The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-06-07
CHAPTER XL.

III tQe WOflQ.
CHAPTER XII
THE CONTENTS OF TOM BLACKS ENvE1opE-
CLARK KEEPS HIS PRoMIsE-HIs TERRIBLB
REVELATION.
Not till late the next morning was Cecil
alone in the most secluded part of the house
"a room on the top floor
The strange incident of the burglars ad-
monition, and the daring of the man, were
of nature to call up all her widest i'm
aginings.
With trembling hands, she opened the
dirty envelope.
A smaller sealed envelope, and note,
were its contents, the latter a miserable
scrawl, and revealing woful lack of intel
ligence. 1t read:
keep up you're kurridge an don't be
skared of Clark-evry dog has his day an
hisn will soon be out, Burn this but keep
| the other as it is. If you inde out ennything,
don't let ennybuddy know it till you heer
from you're UNKNOWN FRIEND"
No address. Yet evidence that it was
certainly meant for herself because of the
mention of her enemy's name.
How surprised would Jared Clark have
been, could he have read those lines. The
def useless, weak girl, seemed to have found
champion at the beginning of the battle.
But would q professional thief interest
himself? Was it trick? If not, how much
did be know, and whence came his knoWl-
edge of her doings2
She examined the other envelope.
Would it be wise to open it, in violation
of his request that she should not? Perhaps
it contained the magic key that would un-
lock the long-kept secret
No; the midnight visitor had trusted her;
she would wait
Clara Coles, frightened into extreme eau
ton by the loss she had been SO near sus-
tanning, was in her chamber arranging for
the protection of her personal property
from further depreciation.
After concealing the sealed note, Cecil
joined her for the purpose OF informing her
that Mr.. Eldridge was to call to negotiate
for the purchase of property-what class
she did not state.
"But, my dear, your lawyer" said Clara,
her eyes twinklng. Doesn't he generally
attend to such atiairs?"
"Id rather fix this myself" returned
Cecil "Mr. Eldridge is 80 atfable that J.,
having this piece of property to dispose of,
proposed his calling to talk the matter over.
My lawyer is out of town, and could not,
were he at hand, dispose of it, as it is the
same wished to persuade Mr.. Clark to take.
1t is an incubus of which he knows little.
MIR. Clark would have bought it, but l am
not going to hunt him up"
"What woman you arem said Clara.
"Dont let love get mixed with business
Mrs. BurrIll is looking jealousy to Mr. Ed
ridge for her second husband"
"She need have no fear of me; shall die
an old maid. Go on with your work, Clara;
put away everything valuable, or, now that
the burglars know the place, they may re.
turn with an accomplice from the police
force, to make sure Of getting it,"
"You have poor opinion of our city ex-
ecutives, my dear"
"Why should I have high opinion of
mismanagers and maladministrators, who
corrupt and ruin? The least important
Offices, when held by vicious men, can be
made instruments to drag down the highest,
and defeat justice, OF piee-pe,m."
Where do you get such ideas from. my
little philosopher"
"From what I read in the newspapers.
Is there not sufficient in single issue to
convince the youngest school-boy of the
degradation OF the city governments"
This discourse was interrupted by o ring
at the hall bell.
1t was the expected visitor.
Cecil received him in the reception-room,
leaving the door ajar
His genteel mannerisms were instantane-
ously trodden under by the impatient girl.
''Mr. Clark, Eldridge, or whatever appel
lative you this morning rejoice in" she said,
cuttingly. don't stand there smirking and
smiling like Iago. You must remember
Shakspere's epigrammatic line:
"A man may smile and smile and be vlllaiu.'
and go on with your story"
'You are losing your good breeding Miss
Clayton" retorted Clark. ''Your late IA
ther-"
She interrupted him with gesture.
please do not unnecessarily drag into
the conversation my fathers name," she
said, haughtily. "And let us understand
each other at the start. hold secret of
yours-you hold facts of great value to me.
One Is to be bartered for the other. For
l.. L.. =. L.. u