The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-08-22

II think" he said, ''just now II
doesn't matter whole lot who loves
who. or who doesn't"
There was a touch Of hysteria In her
voice as she answered him. mo, not
| to you'll think you don't care any.
thing about anybody in the world"
God help the man who does" he
said. "As for taking that horse and
making a run of it, Pm sorry not to
| do something that you ask. But
can't imagine anything on the face OF
the earth that would make me do that
now"
"Then," she said quickly, "Ill tell
you why you must. My father-my
father" 1t seemed for a moment as
| if she were unable to go on. But she
pulled herself together and spoke even
ly, her words distinct and quick. 'You
know by this time why Bob Elliot is
swapping the Bar Hook range. You
have eyes that see things-I don't
think anyone can hide from you what
| a thing means. You can't make me
think that you don't know why Elliot
has no fear of Campo, nor the Bar
Hook"
NO." he said slowly, 81 wouldn't
pretend that l can't see that"
Her words tumbled out of her inco-
herently. 'It's because Bob Elliot was
close to the Bar Hook when Mason
was killed. Poor Lee Bishop knew
that-though 1 don't think he knew
that he knew it. L"
Kentucky Jones said, Bishop told
me that he knew"
"And now," said Jean, "now I've got
to tell you that I've known this all
along-almost from the first. And L"
| You're sure you want to tell me
this, Jean?"
II have to tell you-you make me
tell you"
That was strange meeting, there
on the trail in all that dazzle of sun
whipped snow, while all the sharp, sad
| hidden things that this girl had never
| meant to tell living soul came trem.
bling out of her in panicky disorder
Perhaps he should have wept or gath
cred her in his arms; but he could
not.
"All right" he said. "What, exactly,
| is Bob Elliot holding over your IA
| ther?"
Somehow he's guessed the truth :
that-whoever killed Mason killed him
with my fathers rifle. I knew that
when 1 put the bullet into your hand
at the inquest; I've known for days
that you must know that, too, though
you said nothing to me-"
"Yes," he admitted, II figured out
that
"And Bob Elliot knows tim GER
tain he knows it. Though 1 swear /
| don't know how he is so sure"
But you yourself are sure that it is
true-that the murderer used your IA
| theirs rifle?"
"The-the-yes; I'm virtually certain
Of that. And my father knows it.
| He-"
Have you talked this over with
him."
"No-how could L? It's changed him
so 1 hardly know him. He used to
have a terrible fighting temper-but
where is it now? He doesn't dare come
to showdown with Elliot; he's afraid
of the effect the shock would have on
my mother"
"And on YOU"
"On my MOTHER" she repeated. she
doesn't dare face it out because of
| her. But just as he won't fight Elliot
| because of that-sOmething in his
makeup keeps him from protecting
himself, too. Nothing would bring him
| to hide evidence-though that evidence
| might turn against him, as well as
against the true murderer. He must
| have known"
| "Then," said Kentucky, ''his alibi-
| about being somewhere else at the time
/ Mason was killed-is not so good as
some people have been led to supposeT'
HE hasn't any testimony in support
| Of it but mine. They'll discount that
| because I'm his daughter; even-even
if they don't break my testimony in
some other way"
He did not stop to tell her that he
| knew by this that her support of Cam
| pos alibi had been perjury. Instead he
asked her, How many people know
| that Campo-your father set out to
kill Bob Elliot the day Mason was
killed."
She cried out with shudder in her
1
Bob Elliot told me that" he said
! shortly.
Jean Ragland looked dizzy, and sick
"Then who can tell how many people
Bob Elliot has told?"
Kentucky Jones stripped off his
gloves and made himself a cigarette.
And how many people, Kentucky
said slowly, do you think can tell a
| living man from a ghost?"
Her voice quavered irregularly, no
longer fully under her control. "What
| do you mean?"
There used to be picture hanging
| in the Bar Hook ranch house." Ken.
lucky said "A picture in a dark wood
| frame. That picture was stolen be.
cause somebody thought it had some
thing to do with the Mason case When
you saw that picture was stolen, you
were panic stricken, and hid the emp
ty frame from your father. Now Tn
| going to tell you what that picture
was"
/ You can't-you never saw"
| at was picture Of a man on q
horse. When you first looked at that
picture 1t seemed to be an enlarged
snapshot of Bob Elliot. Only-wher
| vOu 1O0Eod o1oco xryos 49, U,rys.4