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cold…hearted cousin for the hand of a rich young stock…broker； and be ill…treated and long for the old miners who would get word of it and buy some fine clothes from JoeBuy or Sell； and go East to the consternation of the rich relatives and see that their little mountain flower was treated right。
As he identified this photo…play he studied the interior of the cabin； the rough table at which the three now ate； the makeshift chairs； the rifle over the fireplace； the picks and shovels； the shelf along the wall with its crude dishes； the calico curtain screening off what would be the dressing room of the little mountain flower。 It was a home…like room； for all its roughness。 Along one wall were two bunks； one above the other； well supplied with blankets。
The director； after a final shot of one of the miners being scalded by his coffee which he drank from a saucer； had said； 〃All right； boys！ We'll have the fight first thing in the morning。〃
Merton Gill passed on。 He didn't quite know what the fight would be about。 Surely the two miners wouldn't fight。 Perhaps another miner of loose character would come along and try to jump their claim； or attempt some dirty work with the little girl。 Something like that。 He carried with him the picture of the homey little ulterior； the fireplace with its cooking utensils； the two bunks with their ample stock of blanketsthe crude door closed with a wooden bar and a leather latch…string； which hung trustfully outside。
In other circumstanceschiefly those in which Merton Gill had now been the prominent figure in the film world he meant one day to becomehe would on this night have undoubtedly won public attention for his mysterious disappearance。 The modest room in the Patterson home； to which for three months he had unfailingly come after the first picture show； on this night went untenanted。 The guardian at the Holden gate would have testified that he had not passed out that way； and the way through the offices had been closed at five； subsequent to which hour several witnesses could have sworn to seeing him still on the lot。
In the ensuing search even the tank at the lower end of the lot might have been draggedwithout result。
Being little known to the public； however； and in the Patterson home it being supposed that you could never tell about motion…picture actors； his disappearance for the night caused absolutely no slightest ripple。 Public attention as regarded the young man remained at a mirror…like calm； unflawed by even the mildest curiosity。 He had been seen； perhaps； though certainly not noted with any interest； to be one of the group watching a night scene in front of one of the Fifth Avenue mansions。
Lights shone from the draped windows of this mansion and from its portals issued none other than Muriel Mercer； who； as Vera Vanderpool； freed at last from the blight of Broadway； was leaving her palatial home to cast her lot finally with the ardent young tenement worker with the high forehead。 She descended the brown… stone steps； paused once to look back upon the old home where she had been taught to love pleasure above the worth…while things of life； then came on to the waiting limousine； being greeted here by the young man with the earnest forehead who had won her to the better way。
The missing youth might later have been observed； but probably was not； walking briskly in the chill night toward the gate that led to the outer world。 But he wheeled abruptly before reaching this gate； and walked again briskly； this time debouching from the main thoroughfare into the black silence of the Western village。 Here his pace slackened； and halfway down the street he paused irresolutely。 He was under the wooden porch of the Fashion RestaurantGive our Tamales a Trial。 He lingered here but a moment； however； then lurked on down the still thoroughfare； keeping well within the shadow of the low buildings。 Just beyond the street was the log cabin of the big…hearted miners。 A moment later he could not have been observed even by the keenest eye。
Nothing marked his disappearance； at least nothing that would have been noted by the casual minded。 He had simply gone。 He was now no more than the long…vanished cowboys and sheriffs and gamblers and petty tradesmen who had once peopled this street of silence and desolation。
A night watchman came walking presently； flashing an electric torch from side to side。 He noticed nothing。 He was； indeed； a rather imaginative man； and he hoped he would not notice anything。 He did not like coming down this ghostly street； which his weak mind would persist in peopling with phantom crowds from long…played picture dramas。 It gave him the creeps； as he had more than once confessed。 He hurried on； flashing his torch along the blind fronts of the shops in a perfunctory manner。 He was especially nervous when he came to corners。 And he was glad when he issued from the little street into the wider one that was well lighted。
How could he have been expected to notice a very trifling incongruous detail as he passed the log cabin？ Indeed many a keener… eyed and entirely valorous night watchman might have neglected to observe that the leathern latch…string of the cabin's closed door was no longer hanging outside。
CHAPTER VIII
CLIFFORD ARMYTAGE； THE OUTLAW
Dawn brought the wide stretches of the Holden lot into gray relief。 It lightened the big yellow stages and crept down the narrow street of the Western town where only the ghosts of dead plays stalked。 It burnished the rich fronts of the Fifth Avenue mansions and in the next block illumined the rough sides of a miner's cabin。
With more difficulty it seeped through the blurred glass of the one window in this structure and lightened the shadows of its interior to a pale gray。 The long…handled frying…pan rested on the hearth where the little girl had left it。 The dishes of the overnight meal were still on the table； the vacant chairs sprawled about it； and the rifle was in its place above the rude mantel； the picks and shovels awaited the toil of a new day。 All seemed as it had been when the director had closed the door upon it the previous night。
But then the blankets in the lower bunk were seen to heave and to be thrust back from the pale face of Merton Gill。 An elbow came into play； and the head was raised。 A gaze still vague with sleep travelled about the room in dull alarm。 He was waking up in his little room at the Patterson house and he couldn't make it look right。 He rubbed his eyes vigorously and pushed himself farther up。 His mind resumed its broken threads。 He was where he had meant to be from the moment he had spied the blankets in those bunks。
In quicker alarm； now； he reached for his watch。 Perhaps he had slept too late and would be discoveredarrested； jailed！ He found his watch on the floor beside the bunk。 Seven o'clock。 He was safe。 He could dress at leisure； and presently be an early…arriving actor on the Holden lot。 He wondered how soon he could get food at the cafeteria。 Sleeping in this mountain cabin had cursed him with a ravenous appetite； as if he had indeed been far off in the keen air of the North Woods。
He crept from the warm blankets； and from under the straw m