The Ely miner., 1927-06-03
CHAPTER XV-Continued

Selwood more mot a whole lot" he
confessed with abating interest. "How
much do you wantf"
1.-Two thousand dollars"
Selwood took 1t for a joke. "Well,
I'm broke just at present; but If it's
coming TO you, you'll get 1t. What do
you want with two thousand dollars"
1--WE got man down below the
barn you been wanting to see."
who's the man / mant to see"
asked Selwood, with only moderate
interest.
''The old padre"
Carpy was slowing his instruments
away in his bag. He looked up with
nm exclamation of astonishment. Sell
wood regarded Scott searchingly.
You mean the old padre l wanted
to seer" Scott nodded.
Selwood, who had taken a chair,
rose to his feet, and with one hand
picked up his coat to throw over his
shoulders. Scott helped him. "Where
in thunder did the old padre turn
up?" asked Carpy.
basas trail about an hour ago, when
he was bringing in Dave. He had
couple Of Gunlocks with him." Scott
so designated the Indians from Gun
lock reservation. "McAlpin told me
he met a black-robe and that he was
on his way up here and going to
camp along the river. So rode down
there and talked with his guides.
They told me they had very old
black robe along. So talked to
him. They're heading for the Black
feet country. I saw the big fire in the
sky he told me, and / said to my
men the new town is burning; many
people are in distress. We will go
there before we start up the river!
81 held my lantern into his face"
continued Scott. "He is the same man
whose picture you had in your room
up at the hall. And told him there
was a white man here wanted to see
him. And to go to the horse barn If
it wasn't burned. But he said he
would camp down by the river. He's
there"
If there was surprise for Carpy
in the recital there was a greater one
awaiting him in Selwood's reception
of it. For a moment Selwood did not
speak. When he did, Carpy stood
openyeyed. "Well-" said Selwood
deliberately. eff you've got the man,
the money is coming to you-when
can dig 1t up. But don't hold him on
my account-I don't care about see
ing him."
Carpy was we'll nigh speechless
with amazement. "What!' he ex-
claimed, recovering his breath.
Don't care about seeing himY
Mani" he cried. Don't want to see
the man-if it is the man-that's got
your whole story? Have you lost your
senses?"
Selwood, standing unmoved, parried
the attack with stubborn Indifference.
He felt that Christie had cast him off
What did a name, good or bad, mean
TO him now? But he would say not
one word, and Doctor Carpy, unable
TO stir him with eloquent reproach,
in the end lost his own temper. Here
after all these years." he protested,
''that blamed old martinez Roper has
been running over you, and you get
a chance to nail him, by Jing, you
won't take the trouble to do it!
"All right I'll do 1t myself" the
doctor exclaimed. "I won't let that
old buck run over me any longer
pnh onptinuad tha ipoopSaa cprooon
pointing his finger at Scott, "hold on
to your black-robe and his redskins.
If we can't find anything else for
breakfast, bring 'em up here for cup
O. coffee, anyway" And with Selwood
staring at the wall, and the half
breed grinning perplexed, Carpy
flung out of the room.
In the gloom of the hall, Carpy,
Still exasperated by Selwood's OBJ
stinacy and talking resentfully to
himself, almost ran into Christie. a
pathetic figure, he thought, waiting
for chance to speak to somebody.
AS he stopped with an apology, she
seemed encouraged, for she stepped
close to him. Doctor she ex-
claimed, In a frightened whisper, "is
Mr.. Selwood terribly hurt?"
Carpy laughed as he looked into
her appealing eyes-one of those re-
assuring laughs that would bring life
and hope to dying man. Christie"
he mcrmured, there's more the mat
ter with that fellow than just Star
bucks slashing. 1 think" continued
the doctor, eyeing her with slgnif-
icant expression, ''that If you'd talk
you could tell-better than anybody
else-.what's a-matter with him.
Christie, you're a fine girl, good
enough for the best, or l wouldn't
talk TO you so plain. But you're In
love with John Selwood and he's Ia
love with you. There, there! I didn't
mean to make you cry, child"
She looked up. "What can I do,
Doctor?" she pleaded. 81 thought
the world of him-why shouldn't
confess it TO you? You wouldn't be.
tray me. l do yet. Now he has saved
my life-and more than my life. But
how do you think 1 felt when was
told by that vile man-and by him
that he was a gambler?"
The doctor looked perplexed. ST
knowed it, Christie I knowed that
was what made the trouble tween
you," he said II couldn't blame YOU
so mach, neither" he added regret
fully, "even if Tn nothing but poor
drunken doctor myself"
ch hot