THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIDUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
ofheVDlCL
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EHJ5TMrM5CDfflOKS
SYNOPSIS.
Kenneth Orlswold, nn unsuccessful
writer because of socialistic tendencies,
tips with lila friend nalnbrldgo at Chun
Blare's restaurant In New Orleans and
flee I a res that If necessary he will Hteul to
(toot) from starving. Ho holds up Andrew
Oalbralth, president of tho Bnyou Htiito
K?curlty, In his private ofllr nnd osenpei
with $1(0,000 In cash. Hy original methods
he escapes tho lino und cry nnd goes
aboard tho Hello Julie ns u deckhand. Hi;
unexpectedly confronts Charlotte l''urn
ham of Wahaska, Minn., who had seen
him rash Oalbrnlth's check In the bunk.
Charlotto recognizes Orlswold, hut de
cide to write to Oalbralth rather than
denounce the robber to the captain. Shu
fen the brutal mate rescued from drown
on; by Orlswold anil delays Rending her
letter to On.'oratth. She talks to Orls
wold and by bis advlco sends her letter
of betrayal to Oalbralth anonymously.
(Irlawold Is arrested on tho arrival of tho
boat al St. Louis but oscapos from his
captors. Orlswold decides on Wnlmskii,
Mfttn., as a hiding placo. and after nut-
Suing lilmsolf properly, takes the train,
farcory Grlcrson, daughter of Jasper
(Irierson, the financial magnate of Wa
haaka, starts a campaign for social recog
nition by tho "old families" of the town.
CHAPTER IX Continued.
"Good-morning, doctor," she begun
cheerfully, bursting In upon tho head
of tho First church bounl of adminis
trators ns a charming embodiment of
youthful enthusiasm, "I'm running er
randB for poppa this morning. Mr.
Rodney was tolling us about that
Ilttlo First church mission In Pottery
Flat, and poppa wanted to help. But
wo aro not Methodists, you know, and
ho was afraid that In, ho didn't quite
know how you might "
It wns nn exceedingly clover bit of
acting, and tho good doctor capitulat
ed at once, discrediting, for tho first
timo in his lifo, tho intuition of his
homo womankind.
"Now that is very thoughtful and
kind of you, Miss Margery," ho said,
wiping his glasses and looking a soc
ond timo at the generous flguro of the
pieco of money p;.por. "I appreciate
It tho more bocauso I know you must
have a great many other calls upon
your charity. Wo'vo been wanting to
put a trained worker in chargo of that
mission for I don't know how long,
find this gift of yours makes It pos
sible." "Tho kindness is in allowing us to
iiolp," murmured tho small diplomat.
"You'll lot mo know when more is
flooded? Promise mo that, Doctor
Farnham."
"I shouldn't bo a good Methodist if
J didn't," laughed the doctor. Then ho
remembered tho Mcrosido recoptlon
and tho regrets, and was moved to
make amends. "I'm sorry wo couldn't
bo neighborly last night; but my sis-tor-ln-law
1b very frail, and Charlotte
doesn't go out much. Thoy aro both
Rotting rendy to go to Pass Christian,
but I'm nuro thoy'll call before thoy
go south."
"I shall bo over so glad to welcome
thorn," purred Miss Margery, "and I
do hopo thoy will come boforo I leave.
I'm going to Palm Beach next week,
you know."
"I'll tell thorn," volunteered tho doc
tor. "Thoy'll find timo to run In, I'm
iuro."
But for somo reason tho vicarious
oromlBo was not kopt; and tho any
more hold aloof; and tho Oawnlds and
tho Barrs relinquished tho now public
library project when It bocame noised
about that Jasper Grlcrson and his
daughter woro moving in it.
v Miss Margory possessed hor soul in
rpatlonco up to tho final day of hor
'homo staying, and tho explosion might
mavo uoon indefinitely postponod if. on
that last day, tho Raymers, mother
rand daughtor, had not polntodly taken
pains to avoid hor at tho lingerie
counter In Thorwnldon's. It wnB as
tho match to tho fuso, nnd whon Miss
wierson lert tho department Btoro
thoro woro. rod spots In hor cheoks
nnd tho dark eyes wero Hashing.
I "Thoy think I'm a jay!" sho said.
with a snap of tho white tooth. "Thoy
peed a lesson, and thoy'ro going to got
It beforo I lonvo. I'm not going to
Blag small all tho time!"
' It wna suroly the goddess of discord
who ordainod that tho blow should be
otruck while tho irou was hot. Five
minutes after tho rebuff In Thorwnld
en's, Miss Orlorson mot Kaymor as
ho wub coming out of tho Farmers'
and Merchants' bnnk. There was an
oxchaugo of commonplaces, but In tho
midst of it Miss Margery broke off
abruptly to say, "Mr. Haymor, please
toll mo whnt 1 have dono to offond
your mother and sister."
If sho had been In tho mood to com
promise, half of tho deforred payment
or triumph might havo boon dls
charged on tho spot by Hnymor's blun
dorlng attempt at disavowal.
"Why, Miss Margory! I don't know
that Is or really, you must bo mis
taken, I'm sure!"
"I am not mistaken, and I'd llko to
know," sho persisted, looking him
hardily In tho eyes. "It must bo somo
thing I havo boon doing, and If I enn
find out what it Is, I'll reform."
Haymer got away as soon ns ho
could: and when tho opportunity of
fered, was besotted enough to ropeat
tho quostlon to his mothor and sister.
TUrs. Ruymcr was a largo and placid
mutrun of tho Immovnblo typo, and
flier Binllo emphasized her opinion of
! Ibs Orlorson.
"Tho mero fact of hor saying such
a thing to you ought to bo a sulllclent
answer, I should think," was her mild
retort.
"I don't see why," Raymer objected.
"What would you think If Gertrude
did Buch a thing?"
"Oh, well; that Is different. In tho
first plnco, Gertrudo wouldn't do It,
nnd"
"Precisely. And Miss Grlcrson
shouldn't havo done It. It Is because
sho can do such things that n few
think she wouldn't be n pleasant per
son to know, socially."
"But why?" Insisted Rnymer, with
masculine obtuscness.
It was his sister who undertook to
niako tho reason plain to him.
"It Isn't anything sho docs, or
doesn't do, particularly; It Is tho at
mosphere In which she lives nnd
moves and has her being. If It weren't
for her father's money, she would be
woll, It Is rather hard to sny Just
what she would be. But she always
makes me think of tho bonanza
people tho pick and shovel ono day
and. n million the next. I believe she
Is a frank little savage, at heart."
"I don't," tho brother contended,
doggedly. "She may bo a trlflo now
and fresh for Wahaska, but sho Is
clover nnd bright, nnd honest enough
to ignore a social codo which makes
a mock of slncorlty and a vlrtuo or
hypocrisy. I llko her nil tho better
for the way sho flared out at mo.
There Isn't ono young womnn in n
thousand who would have had the
norvo nnd tho courage to' do It."
"Or tho Impudence," added Mrs.
Raymer, when hor son had loft tho
room. Then: "I do hopo Edward isn't
going to lot that girl como between
him and Charlotte!"
Tho daughter laughed.
"I should say thero 1b room for a
regiment to march between them, as
It Is. Miss Oilman took particular
pains to let him know what train they
woro leaving on, and I happen to
know ho never wont near tho station
to tell thom good-by."
CHAPTER X.
Good Samaritans.
Slnco sho had undertaken to show
Wnhaska precisely how to deport It-
solf In tho conventional field, Miss
Grlerson had tolographed her father
to moot hor In St. Louis on her return
from Florida.
When Jasper Grlerson travoled nlono
ho was democratic enough to bo satis
fled with a section In tho body of tho
car. But whon Margery's tastes woro
to bo consulted, tho drawing-room was
nono too good. Indeed, as it transpired
on tho Journey northward from St
Louis, tho Anita's drawing-room
proved to bo not good enough.
"It Is Blmply a crudo Insult, tho
way thoy wear out their old, broken
down earn on us up hero!" sho pro
tested to her fathor. "You ought to
do something nbout It."
Jasper Grlerson's Bmllo was a cnpl
tullstlc acquirement, and Bomo of his
fellow-townsmen doscrlbed it as "cast
iron." But for his daughter It was
alwayB Indulgent.
I don't own tho railroad yot,
Madgle; you'll havo to glvo mo a Ilttlo
moro time," ho pleaded, clipping tho
tip from a black cigar of heroic pro
portions nnd reaching for tho box of
safety matches.
"I'll begin now, If you aro going to
smoke that dreadful thing In this
stuffy Ilttlo den," was tho unllllal ro
tort; and tho daughtor found a maga-
zlno and exchanged tho drawing-room
with Its threat of asphyxiation for n
seat In tho body of tho car. Half-way
down tho car ono of tho soctlons was
still curtained and bulkhended; of
courso, tho occupant of tho mlddlo
section must bo 111. Quito suddonlv
hor Interest beenmo acute. Who was
tho Blck ono, and why was ho, or sho,
traveling without on attendant?
With Margery Grlerson, to quostlon
was to ascertain; nnd tho Pullman
conductor, onco more checking his dia
grams In Section 11, offered tho rend!
est means of enlightenment. A fow
minutes lator Margery rejoined her
father in tho private compnrtmont.
"Do you remember tho nlce-looklnn
young man who sat at tho table with
us In tho Chotcau last night?" sho
began abruptly.
tho gray-woir Jaspor nodded. Ho
had an excellent memory tor faces
"What did you think of him?" Tho
query followed tho nod llko a nlmblo
boxor'B return blow
"I thought ho paid a wholo lot moro
attention to you than ho did to his
suppor. Why?"
"Ho Is on this car; sick with a rover
of somo kind, nnd out of his head. Ho
is going to Wnhaska."
--now uu juu Know it s tno samo
ono?"
"I made tho conductor tako mo to
sco him. Ho talked to mo In Italian
and called mo 'Carlotta mla.'
"Humph! ho didn't lookllkoadngo,"
"Ho Isn't; it's just becnuso ho Is
delirious."
Thoro was a long pauso, broken
finally by n curt "Well?" from tho
fathor.
"I'vo beon thinking," was tho slow
response. "Of courso, thoro la a
chanco that ho has friends in Wa
haska, and that someone will bo at the
train to meet him. But it is only a
chanco."
"Why doesn't tho conductor tele
graph ahead and find out?"
"Ho doesn't know tho man's name.
I tried to get him to look for a card,
or to break Into tho suitcases under
tho borth, but ho says tho regulations
won't let him."
"Woll?" said the father again, thl3
time with a moro decided upward In
flection. Then ho added: "You'vo
mudo up your mind what you're going
to do: say It."
Murgery'8 decision was announced
crisply. "Thoro Is no hospital to send
him to which Is Wnhaska'a shamo.
Mnybo ho will be met and taken caro
of by his friends: if ho Is, well and
good; If ho Isn't, we'll put him In tho
carriage and take him homo with us."
The cnst-lron smllo with tho Indul
gent attachment wrinkled frostily
upon Jusper Grlerson's hoavy face.
"The Good Samaritan act, eh? I'vo
known you a long time, Madgle, but I
never can tell when you're going to
break out In a brand-new spot. Didn't
lose any of your unoxpoctednoss In
Florida, did you?"
Miss Margery tossed her pretty
head, and tho dark eyes snapped.
"Somebody In tho family has to
think of something besides making
money," sho retorted. "Please lend
mo your poncll; I want to do some
wiring."
All other gifts apart. Miss Grlerson
could boast of a degree of cxecutlvo
ability Ilttlo Inferior to her father's;
did boast of It when tho occasion of
fered; nnd by tho time tho whistle
was sounding for Wnhaska, all the ar
rangemento had been mndo for tho
provisional re3cuo of tho sick man In.
lower six.
iU tho station a single Inquiry served
to give tho Good Samaritan Intention
tho right of way. There were no
friends to meet lower six; but the
Grlerson carriage was waiting, with
tho coachman nnd a Moresldo gnrdener
for bearers. From that to putting the
sick man to bed In ono of tho guest
chambers of tho lake-fronting mansion
at tho opposito end of tho town was a
more bit of routlno for ono so capable
as Mlsa Grlerson; and twenty minutes
after tho successful transfer she had
Doctor Farnhnm at tho nameless one's
bedside and was telephoning the col
logo Infirmary for a nurso.
Naturally, there wero explanations
to bo made whon tho doctor came
down. To hor first anxious question
"You'vo Made Up Your Mind What
You're Going to Do; 8ay It."
tho answer came gravely: "You havo a
very sick man on your hands, Miss
Mnrgery." Then tho Inevitable
"Who Is ho?"
Sho spread hor hands in a pretty af
fectation of embarrassment.
"What will you think of mo. Doctor
Farnhnm, when I tell you that I
haven't tho littlest atom of an idoa?"
Charlotto'H father was a small man,
with kindly eyes nnd tho firm, straight
lined mouth of his Puritan forbears.
"Toll mo nbout It," ho said concisely.
Sho told him.
A shrewd smile flickered for an In
Btant In tho kindly oyes or Wnhaska's
best-boloved physician.
"Almost anyono olso would have
found plenty of other things to do or
not to, do," was his commont. "Aro
you prepared to go on, Miss Margory?"
There wero lino Ilttlo linos coming
nnd going between Miss Margery's
straight black brows. "Wo neodn't
do It by hnlvcB, doctor," she said do
clslvcly. "If It would bo better to
wlro St. Pnul or Minneapolis nnd got
a trained nurso"
" louu stanu tno oxtra expense,
of courso," laughed tho doctor. "You
aro all tho world's good angel when
you sot out to be, Miss Margory. And
I'll send somebody boforo bedtlmo.
Meanwhile, there's nothing to do but
to kcop your pntlont quiet; and ho'll
do that for himself for a fow hours. I
gavo him a bit of anodyne boforo I
camo down."
Margory wont to tho outer door with
her kindly counselor, playing tho part
of tho gracious hostess as one who Is,
or who means to bo, precisely lotter
perfect; and after ho wna gono, sho
wont slowly upatnlra and lot horself
softly Into tho room of shaded lights.
Tho sick man was resting quietly, nud
ho did not Btlr when sho crossed to tho
bed and laid a cool palm on his fore
hoad. "You poor castawuy!" sho mur
mured. "I wonder who you uro, und
to whom you belong? I suppose somo
body has got to bo mean and sneaky
and find out. Would you rather it
would bo I than somcono olso who
might caro even less than I dq?"
Tho sleeping man opened unseeing
cyos and closed them again heavily.
'I found tho money, Carlotta mla; you
didn't know that, did you?" ho mut
tered; and then the narcotic seized
and held him again.
His clothes were on n chair, and
when sho had carried them to a light
that could bo shaded completely from
the bed and Its occupant, sho searched
the pockets one by one. It was a Ilttlo
surprising to find all but two of them
quite empty; no cards, no letters, no
pen, pencil, pocketknlfe, or purso;
nothing but a handkerchief, and In
ono pocket of tho waistcoat a small
roll of paper money, a few coins and
two small keys.
She held tho coat up to tho electric
and examined It closely; the workman
Bhlp, tho trimmings. It was not tailor
made, sho decided, and by all tho ilttlo
signs and tokens It was qulto new.
And the samo was true or tho other
garments. But there was no tag or
trademark on any of them to show
where they camo from.
Falling to find tho necessary clue
to tho castaway's Identity In this pre
liminary search, she wont on resolute
ly, dragging the two suitcases over to
the lighted corner and unlocking thom
with tho keys taken from tho pocket
of tho waistcoat.
Tho first yielded nothing but cloth
ing, all now nnd evidently unworn.
The second held more clothing, a
man's toilet appliances, also new and
unused, but apparently no scrap or
writing or hint or a namo. With n
Ilttlo sigh of bafflement sho took tho
last tightly rolled bundle of clothing
from tho suitcase. While sho was lift
ing it a pistol fell out.
In times past, Jasper Grlerson's
daughter had known weapons and
their faults and excellences. "That
plncos him a little," she mused, put
ting tho pistol asldo after she had
glanced at it: "He's from tho East;
he doesn't know a gun from a pleco
of common hardware."
Furthor search In tho tightly rolled
bundle wnsrownrded by the discovery
of a typewritten book manuscript, un
signed, and with It an oblong packet
wrapped In brown paper and tied with
twine. Sho slipped the string and re
moved tho wrapping. Tho brick
shaped packet proved to bo a thick
block or bank notes held together by
heavy rubber bands snapped over tho
ends.
While tho little ormulu clock on tho
dressing caso was whirring softly and
chiming tho hour she stared at the
money-block as If tho sight of it had
fascinated her. Then sho sprang up
and flew to the door, not to escape, but
to turn the key noiselessly In the lock.
Secure against Interruption, she
pulled the rubber bands from the
packet. Tho block was built up In
layers, each layer banded with a paper
slip on which was printed in red tho
namo of the certifying bank and tho
nmount. "Bayou Stato Security, ?5,-
000." Thoro wero twenty of those lay
ers In all, nineteen of them unbroken.
But through tho printed figures on tho
twentieth a pon-stroko had been drawn,
and undernoath was written "$4,000."
Quito coolly and methodically
Margory Grlerson verified tho bank'B
count as Indicated by tho paper
bands. There wero ono hundred thou
sand dollars, lacking the ono thousand
takon from the broken packet. Tho
counting completed, sho replaced the
rubber bands and the brown paper
wrapping. Then she repacked the sult
casos, arranging tho contents as nearly
as might bo just as sho had found
them, locking tho casos and returning
tho keys to tho waistcoat pockot from
which she had taken them.
Whon all was done, sho tiptoed
across to tho bed, with the brown pa
per packet under her nrm. Tho sick
mnn stirred uneasily and began to
muttor again. Sho bent to catch tho
words, and when sho heard, tho light
of understanding leaped swiftly into
tho dark oyes. For tho mumbled
words wero tho echo of a fierce threat:
"Sign It: sign It now. or, by God, I'll
shoot to kill!"
Tho robbory of the Bayou Stato So
curlty bank was already an old story
whon Mr. Matthew Broflln, chief of
tho New Orleans branch of a notable
detectlvo agency, took over tho caso
of the bank robbery a fow dayB after
his return rrom Central America
Slnco two members of his own staff
had fired aud missed their mark In St.
Louis, thero was a blunder to bo re
trleved.
After a week of patient groping,
Broflln wns obliged to confess that tho
problem or Identification was too dim
cult to bo solved on conventional lines
It presented no point or nttack. With
neither n name nor a pictured faco for
reference, inquiry was crippled at tho
very outset. Nono of the many board
lng and rooming houses ho visited had
lost a lodger answering the verbal do
scrlptlon of tho missing man. Vory re
luctantly, for bulldog tenacity was th
dotcctlvo's ruling characteristic, ho
waa forced to tho conclusion that tho
only untried solution lay In Toller
Johnson's unfortified Impression that
tho chanco meeting nt his wicket was
not tho urst meeting botweon tho rob
bor nnd tho young woman with tho
draft to bo cashed.
It was tho Blcndcrest of threads, and
Broflln realized aweatlngly how dlfTt
cult It might bo to follow. Assuming
that thero hnd been n previous meeting
or meetings, or rather tho passing uc
qunlntnnco which was all tho young
womnn'B lator betrayal of tho man
mndo conceivable, would tho writer of
'.ho accusing letter bo willing to add to
her burden of responsibility by giving
the true name and standing of the man
whoso real Identity If Bho know It
she hnd been careful to conceal In tho
unslgnod note to Mr. Oalbralth? Brof
fin rend tho note again "n deck-hand,
whoso nnmo on the mate's book Is
John Wcsloy Gavltt," was tho descrip
tion she had given. It might, or It
might not, be nn equivocation; but the
longer BrofTln dwelt upon it tho moro
ho leanod toward the conclusion to
which his theory and tho few known
facts pointed. Tho young woman
knew tho man In his proper person;
sho had been reluctant to botray him
that, ho decided, was sufficiently
proved by tho lapse of timo Interven
ing between tho date of her note nnd
its postmark date; having finally do
cldod to give him up, she had told
only whnt was absolutely necesBary,
leaving him free to conceal his real
name and Identity If ho would and
could.
flavlng como thus far on tho road to
convlncomont. Broflln know whnt he
had to do and set about doing It me
thodically. A telegram to the clerk of
tho Bcllo Julio served to plnco tho
steamer In tho lowor river; and board
ing n night train ho planned to reach
Vlcksburg In time to Intercept tho wit
nesses whose evidence would deter
mine roughly how many hundreds or
thousands of miles lie could safely cut
out of tho zigzag journeylngs to which
'You Poor Castaway I" She Murmured.
tho rollowlng up of tho hypothetical
cluo would lead.
For, cost what it might, ho wns de
termined to find tho -writer of tho un
signed letter.
CHAPTER XI.
The Zweibund.
On his second visit to the sick man
lodged in the padded luxuries of one of
tho guest rooms at Meresldo, made on
tho morning following the Grlerson
home-coming, Doctor Farnhnm found
tho hospital status established, a good-
natured Swede Installed as nurse, tho
bells muffled and Miss targery play
ing tho part of sister superior and
dressing it, from tho dainty, relt-soled
Bllppora to the smooth banding or her
hair.
An hour later, howover, It wa3 tho
Margery ot tho Wahaska renals
sance, Joyously clad and radiant, who
was holding tho relna over a big Eng
lish trap horse, parading down Main
street and smiling greetings to every
body.
By ono ot the chances which ho wns
willing to call fortunate, Edward Ray
mor was at the curb to help her down
from her high seat lu the trap when
sho pulled the big horso to a stand in
front of her father's bank.
'I'm tho ludklest man in Rod Earth
county; I was just wondering when
I should get In lino to tell you how
clad wo aro to havo you back, he
said, with his oyes shining.
"Aro you, renllx? You are not half
as glad as I am to bo back. There 1b
no plnco llko homo, you know. '
"Thero isn't, and there oughtn't to
be," was his quick response. I ve
boon hoping you'd como to look upon
Wnhaska as vour home, and now I
know you do."
"Why shouldn't 1?" she laughed, and
sho was reaching for a paper-wrapped
packago on tho trap seat when ho got
It tor her.
"You aro going somewhere? may 1
carry It for you?" ho asked; but sho
shook hor head and took it from him
"Only Into tho bank," she explained;
and she was beginning to tell him ho
must como to Meresldo when the sick
man oplsodo obtruded Itself, nnd tho
Invitation wns broken In tho midst
very prettily, very effectively.
"I know," Haymftr said, In instant
aympathy. "You have your hands full
Just now. Will you let me say that It's
tho llnost thing I over heard of your
taking that poor fellow home and car
lng for him?"
Gertrude Raymer had onco said In
hor brother's hcnrlng that Miss Grler
son's color would bo charming If It
woro only natural. Looking Into Miss
Grlerson's oyes Rnymer saw the rofu
tatlon orthe slandor In the suffusing
wavo ot goncrous embarrassment
deoponlng in warm tints on tho perrect
neck und chock.
"Oh. dear mo!" sho said In pathetic
protest; "Is It all over town so soon
I'm atrnld wo aro still dreadfully
'country' In Wahaska, Mr. Raymer,
Ploaso cut It down to tho bnro, com
monplace facts whenever you havo
banco, won't you? Tho poor man waB
f
sick and nobody knew him, and flonic
body had to tako caro of him."
Llko tho doctor, Raymer asked tho
Incvitablo question, "Who 1b ho, Miss
Margery?" nnd, llko tho doctor again,
ho received tho namo answer, "I
haven't tho smallest notion of an idea.
But that doesn't make tho slightest
difference," sho went on. "He Is a
fellow human being, sick and helpless.
That ought to be enough for any of a
to know."
Raymer stood watching hor as she
tripped lightly Into tho bonk, and when
ho went to catch his car tho conserva
tive minority had lost whatever coun
tenance or support he bad ever given
It.
True to her IntcBt characterization
or herself, Margery had a nod and a
pleasant Hmlle for tho young men be
hind tho brass grilles as Bho passed on
her way to tho president's room In the
ronr., She found hor father at hia
desk, thoughtfully munching tho un
burned halt or one or tho huge cigars,
nnd named her errand.
"I want n safety-deposit box big
enough to hold this," she said briofly,
exhibiting tho pnpor-wrnpped packet.
Jasper Grlerson, deeply Immersed in
n matter of business to which he had
given tho better part of tho forenoon,
replied without looking up: "Go and
tell Murray; ho'll fix you ouL"
As on any other business day, Presi
dent Grlerson was solidly planted In
his heavy nrmchalr beforo a desk well
littered with work. Ho nodded absent
ly to his daughter ub she returned.
and knowing that the nod meant. that
he would como to the surface of things
her surface when he could, sho
turned aside to the window and wait
ed. Though sho had seen him develop
day by day In less than threo ot tho
thirty-odd years or his western exile,
hor father offered a constant succes
sion of surprises to her. Whon she
opened the door to retrospection, which
was not often, sho remembered that
tho man who had stumbled upon tho
rich quartz vein in Yellow Dog Gulch
could scarcely sign his namo legibly to
tho paper recording his claim; that
In those days thero was no prophecy
of tho ambitious present in the mun,
half drunkard and hair outlaw, whoso
name in tho Yellow Dog district bad
been a synonym for but these woro
unpleasant memories, und Margery
rarely indulged them.
Just now sho put thom asido by turn
ing her back to tho window and taking
credit for the tasteful and luxurious
appointments of tho private office, with
its soft-piled rug and heavy mahogany
furnishings. Hor rather was careless
or such things; totally indifferent to
them In business hours; but she saw
to it that his surround Inga kept pace
with the march of proaperlty. Hero in
Wahaska, as elsewhere, a Ilttlo judi
cious display counted for much, even
if thero were n few bigoted persona
who affected to despise it.
She was in the midst of a meditated
attack upon tho steamship lithographs
on tho walls sole remaining land
marks of tho ante-Grlerson period
when her father wheeled In his pivot
chair and questioned hor with a lift
or his shaggy eyebrows.
"Want to see me, Madgio?"
"Just a moment." Sho crossed tho
room and stood at the end ot tho big
desk. He reached mechanically for
hia checkbook, but sho smiled and
stopped him. "No; It Isn't money this
time; it's something that money can't
buy. I met Mr. Edward Raymer at
tho front door a few minutes ago;
does ho hnvo an account with you?"
Jasper Grlerson's laugh was grimly
contemptuous.
'The bank Isn't mnking anything
out of him. The shoe Is on tho other
foot."
"What Is tho matter? iBn't he mak
lng monoy with his plant?"
'Oh, yes; his business 1b good
enough. But lie's llko all tho. other
young fools, nowadays; he ain't con
tent to bet on a sure thing and grow
with his capital. He wants to widen
out and build and put in now machin
ery and cut a bigger dash generally.
Thinks he's been too slow and Bure."
'Aro you going to stake him?" Mar
gory waged relentless war with her
birthright inclination to lapso Into tho
speech of tho mining camps, but Bho
stumbled now and then In talking tq
her father.
"I don't know; I guess not Homo
how, I'vo never had much ubo for
him."
"Why haven't you any use for him?"
"Oh, I don't know because, until
Just lntely he has never seemed to
have much use for me, I guess. It's
a stand-off, so far as likings go. I
offered to reincorporate his outfit for
him six months ago, and told him I'd
tako fifty-one per cent of tho reorgani
zation stock myself; but he wouldn't
tnlk about It. Snld what Ilttlo he had
was his own, nnd he proposed to keep
It."
"But now he Is willing to let you
help him?"
"Not much; he don't look at It In
that light. Ho wants to borrow money
trom the bank nnd put up the stock
or his close corporation as collateral.
It's safe enough, but I don't bollove
I'll do It."
The chatelaiuo of Meresldo camo
abruptly to the point.
"I want you to do It," sho said, de
cisively. "Tho devil you do!" Then, with tho
dry, door-hlngov chuckle: "What's In
the wind now?"
"I do want you to put him under ob
ligations to you the heavier tho bet
ter. His mother and sister hnve gono
out of their way to snub me, and I
want to play even."
Grlcrson wagged his hugo head, and
this time tho chucklo grow to a guf
faw. (TO 1113 CONTINUED.)