Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-08-11


been advertising 90. If l can but Law
hands on the will am satisfied. Bring
me that paper, or the man who holds
it, and your fee is doubly earned. That
paper is all the world to me, and will
have it,"
"You tried hard for it before" said
the other, carelsssly.
Hist not word of that. The very
walls have ears" cried the other man
with sudden fierceness. "And if l did.
if hoods upon my hands, whose knife
did the deed? Be warned, no threats;
the one hemp encircles both of our"
"Necks p
The word rang in the ears of the two
pale-faced men like note of doom.
For single breath neither stirred !;
then, with a scowl of mingled rage and
fear, they sprang together upon the in
truder, the sailor-man, and dragged
him toward the light, pistol-muzzle
pressing hard against his forehead.
"Who are you? What do you want
here? Speak quick"
The man struggled to free himself.
Take down that pistol gentlemen.
1t is with pens, not pistols, that would
deal, and he pushed the weapon aside.
His very GOODNESS struck a blind ter
ror to his captors' hearts.
81 know you both, and it is best that
you should know me-"
He drew from his head crisp black
wig, beard of similar nature from his
face, and stood revealed-Dan Parkin-
son.
The elder mans face grew livid as he
gazed, and his trembling hand grasped
at the pistol which his companion. held.
Parkinson noted the motion.
Don't do it Karl Kieffman. One
murder is enough"
The man before him tottered, and
would have fallen had not his compan-
ion caught him.
Enough" cried the thin-faced coun-
tryman. Eyes, unless you refuse to
give up the will which you haye--the
will which belongs to this man and not
to you"
"And if will not give it up?"
Then, curse you, another murder
will force itself upon u.s." Kissed the
man, his yellow eyes blazing. "The
will, or I'll cut your heart outv and he
drew long dirk knife.
Parkinson's cheek paled, but he re-
coded as he replied
SIS that the one which killed Denni-
son? Hold! Should you so much as
injure hair of my head, you shall
both lodge tomorrow in the Tombs, in
row."
The ominous threat paralyzed the
arm of Darrell, and his knife dropped.
"You talk bravely," he said. "Who
are your"
Kieffrnan can tell you"
That worthy looked at Parkinson
"You have come to your DEATH"
said he, slowly. al understand all
now. You have not the will, but you
seek it, even as ! do. You followed
my man to this place in the hopes of
finding some trace of it. You have
discovered my-our secret. You must
die"
Then the newcomer replied:
"Karl kieffman, listen You are
nephew of the deceased Dightam d.
Dennison. You knew that he was
very wealthy. You loved his daugh-
ter Marie, or perhaps her money, but
you could not win her because | had
been before you. Therefore, you
hated me. Years ago, Dightam d.
Dennison made will. which divided
his property equally between you and
Marie. Of this will you knew On
the day Of his death, he called upon
you and showed you new will, which
bequeathed all his estate to his daugh-
ter. This change drove you desperate.
You had already lost the girl and her
portion, and now you were about to
lose the other portion. Hardly had
the old man left your Office, in the dusk
of that fatal evening, scarce three
weeks ago. when you, accompanied by
this man-then your confidential agent
him. You meant to kill
him and destroy the last will, leaving
the former one in force, by which you
might gain at least one-half of his I'M
mense fortune. You did kill him, but
you failed to find the will. Why? Be-
cause, at the very foot of your office
stairs, the old gentleman met me, and,
looking upon me already as his son,
delivered the valuable paper to me,
with instructions to retain it until his
demise. Instantly upon hearing of his
murder, unraveled the skein that led
to a motive and then to criminal. |
have followed the idea then in my
brain concocted, have by advertisement
drawn you into the net, and now you
stand, self.convcted, and the murderer
Of Dightman D. Dennison."
Silence reigned Only the sobbing
breath Of kiefiman broke upon the
air.
Dor Einsnn cnnfinn ed