The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-06-12
BY
Henry Kitchell Webster
Copyright by The Bobbs- Merrill Co.
WNU Service


are too much of fool"
Max closed the door. He was ready
TO say something, but Martin spoke
first.
I've come up here to get Miss
Rhoda White" he said. ut will save
time and argument if you will take me
to her."
you're too late for her." Max an
swered. "She was here but she's gone
away. l saw her out myself. Did you
think that was what l had for you?
Well, it isn't. It's something else.
You'll save yourself the worst of it if
you'll hand over what you and that
other girl stole from me this after
noon. l mean a railroad ticket and
trunk check. Come across now!
Quick"
Martin had a sudden realization of
his folly in coming into Max's pres
ence with the ticket and the receipt
for Rhoda'S trunk upon his person.
There was no misunderstanding what
Max meant to do.
Martin, who was no boxer, and in
deed no physical match on any terms
for his antagonist, tried to slip around
him and get to the door. But Max
was quicker than he was and he met
his rush with a blow on the jaw that
was like the kick of a mule. A crash
ing sound accompanied by brilliant
display of lights was the last thing
Martin was conscious of for several
minutes.
The next thing was stream of cold
air and wetness and a pair of light
hands exploring beneath his unbut-
toned coat. He did not remember
Rhoda's trunk check and ticket, that
Max had said he meant to get, but all
the same he tried to push the hands
away. Even as he did so the fog
lifted enough for him to realize that
they were girls hands and that they
weren't picking his pockets.
The shaky voice that said, "It's all
right Lie STILL" sounded like Rhoda's
and the face he giddily saw bending
over him looked like Rhoda's. 1t
couldn't be, could it? What would she
be doing here? Where was this. any
how? And why was his head drenched
with water? 1t was Rhoda. She was
getting clearer every minute.
ut really is you, isn't it," he said.
She nodded and said, "Don't talk.
Lie STILL"
AS his vision cleared and things got
less swimmy he saw that she'd been
crying, and the shock of that discov-
cry lifted the fog from his memory.
This was the room where he'd encoun-
tered Max Lewis.
whats he been doing to your" he
asked
MAX? Nothing. He didn't know
was here. He thought I'd gone, just
as he told YOU"
"But you must have been here to
have heard him tell me So"
81 was in that room in the dark.
Claire was in here waiting for him,
but she didn't see me when I came in.
1 heard all he and Claire said while
they were quarreling. But they were
both SO angry, each with the other,
that could hardly tell what it was
about"
1t struck him that he ought to know
the framework of their quarrel; prob
ably he would when he'd come to a
little better. He asked, "Why was he
chasing you around the place if he
thought you'd gomez"
"He wasn't" RhOda said. II wasn't
running away from him. I'd had a
long talk with Mr.. Forster. l think /
found out quite lot from him, Mar
tin. Then talked with Max. All he
wanted was to get rid of me, and he
thought he had. And then l heard
my uncle talking to Mr.. Forster and l
simply bolted in panic. 1t was per-
fectly silly, but Pm glad l did or /
wouldn't have been here now
"What happened after Max knocked
me out?" He had already begun ex-
ploring his pockets.
"He took an envelope" she said.
"Out Of that pocket; the first one he
felt in. 1 suppose it must have been
the ticket and trunk check he said
you'd stolen from him. He didn't look
inside. Just crammed it in his pocket
and went out, as quickly as he could"
"HOw long ago was that? 1 mean,
how long was 1 out?"
She turned away from him as she
answered, 81 don't know. 1t seemed
long time to me. Was it something
important that he got away within"
He told her how he'd seen Max car
rying off her trunk and the stratagem
by which Babe had got the trunk check
from him. "The thing for us to do
he decided, sis to get out of here and
beat it to that baggage room. l know
the way to the stairs. That's how l
got in."
But almost as he spoke there came
the clatter of metallic object fall
ing downstairs. Somebody on the other
side Of that door had just had an I'M
foreseen encounter with Martins
waste-paper basket. Then, as they in
voluntarily stopped with held breath,
they heard key driven into the lock.
Right at hand was door, a little
ajar, opening into what was probably
closet. Martin, catching Rhoda up
with one arm as if she'd been pack
age, fairly lifted her inside and shut
the door after them. They heard the
stair door open, they heard steps along
the corridor. But, instead of going
by, the steps paused outside the closet
door.
CHAPTER XII