxy Laura. But 1 amt
hear mel amt know-they're I'M
mortal, just like the others were i'm,
mortal! can't hold 'em when they've
got the spirit that rises above-rve
tried, amt land I've only got one Z"
"One?" Squint's voice became sud
denly excited "One-what one?"
Pm not going to tell. But know
| knOwp
There was silence then for a mo.
ment, and Fairchild, huddled in the
darkness below, felt the creeping.
crawling chill Of horror pass over him
as he listened. Above were a rogue
and a lunatic, discussing between
them what, at times, seemed to con
cern him and his partner; more, II
seemed to go back to other days, when
other men had worked the Blue Poppy
and ,,1of ,,,fcfor+rrnoc