Old Cap. Collier Library No. 379: The Lawyer Detective — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

10 I’m out here looking into the strange crime at Three Oaks Ranch.” ‘* What crime’s that ?” ‘‘ Haven’t you heard about the murder that was done there?” ‘Not lately. You don't mean the gal, Miss Chester ?” ‘‘- Yes, that’s the one——” ‘‘Good gracious! did you come out here looking for the chap that killed Olive Ches- ter ?” ‘‘That’s my business in Wyoming.” For some minutes the boy sat in a thought- ful attitude. At length he sprung up and walked across the room. Soon he returned to the side of his visitor and placed something in his hand—a small diamond-studded locket. Pressing a spring the cover opened, and as Ragsdale gazed, he uttered a low exclama- tion. —_———- CHAPTER VIII. THE LAWYER STARTLED. , Dip you ever see that face afore?” queried the boy. ' ‘Yes, it is my cousin’s,” answered Rags- dale. ‘©The man?” The man from Denver had scarcely no- ticed that opposite the girl’s face was that of aman, He now glanced keenly at the features. Surely they were not Demming’s. ‘‘The girl is Olive, my unfortunate cous- in,” said Ragsdale, after a moment’s silence. ‘* And the man ?” ‘*T can’t place him.” ‘‘It ain't the man that folks think killed the girl ?”’ ‘* Demming ?”’ “Yes.” ‘¢ Certainly not him.” ‘*T didn’t think it looked much like him,” said the boy, who gave his name as Sid Gid- ley. ‘I’ve heard all about the finding of the body of Miss Chester, and I have felt kind of streaked since, bein’ here all alone, you know. Sometimes, too, I’ve thought that maybe this locket might tell a story that the public ought to know. Don’t you think so, Mr. Ragsdale ?” ‘That thought has just entered my mind,” returned Ragsdale. ‘‘ Where did you get this locket, Sid ?” ‘* Found it.” “Where?” ‘‘ About a mile this side o’ the kunnel’s ranch,” ‘¢ When ?” ‘‘ Nigh a year ago.” ‘© And you have had it all this time ?” ‘‘That’s so, sir; but I didn’t know who owned it, and so I didn’t say anything.” ‘¢You knew’Olive Chester ?” ‘‘T’ve seen her.” ‘‘Then you must have known that this locket belonged to her.” ‘““No, I didn’t. Anyhow, Miss Chester wasn’t at home, and I might as well. keep it till she put in an appearance. Now she’s dead, I s’pose 1t ought to go to her mother.” ‘‘Yes; but at present I wish you would let me have the locket.” ‘¢ Couldn’t do it nohow, sir.” 6s But——” ‘“‘See here, Mr. Ragsdale, I’m no tender- foot, nor you mayn’t be one, Anyhow, I sha’n’t give up the locket to no live man. Ef anybody gets it, ‘twill be Mrs. Tripp, what was Mrs. Chester, or else the feller whose picter’s into 1t.” And then Sid the locket, a loo face. ‘“‘One moment,” urged the lawyer, still hold- ing fast to the prize. ‘‘ As you said a mo- ment ago, this may be the means of unearth- ing the criminal who shot poor Olive. I am at present investigating that crime, and this very locket will, if you let me use it, aid me materially. Of course you are anxious to see the murderer punished ?” ‘* All fine talk, sir,” said Sid; ‘‘ but I ain’t to be bambouzled, if I am considered the blockhead of the Gidley family. I can't, sha’n’t, uor won't give up the locket, that’s ate so just hand it over, and make no more ta x? Kkagsdale could see that the lad was cun; ut out his hand to reclaim of concern on his freckled ning, as well as distrustful of him, and so, with not a little reluctance, he returned the locket to Sid, saying: ‘‘T am sorry you dare not trust me, my boy.” ‘*T don’t know ye.” ‘No, nor I you, but——”’ ‘“See here, how’d I know but what you're the very man that shot the giri?” the boy in- terrupted with a grin. ‘*Of course you do not. I wish there was some way of convincing you of my honesty,” returned the man ‘from Denver, ‘‘ But let that drop for now, and you tell me all you know about Olive Chester, her beau—Evard Demming—and the circumstances connected with her murder.” ‘‘ Wal, I can’t tell you much, I reckon, that you don’t know already, if you’ve been over to the kunnel’s, as you tell me,” returned the boy, thrusting the locket into his pocket, and throwing himself at full length on the floor in front of the stove. ‘‘T’ve seen the two ridin’ out mor’n once, and I thought they was a right smart couple, and we all allowed ’at they’d gone off an’ got married till the poor girl was found t’other day in an old shanty on the Three Oaks ranch. Folks is mad enough now, at Demming, to hang or shoot him on sight, and I reckon, the best thing he kin do is ter keep out o’ this country for a time.” Ragsdale was fully aware of the feeling that was abroad against the young ranch- owner, but he made no comment, waiting patiently for the young plainsman to pro- ceed, ‘‘T allow there’s good reason to think he murdered her. They say he was in an awful hurry to sell out after Miss Chester disap- peared.” ‘‘ He did sell out, it seems, and to good ad- vantage I am told.” ‘*You bet he did. He knew all the time ’at the girl was dead, a-lyin’ buried in the old huntin’ cabin. Oh, I tell you, sir, that man must have a heart in him harder’n Pharo’s to murder that girl.” ‘‘So you believe with the rest that Evard Demming is the assassin ?” “Yes, I do.” ‘* Why do you think so ?” ‘Why shouldn’t I think so, sir ?” Sid looked up asif surprised at the ques- tion. ‘‘ Well, for one thing, it doesn’t seem nat- ural that a man who was in love with a girl would murder her.” ‘“‘That’s jest why I think he did it, Mr. Ragsdale.” ‘Well ?” ‘¢Demming was jealous.” ‘©Of whom?” ‘¢The face of the man in the locket.” Ragsdale started. There was much in this reasoning surely. Who was the man whose picture the girl had worn next her heart? To find him might lead to something tangible. “Sid.” “Well, sir ?” ‘‘Do you know who that man is in the locket ?” ‘* No, sir.” ‘‘ Did you never see him ?” “* Never.” . ‘‘ Isn’t this somewhat strange ?” ‘‘Treckon ’tis, sir, but I can’t help it. I don’t reckon the man in the locket was a sweetheart of Miss Olive a great while. Ef he had been, some on us would have seen him.” ‘‘TIt would seem so,” admitted the lawyer. ‘There's a deep mystery to unravel, and I ec to do all I can to penetrate it. And, id.” ‘‘ Well, sir.” ‘“T want your aid.” a6 I dynno.” 5 ‘You haven’t much on your hands just now, have you ?” ‘Not a blamed sight.” ‘“*Then why can’t you aid me?” ‘* Mebbe I can.” ‘* Do you still fear to trust me 2” ““Some‘at.” ‘You must get over that feeling immedi- ately, else we cannot work together.” ‘Wal, I reckon I’ll trust yer a little,” said Sid, grinning. ‘‘ Far enough to let me take the locket ?” THE LAWYER DETECTIVE. a a ee ——— eee ‘‘No, not so fur as that yer.” ‘‘Very well. We'll come to that after a time. I like your frankness, and believe we can get on together much better than any others in the neighborhood. We must make it a point to find this man whose face we have seen in the locket. Once heis discovered, we may be sure of soon putting our finger on the murderer,” ‘* [dunno,” said the boy, dubiously, scratch- ing his head. ~ “I kind of opine ’at Demming is the man we want, no matter who the feller in the picter may be.” ‘‘Just the same, the man in the locket is an important witness, and we must find him.” ‘‘ Jest as you say, sir.” Then a short silence fell upon the two. length the man from Denver said: ‘Sid, can I stay here to-night ?”’ “Certain.” ‘‘Then I had better put out my horse, I believe the poor animal is tired, since I rode the ten miles rather faster than most people travel, even on the plains.” ‘You'd ought ter thought to put the horse out before,” said the boy, springing to his feet. ‘‘Did yer hitch ’im? Ef yer didn’t mebbe he’s gone afore now.” ; ‘ I hitched the animal to a tree.” said Rags- ale. Sid Gidley did not go out immediately, but stood with his head bent, as if listening. ‘What isit, boy ?” ‘‘Did you hear that ?” ‘‘T heard nothing only the whinny of a horse.” ‘¢ Listen!” Both did go. Only the moan of the wind greeted their ears. The silence, gave for this, was oppressive. Ragsdale now started to hic feet and essayed to cross the floor. At the same moment he raised his eyes and gazed toward the narrow window. Then he paused, rooted to the floor. A face was glued against the glass—the face of the man in the locket! At CHAPTER IX. A STRANGE TRANSACTION, For full a minute the man from Denver stood without voice or motion, glaring at the face glued against the window- pane. The eyes seemed to glow like balls of fire. The whole expression of the countenance was repulsive. It was plainly the face of the man in the locket, yet with a more fierce expression. Suddenly the face disappeared. Quickly the young lawyer sprung to the door and flung it open. It was starlight outside, and almost the first thing the lawyer saw was a man hurrying to- ward a horse that stood near at hand. ‘‘ Hello, there!” called Ragsdale. No answer. ‘¢ Halt or I fire!” The man from Denver brought his revolver to the front, but even now the unknown re- fused to heed his summons. The dark form vaulted into the saddle, something gleamed in the starlight, and then the stranger was off at a rapid gallop. Angered at this indifference to his repeat- ed calls, Ragsdale fired after the retreating man. A mocking laugh was wafted to the ears of boy and man. ‘‘Confound him!” growled the lawyer. And then he made a new and most annoy- ing discovery. The stranger had taken his sorrel mare. And he had now made good his escape. ‘* Who was it ?” This from Sid. ‘‘T can’t tell you, only that he’s the man we want,” returned the Denver man in rage. ‘“‘ Where is your horse ?” ‘That fellow took him.” ‘‘Then he’s a thief.” ‘‘ Yes, a horse thief.” ‘We hang such in Wyoming,” declared the boy, with emphasis. ‘‘’Twon't do to let this villain escape. I'll take his trail and set the vigilantes after him in the morning.” hen Sid passed Ragsdale at a bound, and hurried away to the barn, some rods distant from the house. (C MICOO© (CO) CS 4(CO)