The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-01-03


could"
mo, It does not" Mrs. Kicker said.
"Gaby knew that she had reason to
fear an enemy. She probably found
that out from the code letter. She
may never have suspected that the
enemy was her own sister,"
81 wish ! knew" Sam said, giving
Mrs Kicker long look. "what you
are getting at, Mrs. Kicker. I'd give
that" Sam dangled out his right hand.
ito know what any one of you was
getting at think Danny would
have to he pretty hard put to 1t, be
fore she'd invent that story about
my pipe ashes See here, Gid any
one else think they saw my pipe
ashes around there?"
imagined could feel Hubert
Hands eyes boring into me My face
burned raised my eyes. Sam was
staring straight at me
MARY" be said. you found the
body. Did you see pipe ashes there.
them"
My only excuse Is. that II takes
longer than minute or two minutes
TO betray person who has been your
best friend for twenty-five years
said. mo"
81 am going TO ask you TO swear
to that. Somebody get the Bible"
Nobody moved
"YOu haven't made any OF the 9th
ers swear to anything" | said
IL haven't caught any of the others
in what was sure was direct and
deliberate iie."
felt weaker than filtered water
It is one thing to fell lie. offhand
into the free air. haven't much use
for a person who can't do that. when
absolutely necessary. II is another
thing to put your hand on the Good
Book and swear to lie. knew
that could not DO II
Martha" Sam said, run and get
the Bible for dad"
Martha seemed to be sound asleep
| did not notice anything queer about
her appearance. Mrs Kicker must
have noticed something queer. She
jumped to her feet and dashed across
the room to where Martha was lying
A Shrek went piercing through the
house, splintering the air into quiv
ering bits of agony.
Every one has awakened from
sleep, cold with the sweating terror
of some hideOus nightmare. but with
only the vaguest impressions OF its
detail. So II Is with me. and that
nightmare hour. I can not recon.
struct it. It remains, yet. IN my mind
as nothing but horror Of confu-
siOns.
Some OF Us made desperate at
tempts with restoratives.
remembI Sans crying, with his
face uncovered. like 8 child. can
hear him saying thar he had given
her sleeping powder. had forced
1t upon her can hear. plainest of
all, Mrs. Ricker's voice, with all the
pent up passions of years breaking
forth in torrents of heartbreak
"My baby. My baby girl My darl-
ing. Mothers life. Mothers heart
Speak to mother. My lamb. My
baby"
Her voice again. but cruel now,
as she shrieks at Hubert Hand
"Stand there, you beast Stand there,
dry eyed and look at your dead
daughter. The child you deserted
The child you ignored"
remember the feeling of the fresh
air es walked beside Sam. who was
carrying Martha, out of the house.
| think thai II was John who ex.
planned to me that the doctor, who
had left TelkO. was going TO meet
US on the road In order to save
time. remember Mrs. Ricker's
scream when-futile. unnecessary hOr
rOr-Sam stumbled with his burden
as he went to step into the Sc
dan
The doctor, who was younger and
more cruel than even doctor has a
right to he. said that Martha had died
from stOppage of the heart, IN.
doubtedly induced by the strong drug
In the sleeping powder thar had been
administered In other words. Sam
had killed her. He loved her How
deeply he had loved her. none of us
had ever had sense enough TO realize.
We had her funeral. and Chad's.
two days later All the people in
the valley came. At first. Thought
that they had come TO honor the dead.
and Sam But, as | stood by the
graves. and watched the faces about
me. faces that held suspicion. horror
curiosity: sly faces. cruel faces.
eager faces. | did not care TO think
why most of them mad come.
There were only four Of rs around
the table that evening Mrs Kicker
had gone straight to her room. after
the funeral Danny, with no protest
from Sam. had left the day before
to take Gaby's body to San Francisco
"You people," Hubert Hand spoke
suddenly. re- John and Sam and me.
"have been awfulIy decent about NOT
asking questions since the othe. after.
noon"
"Never mind that, now, Hand" Sam
answered "I've known, since the
first week you came to the ranch.
that there was. or had been. some
thing between you two. You'd been
her lover, suppose. Well-meD do.
That's ALL | reckon you deserted
her, EN-? And treated her like hi.
generally And she found refuge
here. And. later. probably, beard
that you were In trouble, and sent
you q letter and told you to come
here. Put you wise about the chess
rackaf Rolnod CON Made a refuge