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About The Bend bulletin. (Bend, Or.) 1903-1931 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 1922)
PAOB nKN'P nUIAOTlW, HKND, oitkoQN, THURSDAY, AUQtWT a, loaa Cross-Cut j&fl CHAPTER IV - Wonderment which cot nowherw. The sheriffs car returned before Fulr chlld reached the bottom of the grade, nnd again stopped to survey the scene of defeat. "Dangerous character?" Falrchlld hardly knew why he asked the uues tlon. The sheriff smiled Rrimly. "If It was the fellow we were after. he was plenty dangerous. We were trailing htm on word from Denver described the car and said he'd pulled a daylight hold-up on a pay-wagon for the Smelter company so when the car went through Golden, we took up the trail a couple of blocks behind. He kept the same speed for a little while until one of my deputies got a tittle anxious and took a shot at a tire. Man, bow he turned on the Juice! I thought that thing was a Jack rabbit, the way It went up the hill t I guess It's us back to the office." The automobile went Its way then, and Falrchlld his, still wondering. And so thoroughly did the incident en gross him that It was not until a truck bad come to a fall atop behind him. and a skiver mingled a shout with the tooting ot his born, that he turned to allow Its passage. "Dldat bear you, old man." he apol ogized. "Oouid you give 'a fellow a Ilftr "Guess so." It was friendly, even though a bit disgruntled; "hop on." And Fatrchlld bopped, once more to sit on the tailboard, swinging his legs, but this time "his eyes saw the ever, changing scenery without noticing It. In spite of himself. Falrchlld found himself constantly storing at a vision of a pretty girl in a riding habit, with dark-brown hair straying about equally dark-brown eyes, almost fren zied in her efforts to change a tire In time to elude a pursuing sheriff; Some way. It all didn't blend. If she hadn't committed some sort of depredation against the law, why on earth was she willing to part with ten dollars, mere ly to save n few moments In changing a tire and thus elude n sheriff? It there had been nothing wrong, could not n moment of explanation have sat isfied anyone of the fact? It was too much for anyone, and Kalrchlld knew It. Yet he clung grim ly to the mystery ns the truck clat tered on. mile nfter mile. A small town gradually was coming Into view. A mile more, then the truck stopped with n Jerk. "Where you bound for, pardner?" "Oliadl." "That's It. straight ahejd. I turn off here. Miner?" Falrchlld shrugged his shoulders and nodded noncommlttally. "Just thought I'd ask. Plenty of work around here for single and double Jackcrs. Tilings are beginning to look up n lilt at least In sliver." "Thanks. Do you know a good place to stop?" "Yeh. Mother Howard's boarding house. Everybody goes .there, sooner or Inter. You'll see It on the left-hand side of the street before you get to the main block. Good old girl ; knows how to treat anybody In the mining game froni operators on down. She was here when mining was mining!" Falrchlld lifted his bag from the rear of the vehicle, wared a farewell to the driver nnd started Into the vil lage. And then the vision of the girl departed, momentarily, to give plucc to other thoughts, other pictures, of n .day long gone. The sun was slanting low, throwing tfleep shadows from the hills Into the "little valley with its chattering, milk white stream, softening the scars of the mountains with their great refuse dumps; reminders of hopes of twenty years before and as bare of vegeta tion as In the days when the pick and gad nnd drill of the prospector tore the rock loose from Its hiding place onder the surface of the' ground. The scrub pines of the almost barren mountains took on a Huffier, softer tone; the Jutting rocks melted away Into their own shudows; It was u pic ture of peace and of memories. And It had been here that Thornton Falrchlld, back In the nineties, had dreamed his dreams and fmignt his fight. A sudden crumping caught the son's he.irt, and It pounded with some thing akin to fear. The old forebod ing of his father's letter had come upon him. the mysterious thread of that elusive. Intangible Thing great enough to break the will and resist ance of a strong man and turn htm Into a weakling silent, white-haired sitting by a window, waiting for death. What had It been? Why had It come upon his father? How could It he fought? He brushed away the beady perspiration with a gesture al most of anger, then with a look of re lief, turned In at a small white gate toward a big, rambling building which proclaimed Itself, by the sign on the door, to be Mother Howard's boarding Courtney Cooler ILLUSTRATIONS R.B.VaiiNice A moment of waiting, then he faced n gray-haired, kindly faced woman who stared nt him with wide-open eye as she stood, hands on hips, be fore him. "Dnn't you tell nte I don't know yiHit If you nln't a Falrchlld, I'll never feed another minor corned beef nnd i-nbbuge us long as I live. Ain't you, now?" she persisted, "ain't you a Falrchlld?" The mnn lunched In spite of hlnv self. "You guessed It." "You're Thornton Falrchlld's hoy!" She had reached out for his hnmlhag, anil then, hustling about him, drew him Into the big "parlor." "Didn't know you the minute I saw you? I.nml, you're the picture of your dad I Sokes alive, how (s he?" There was a moment of silence. Falrchlld found himself suddenly halt ing and boyish as he stood before her, "He's he's gone. Mrs. Howard." "Deud?" She put up both hands. "It don't seem possible. And me re- "He's Htlt Cone, Mrs. Howard." memherlnc him looking Just like you, full of life and strong nnd "Our pictures of him are a good deal different. I I guess you knew him when everything was all right for him. Things were different after lie got home again." Mother Hownrd looked quickly about her. then with a swift motion closed the door. "Son," she asked In n low voice, "didn't he ever get over It?" "Itr Falrchlld felt that he stood on the threshold of discoveries. "What do you mean?" "Didn't he ever tell you anything. Son?" ".Vo. I" "Well, there wasn't any need to." nut Mother Howard's sudden embar rassment, her change of color, told Falrchlld It wasn't the troth. "He Just had a little bad luck out here, that was all. His his mine pinched nut Just when he'd thought he'd struck It rich or something like that," "Are you sure that Is the truth?" For a second they faced each other, Itobert Falrchlld serious and Intent, Mother Howard looking at him with eyes defiant, yet compassionate. Sud denly they twinkled, the lips broke from their straight line Into a smile, and a kindly old hand reached out to tnke him by the arm. "Don't you stand there nnd try to tell Mother Howard she don't know what she's talking about!" rame In tones of mock severity. "Hear me? Now, you get up them steps and wash up for dinner. Take the first room on the right. It's a nice, cheery place." In his room, Falrchlld tried not to think. His brain was becoming too crammed with queries, with strange huppenlngs and with aggravating mys ticisms of the life Into which liN fa ther's death had thrown him to per mit clearness of vision, F.von In Mother Howard he had not been able to escape It ; she told nil too plainly, !ioth by her actions and her words, that she knew something of the mys tery of the past and hnd falsified to keep the knowledge from him. It wns too galling for thought. Hub ert Falrchlld dustily made his toilet, then nnswered the ringing of the rtlir ner bell, to he Introduced to strong shouldered men who gathered about the long tables; Comlshmen, who talked an "h-less" language, ruddy faced Americans, and a sprinkling of Kngllsh, ull of whom conversed about things which were to Fulrchlld as s much Greek of "levels' and "slopes" and "winzes," of "skips" and "man ways" and "rises," which meant noth ing to the man who yet must master them all, It he were to follow his am-bltloiv Hubert Falrchlld spoke hut seldom, except to acknowledge the Introduc tions ns Mother I Inward made htm known to each of his table mutes. Hut It was not aloofness; from tho first, the newcomer had liked tho men about htm, liked fhe ruggedness, the mingling of culture with tho lack of It, liked the enthusiasm, tho musclo and brawn, liked them all all hut two, Instinctively, from the Mrst men tlon of his name, he felt they were watching him, two men who sat far In the renr of the big dining room. older than the other occupants, fnr less Inviting In appearance. One was small, though chunky In httlld, with sandy hair nnd eyebrows; with weak, .limy blue eyes over which tho lid blinked constantly. The other, black' haired with streaks of gray, powerful In his build, nnd with n walrus-Ilka mustache drooping over hard lips, wos the sort ot antithesis naturally to he found In the comritny of the smaller, sandy complex limed man. Who they were, what they were, Falrchlld did not know, except trom the general attributes which told that they too ful lowed the great gamble of mining. Hut one thing was ccnnln; they watched him throughout the meal; they talked about him In low tones and ceased when Mother Howard came near; they seemed to recognlio In him someone who brought both curiosity and Innate enmity to the surface. And more; long before the rest had finished their meal, they rose ann left the room. In tent, apparently, upon some Important mission. After that, Falrehlld nte with less of a relish. In his mind wns the cer tainty tbnt these two men knew him or at least knew about him und that they did not relish his presence. N.r were his suspicions long In being fn). tilled. Hardly hrd he reached the hall, when the '."ekonlng eyes of Mother Howard slrnalrd to htm. In stlnrtlvely he waited for the other diners to pass him. thru looked eager ly toward Mother "Howard as she once more approached "I don't know what you're doing here," came shortly, "but I want to.' Falrchlld straightened. "There Isn't much to tell you," he answered quiet ly. "My father left me the Illue Poppy mine In his will. I'm here to work It." "Know anything about mining?" "Not a thing." "Or the people yon're liable to hare to buck up against?" 'IVcry little." "Then. Son." nnd Mother Howard laid a ktmlly hnnd on his arm, "what ever you do, keep your plans to your self nnd don't In Ik too much. And what's more. If jnti happen to get Into communication with Hllndeye Dozeman nnd Taylor Hill, lie your head off. Maybe you saw 'em, a sandy- haired fellow and a hlg man with a blnck mustnche, sitting nt the bnck of the room?" Falrchlld noddrd. Wet), stay away from them. Ther belong to 'Squint' Hodalne. Know him?" She shot the question sharply. Again Falrchlld nodded. "I've heard the name. Who Is he?" A voice culled to Mother Howard from the dining room. She turned away, then leaned close to Itobert Falrchlld. "He's a miner, and he's al ways been a miner. Itlght now, he's mixed up with some of the biggest people In town. He's always been a man to be afraid of and he was your fathers worst enemy!" Then, leaving Falrchlld stnrln.' nfter her, she moved o:i to her duties In the kitchen. CHAPTER V Impatiently Falrchlld awaited Moth er Howard's return, anil when at Inst she e.irne forth from the kitchen, he drew her Into the old parlor, shadowy now In the gathering dusk, nnd closed the doors. 'Mrs. Hownrd," he began, "I " Mother Howard," she corrected, "I nln't used to being called much else." "Mother, then although I'm not very accustomed to using the title. My own mother died shortly nfter my father onme hark from out here." She walked to his side then nnd put n hand on his shoulders. For a mo ment It seemed (hut her Hps were struggling to repress something which strove to pass them, something locked behind them for jenrs. Then the old face, dim In the half light, calmed. "What do you wnnt to know. Son?" "Kverythlng!" "Hut there Isn't much I can tell," Ho caught her hand. "There Is! I know there Is. I" "Son nil I -an do Is to m:!'. mat ters worse. If I knew anything that would help you If I could give you any light on anything, Old Mother Howard would do It! Lord, didn't I help '"" '",-r father when he needed It the worst way? Hut I'm ns much In the dark as you. All that I ever knew was that your father came to this hoarding house when he was a young man, the very first day that he over struck Ohuill, He didn't have much money, but he wns enthusiastic nnd It wasn't long before he'd told nie about his wife and baby hark In Indianapolis and how he'd like to win out for their sake. As for me will, they always called me Mother How ard, even when I was n young thing, sort of setting my cap for every good, looking ..nnfig man that came along. I guess that's why I never ruught one of 'em I always Insisted on darning their sorkH and looking nfter all their troubles for "em Instead of going out buggy-rldlng with some other fellow and making 'em Jealous." She sighed ever so slightly, (hen chuckled. "Hut Hint nln't getting In tho point, though, Is It?" "If you could tell me about my fa ther" "I'm fox iii all I know. Things wer.o n, ly tlHrerepJ ojit .icre then from vhnC tficy worn Inter, Kvery whero around the hills and gulches you could see prospectors, with their gads mill little picks, fooling n round like life didn't mean anything In the world to 'em, except to grub around In those lucks. "Your father was olio of t'ie.e Men, 'Squint' lloilnlno was another they called htm that because nt some time In his life he'd tried to shoot faster than tho other fellow and didn't do It. The bullet hit right between his eyes, but It must tune had poor pow der behind It all It .did was to cut through the skin nnd go straight up his forehead. When the wound honied, tho scar drew his eyes close together, like a Chinaman's. You never see Squint's eyes more limn half open. "And he's crooked, Just like Ills eye-" Mother Howard's' voice bore n touch of resentment. "I never liked him from tho minute I first saw him, and 1 liked him less afterward, Then I got next to his game. "Your fat her had been prospecting Just like everybody else. He'd come on float up Kentucky gulch nnd was try Inn to follow It to the vein. Squint saw htm and what's more, he saw that lloat. It looked good to Squint nnd lute that night, I heard him and his two drinking partners, Hllndeye Hozeinan and Taylor Hill they Just reverse his name for the sound of It talking In Hllmleye's room, I'm a woman" Mother Howard chuckled "so I Just leaned my bend against the door nnd listened. Then I flew down stairs tii wait for your father when he came In from sitting up half tho night to get nn ussay on that (lout. Squint and them two others wns figur ing on Jumping his claim before he could tile on It and all that. (To Be Contlnaed.) f Use Ilullctln Want Ads for rasults. try them. Brooks-Scanlon Lumber Company Lumber, Lath, Shingles, Building Mnterinl, Kiln Dried Flooring and nil kinds of Finish SASH AND DOORS COMPLETE STOCK oi SiukUtJ Sii. BROOKS-SCANLON LUMBER CO. Local Sales Agent, MILLKR LUMI1KK CO, Diamond Tires Factory Announces Decrease in Tires War Tax Absorbed by Manufacturer The old Diamond slogan, "Roll Along on Diamonds and Wear That Happy Diamond Smile," is made more possible by this reduction. In other words, you cannot afford to roll along without "Diamonds." DOUBLE 30x3 30x3'2 31x4 BEND HARDWARE CO. Distributors Diamond Tires and Tubes Examination Grades of Teachers Arc Highest In History of. County Tho highest uvorogu (trades ovor Hindu lull Deschutes county teachers' examination resullod from tho tests hold recently In Hond, County Hupt'i'llitolidolit J, Alton Thompson reports, Only ono teacher fulled to pass out of 23 oxnmliied, and several mtido grades ot nbovn ill) In all hut two subjects. ENTERTAINMENT OF DOKIES ARRANGED Arrangements for tho entertain ment of tho I). O. IC. K. team from Medford, which will ho horo to con duct the ceremonial on August 7, wuro completed by tho local Knights of Pythias lodge at lust week's meet Iris. The banquet committee will consist of II. II. Do Ariiioud. It. F. Alton and Casslo Flynn. J. H. limes, Jay II, Noble and I. mils lleunett will liavo charge of orrnngomonts for using the American 1. onion building. EAST LAKE RESORT TO USE ELECTRICITY Installation of electric lights nnd a now sewer system at tho F.ust lake summer resort were derided on last week by stockholders In (ho com pany operating tho plticu. Action was taken at the annual meeting at the lake. Kstimuted cost of tho Im provements outlined will be 11,000, George O'Noll wan elected to head the company, Henry Mmtor was . i i No War Tax Added NEW DIAMOND CORDS 30x3"2 $13.50 32x32 15.95 31x4 26.15 32x4 29.15 33 x 4 30.05 34 x 4 30.85 33x4'2 38.55 34x42 39.50 33x5 46.95 35x5 49.30 DIAMOND FABRICS $ 9.65 10.65 18.00 iinmod vlco president, II, II, Do Ar mond secretary, and William MiisUir treasurer. tiimv aiii: Mii.n nt'T i.Ti'iirrivii III1I0U.1II0HN, hondarlicii, blurred vi sion, bad breath nnd routed tongue aro almost certain to bo present with a mass of heat producing undigested food In tho stomach, Foley Cathartic Tablets keep Iho digestive organs ac tive and tho system lit mid lino, purged of poisons, Not linhlt form ing. Hold everywhere. Adv, 1 ' I I'HOl'IXHIO.V.U, AND IIUHINKHH DIHIHTOItV IMIONE 11.1 Leu Thomas, Architect and Hugh Thompson Dose hut es Investment lliilldlng, Willi Street, llend, Ore, R. S. HAMILTON Attorney At Inw Itooms 1.1-10 First National Hunk lllilg. Tel. 51 (Dr. Coo' Kormrr Oftlr II . C. ELLIS Attorney At !nw United States Commissioner First National Hunk lliilldlng Hond, Oregon I'hono Ct-W Lcc A. Thomas, A. A. IA. Architect Halrd Hulldlnc Hond, Oregon C. P. NISWONGER Undertaker, Licensed KrobsImrT, Funeral Director Lady Assistant Phone 5 9 -J Hond. Ore. Read The Bulletin Classified Ads IlllAND IHHKCTOItV Itlght sldo: right ear crop ped: wattle right hind leg, II. I.. TON K, HMcrs, Ore. Adv.-lOOc m