The Ely miner., 1929-11-29
CHAPTER vi
Murder and Suicide

piano. and the three of them went to
the barns together.
went into the kitchen to get sup
per. Danny, in spite OF her headache.
insisted upon helping me-
At six O'Clock. though neither John
nor Gaby had returned. we sat down
to supper. Danny was too nervous to
touch a bit of food. She kept looking
out of the windows, and at her watch.
and out of the windows again.
Don't worry, Danny" Sam said.
John has had tire trouble. on &C.
count of the heat They'll come riding
up the road any IRic.ss.S aoV."
"They?" she questioned.
"Gaby logged up and went down the
road to meet John, didn't she?"
"No," Danny's voice curled into
wall. "No, Uncle Sam, she didn't.
Martha saw her going to the cabin
Didn't you, Martha?"
Martha" Mrs. Kicker astonished
Us all by saying. doesn't know where
Gaby went. She knows only where
Gaby told her she was going"
"But why should Gaby tell her a
lib about it?" Danny asked.
"And why" | questioned, SHOULD
Gaby go around the house to get to
the road, instead Of going right out
the front way?"
Again Mrs. Rucker shocked us by
speaking. "She would not go out the
front way, If she wanted to keep her
trip to the road secret"
"Mrs. Kicker" Danny's voice trem.
bled, "What are you limiting? What is
It that you know?"
81 know" said Mrs. Kicker, that
there Is not a man living who is not
as false as sin"
Sam growIed, Come down to facts,
Mrs. Kicker. If you have any,"
81 have no facts" she said, except,
that right after dinner today John
and Gaby had a private conversation.
and he decided, very suddenly, to go
for the mail"
At that minute we heard a sound
for sore ears-the car coming up the
driveway. Danny jumped up and ran
to look out Of the living room win
dow. HE has gone all the way
around to the Kitchen" she said.
when she came back.
She ran into the kitchen. She and
John came to the door of the buffers
pantry. John was gray with dust His
brows were knitted, as they are when
ever be is troubled about anything.
"He hasn't seen Gaby," Danny an
nounced. with an exultation that
showed plainly what she had been
most anxious about He brought up
the rock salt That's why he drove
to the kitchen. Come and see, Mary"
"Pd rather see you two come and
eat your suppers," said.
"Good night" John answered. tive
got to go and get rid Of a few tons
Of dirt before I can come to the
table"
"No," Danny insisted "Never mind
the dirt, dear. Supper is all cold now.
Please come and eat"
John patted her on the shoulder,
and smiled at her, and, manlike, did
as he pleased. he went through the
kitchen and upstairs the back way.
Danny called after him, asking him
to hurry. He didn't.
When he finally did come. all
sIicked up, and bathed and shaved, he
said II was too hot to eat, and would
have nothing but some ice cream.
Sam asked him what had kept him
so long, on the trip. John said tire
trouble; and that he had met Leo
Saule, two miles this side Of Rattatl,
with his fivver broken down. John
had stopped to help him, and, at last,
had been forced to tow him the six
miles north to his place.
John has a way, when he Is wor-
ried. of shutting and opening his eyes,
and of tossing his head back and to
the side with a quick little jerk, as If
he were trying to get shed OF some
thing that was in it Ali the while he
was eating and talking. be kept doing
this. | asked him whether his head
ached.
NO" he said. But l think I'm sort
of locc from being out in the sun"
aGaby kept you waiting quite a
while?" Hubert Hand stated and
asked.
what do you meanT' John ques-
toned.
waited for her Gown the road,
didn't you, and took her to Rattail
in time to catch the train for Reno,
or 'Frisco?"
thought John would fly into
temper. He has a handy temper. But
be only looked around ar all Of Us,
with a bewildered expression, and,
''Say, are you fellows trying to put
something over on me. or what?" he
asked.
CTo BE coNTINUED)