The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-11-14
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W. ~. ~. Service


picked it up. He reached out his
left hand and tried the broken point
with his thumb.
my Godl" he said at last.
Exactly" I answered.
Color quickened his tanned face.
He looked from me to the weapon
and back again.
"It's-it's-why-" he babbled and
then burst out: Good Lord, Nal
lory, might have killed you"
admired his acting-if acting it
were-and was ashamed of myself
for even questioning its fraudulence.
I said:
That was my impression, too"
"You thought" he CROPPED, "you
thought that I would never looked.
The button must have snapped-it
must be about. Ali"
He bent down on his side Of the
table and rose with the little blob Of
waxed thread in his hand. It wab-
bled on his trembling palm.
''It snapped off," he said IN a
hushed voice. "It must have when
I tried the steel"
The memory of the weapon, flung
ceilingward by its own residence,
shook my belief Lyon rocked it
further now by asking IN mixed IN
dignation and reproach:
''Why didn't you tell me, man?
Am I not in enough trouble without
-that?"
He swore profciently.
I asked:
"Are you deaf, by any chance?
Or maybe it's just bad memory.
did tell you. Perhaps I should
have stopped to write"
Lyon looked at me a long min
ute. His question was simple and
dazing as punch in the Jaw
Didn't you know that I was deaf?"
pulled myself together and
jeered:
Congratulations on a fast recov-
cry"
He shook his head.
MY boy, I can read lips, but I'm
quite deaf"
liz ol4144C N0441S1lCu IL O1l1 Ills 1G0l1
face and dim horror succeeded it.
''I heard you CALL" he said. His
voice shook a little. "I couldn't tell
what you were saying. Your face
was masked. I thought" He broke
off savagely and shrugged.
What in he'll" he stormed, 'do
you care what I think? Or for my
apology? Or for the fact that III
never touch sword again? You
thought, you had every right to think
But why, Mallory, In heaven S
name, should I want to kill your"
I didn't know whether he were
honest or not. I knew that I could
serve myself best by letting him
think I believed him so.
That question" told him, "also
occurred to me-"
He drew himself together with a
shudder.
Well" he said and gave a crook
ed smile, you've given me some
thing else to think about, anyway.
If the police had found a second
body-I wish there were something
could do or say or offer as apology
for"
Let it go at that" I broke in.
picked up my hat and coat and left.
He made no movement to follow me.
I had bare hour to change and
return to the Paget apartment when
reached my lodging house. I gal
Hoped up the stair, thrust open the
door and paused, staring.
Hi, accomplice," said Jerry
Cochrane, 81 began to think you d
moved again."
He sat beneath the lighted wall
bracket and gave bland smile.
was not too hospitable.
Whatever" I told him, sis on
your mind will have to be unloaded
while shave and dress. I've got
date"
''Oh-ho," crooned Cochrane, and
looked at me with fake mildness.
Something more important than
your duty to your paper, for which
every reporter worthy of the name
would give his Life blood?"
SIN round numbers, about thou
sand times as inportant-to me-"
/ told him where I was going
while I stripped off coat, vest and
shirt. He said mildly:
For country lad, you aim high,
Mister"
/ let that pass.
Cochrane droned:
''Tve found out something"
$50 WHAT" I wasn't encouraging.
He blinked and beamed.
"You remember the guy told you
about, who went gold hunting with
Lyon Ferriter, and never came
back?"
The question stopped me as I
turned toward the bureau for my
shaving kit. I nodded.
"Horstman, wasn't it,"
''The same" Cochrane droned.
'This Everett Ferriter, the broth
er, does he look like Heinie?"
''Is this" I asked, rasped by the
knowledge that he hid something,
"a game of twenty questions? II
so, let's postpone it. Look like a
Heinie? OF course he doesn't. He's
got a phony Oxford accent, a little
waxed nlustache, a family mauve
manner and letch for cologne. He
wears funny expression, half hau-
teur, half imminent sneeze. He's
no German"
ms