The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-01-22

It going, sometimes another. In the
two years already passed OF his term
Of Office 1t had been matter of deep
annoyance to him that he had not been
able TO put his hands on the mysteri-
Gus rustlers who from time to time got
away with stock up and down Name
less river.
This unseen. baleful agency was baf-
fling as smoke.
1t struck here-and herewith a
decisive clean stroke like the head of
killing hawk, and there was nothing
to show the how and wherefore. Cat
tie disappeared from the range with a
They left no trace, nothing. 1t seemed
ridiculous that ninety head of steers
could be driven out of the country
leaving no trail, but such had been the
case.
Selwood himself, with a picked
posse, had trailed them into the river,
and there they must have taken to
themselves wings, for they had appar-
emily never come out. To be sure Kate
Cathrew was driving out her fall beef
at the time. and the trampling band
had crossed the river bit below where
the ninety head had entered the
stream. That trampled crossing was
the only spot for miles each way
where cattle-brute could have left
| the water, for Selwood searched every
foot with eagle eyes. The coincidence
of time stayed with the sheriff logged
| ly, even though the Cathrew cattle,
honestly branded. went boldly through
Cordova and down the Strip, as the
narrow valley beside Nameless was
called, and thence out to the railroad.
three long days drive away.
And the smaller thefts-old man
Conlon's bunch and those of Jermyn--
all lifted light as feather These had
left not even a hoofmark. 1t was
smooth stuff-and 1t CALLED the sheriff,
was a secret source of humiliation. He
had heard good many remarks about
his own inaction, though nearly all of
the ranchers In the country were his
friends.
But deep inside himself he laid a
spiritual finger on the handsome,
frowning-eyed woman at Sky Line and
heldit there.
Sooner or later, he told himself, as
he had told McKane. the steady rays
of his searching glass would reveal In
her the thing he knew was there.
This was not logic, it was instinct
poor thing for sheriff to base his
actions on, apparently, but Price Sci
wood based his thereon in unwavering
confidence.
And if he could have looked into the
living room at Sky Line that day he
would have jotted in his mental note
book as correct, one premise-for the
mistress sat again at her dark wood
desk and read a letter, and her face
was we'll worth watching.
The letter bore a New York post
mark, and its terms were sharp and
decisive. almost legal, leaving no doubt
of their meaning.
Thus they carried TO her conscious
ness a clear presentment of satisfac
ton concerning the last shipment OF
cattle, and just as clear an avowal OF
affection.
Kate Cathrew's sharp face was suf
fused with light not meant for any
eyes at Sky Line as she read and re
read the sheets in her hands.
At their concluding words-"and sc
think shall be with you at the usual
time'-her lips parted over her teeth
in a slow smile which was the visible
embodiment of passion, while her darB
eyes became for moment slumbrous
with the same surging force.
There was man this woman loved
if ever face spoke truth. and he was
the writer of the letter.
Though the scattered denizens of the
outside world Of Nameless knew moth
ing of this, it was covertly known al
Sky Line.
Every one of the hard-eyed band Of
. riders knew it, with varying feelings
Minnie Pine knew it and old Josefa
Big Basford knew 1t and his red
trimmed eyes glowed with the light OF
murder when he watched Kate sit OF
the veranda with Lawrence Arnold IL
the long summer days while the ligh
drowsed down from the high blue vaul
and Rainbow cliff sent down its pris
I matte colors shining afar over tn,
slopes of Mystery. There was lool
in the woman's dusky eyes that wa
a plain as print-the hot. unsmiling, In
fiammable look Of untempered passion
Now she folded the letter, slipped /
back in its envelope and put it away il
8 a drawer of the desk which she LOCKED
! securely with key on ring that sh,
: took from a pocket in her neat outin,
q skirt. The act was Indicative of Kat,
Cathrew's mode of life in her high do
( main. All things were ordered, file,
j and locked, so to speak, and she alon
was the master.
e A little later she went out on tn,
t broad veranda and sat down In thu
|, deep willow chair which rocked there
; stirred Enthusiastically by the stiff breez
r which swept in across the great blu
g gulf of space between the peaks. He
1 eyes dropped down and down tn
wooded slopes of Mystery slanting be
e meath her to the long green fats Oh
Nameless. the equally long brow
e spaces of Nance Allison's titled field
Sight of that field was barb In he
8 consciousness. 1t never failed to sti
: her to slow and resurgent anger. /
r was an affront to her arrogant autoc
s racy, challenge and taunt.
t She VINO hewed to her mark wit
~ ess3se