The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-05-13


"Why didn't you bring her there
yourself?" demanded Selwood.
"She wouldn't leave without her
father" protested Carpy, defending
himself, '.and the dashed old mule
wouldn't budge-I couldn't take her
from him-she wouldn't CO."
$50 you left her therel"
what else could l DOR
KNOCK him on the head and drag
her here, yourself" said Selwood saw
agely. He made no effort to restrain
himself, and his words fell like whip
lashes. you knew her danger" he
Numbered; "she didn't SO you left
her there," exclaimed the g;lmbler.
sardonic in his wrath. ga fine mess
you've made of it!'
John" protested Carpy, "FH go
over there this minute with you, my
self"
'Stay where you are What was
the number of her room?'
Twelve, at the top of the front
stairs. John. l don't want you TO
go off mad this way. 1 did what l
could tell you she wouldn't leave
her father"
Selwood paused only TO make a
brief amend for his outbreak and to
promise TO return; he told Carpy he
was going to look for Christie at the
hotel-though in his heart he had no
hope of finding her there.
On table close at hand, where the
doctor had set his instrument-case
and dressings. stood lighted pocket
lantern. Selwood, picking it up.
closed the slide, put it out, and
slipped it into his coat pocket.
''Hey!" exclaimed Carpy, don't
take that 7"
Il may need IT." said Selwood.
Walking toward the door with Sell
wood, Carpy pointed to one of the
wounded men on the floor near where
they were passing. He lay on his
back, with his eyes closed, and his
stertorous breathing was noticeable.
There's the old general" he said,
shit pretty bad, too; want to speak
to him?"
"No," blurted out Selwood
"He may die" observed Carpy crit
ically.
Selwood was brutally resentful.
'He won't need me to help him." was
all he said. And f1inging open the
back door, he took one look out into
| the hall, slammed the door behind
him, and slipped out into the night
On the town side of the station he
could hear sporadic firing, answered
at intervals by the fringe of guards
defending the railroad building. He
met no opposition on the way to the
hotel. 1t was far enough out of the
line of fighting TO have been over
looked. He secuted about the build
ing for minute, and entered through
side door which he found unlocked,
opening into the dining-room. With
out risking light, he felt his way
across to the hall, picking up wood
bottomed chair as he did so, and
pausing at intervals to listen for
sound. He could hear nothing any
where, and walking up the front stairs
without much attempt to avoid the
inevitable creaking OF tbs treads,
he felt along the VIII for the
door of room number twelve. Lay
ing his hand after a moment on
the knob, he tried ii. The door was
unlocked. Without opening it, he
knocked softly There was no re-
Spouse. He listened intently for
sounds of breathing. but could hear
none. He then set the chair In front
of the closed door, lifted from his
coat pocket the dark lantern, lighted
it, set it facing the door on the chair,
pulled back the slide of the bull's-eye,
drew his revolver, and. standing to
one side, threw the door quickly open !;
, If a shot were to come from within,
the lantern should draw 1t.
But no shot was hurled at him, no
response Of any sort was made to
the rude intrusion; the silence was
almost ghostly. Selwood picked the
lantern up from the chair, threw it's
light rays from side to side of the
room, and, crossing the threshold
with undated caution, looked about
! him.
The bed had not been disturbed.
Selwood lighted a lamp. One of
Christie's familiar straw hats lay on
the bureau. Beside it he saw a pair
Of gloves that he took up in his hand,
| felt of, and looked at. The simple
toilet articles of frontier girl, the
brush and comb and lesser feminine
accessories, together with a black
leather belt and a handkerchief, lay
at hand.
Everything gave mute evidence that
the defenseless owner had been spir-
tied away. or had fed without a
moments warning.
To find himself standing thus sur
rounded by her most intimate be-
longings - belongings so familiar,
some of them, to his observant eyes
that in looking at them he was
stirred to a frenzy at the thought of
danger coming TO her-was too much.
Without allowing himself to linger
SnCClACSS ScClleQ
still to exhale from her former pres
ence, Selwood jerked the Counterpart
from under the frightened cat, and
dumped into 1t, man-fashion, Christie's
belongings. He then emptied the bu-
reau drawers, caught up and tied the
counter pane corners into a sling,
and. catching the bundle up on one
arm, FASTENED down the stairs and
rejoined his men at the barn.