The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-09-21
The CLINk OF GOLD.

Arthur" said he, stopping suddenly and
tossing q bag of god toward the ceiling, 81
Shat. soon claim tho hand of Alice Darrell now"
Again lie p iched the bag of gold into the air,
and the pieces of money, climbing together,
Sell. ,Grlh a low ringing sound.
"Eo"scy," satd |. drawing my armchair
Closer 10 tho fire, this is a dangerous scheme.
1t Will eud IN. disaster. Take my advice and
don't pursue il further.''
In the old college DAYS Bowsor had gained a
reputation for rsckl4ssness, and lie had not
changed in CA actor since. AS l expected, his
answer waS a iaugh.
4, Ills infl"Xiblity irrtsa'ed me.
"Cau you no. rcaliZa."I exclaimed, "wbat a
risk you ere rranins? You 80 out nearly every
niGhton this strange search. You take no pre-
caution hat know of. Tho dav must come,
though dread 10 think of it, when you will DO
robbed. aud prtOably murdered"
Murdered y" said Buwser, laughing, and
still tossing his gold. ''Hdw nervous You are
tonight. NdnseRsel Ny plan will succeed. l
am luntingy about tho Cocks, at 1i,nehouse,
nov; and ifyon oaly know what discovery
hellos! whats 1hai?'
II was n unified, mysterious. sounding knock
at the outer door. ~
'It's scrQssie," said I, Jumping I'D. sold
ScroGgie!7
"Ah! scroggio. is it?" said Drowser. "Ah!'
A change crossed his face, | thought But
possibly Twas mistaken; for there was no light
III the room, except n shaded lamp and The
uncertain Kicker OF tho fire, which threw
shadows npol. our faces as well as upon the
dar!; pane!!edhwnlia.
went oui % admit my visitor. Az walked
along the passage l could hear tho ring of
Bowser'4 gold; | felt a cltll pass over me, and
1shulisred.
"Alone?' said Scroggie in a low voice as l
oponedt The door.
"Come NJ said; come in, it's only Bow
ser"
he hesltated with his hands deep in his
pockets. Then he huggei himself, as If suffer
ing from cola, aud said.
no. III look in later
Mot you" said | taking him playfully by
tho coat co. ar 1--WE We're fumliiarin sur man
ners toward each o'her). 'tNut you? I'm goiug
to give l;owser a icoture. and L want aa audi
ence. So come and take tho chair"
AS stHl held him by the collar, and refused
10 reieas: nm, ScFoggic. after q SLIGHT resist
ance, yielded to persuasion. So l shnt outthe
cold air on tho staircase and led tie way into
my cosy room. -
Good evening"" said Bowser, tnrowln., up
bis bag and catching il. "Gool evening, Scrog-
gle. I'm practcing at a little game. You'll
excuse mo. Our friend Field" he added.
turning to me-. "onr friend Field will tell you
all about it. Its music to me. Sweet music"
Il late tho sound of gold, eaid Scro-gie,
seating himself by the fro with another hug
and turning his back on Bowscr. SIT reminds
ma of The digslngs. And at Frisco | used to
hear that clinking all day long. / hate it,"
He spoke il a low voice. with his owes fixed
resentf0lly on the bright Goals.
"Now, Bowser," said !, when had mixed q
glass of whisky for Scrosgie and had resumed
my seac by the fire, "now, Bowser. put that
bag Of gold into your pocket and listen to M.
l am gong 10 explain your scheme to Scrogsie,
and show him how very unsatisfactory l con-
slider your conduct Now, Bowser, for good
ness sake, sit down."
Bowser bestowed upon mo a h%alf-amused,
half impatient glance, and giving his bag a
parting toss. dropped it into his pocket, and
sat down away from the fire in the shade, be-
You'd the reading, lamp, and with his arms
folded on the table. He was a large, powarful
man; and l remember thinking how gigantic
his shoulders looked in that semi arkncss, az
he leaned forward to listen.
"The facts of the CASE said I-"the facts
Of the case are somewhat as follows. NV
learned friend has fallen in love, if I am not
mistaken"
Bowser nodded.
"Has fallen in love with q young lady named
Darrell" | thought S~croggie had spoken.
He had started and muttered something, be-
yond a-doubs, when l mentioned the name Of
Darrell.
s'No,hins, "isaid Scrogeie, returning with a
quick glance tho inqni.ng look which l gave
him.
"And moreover" 1 then resumed, "f I am
not mistaken, my learned friend and Miss
Darrell are engaged"
Again BowseI nodded. III
But" said--"but there is o clauee in the
engagement. Miss Darrell has lost her father,
who met with his death under circum. tances
OF avery painful nature. In a word. Miss
DarelFs father was murdered" >
Atthis moment ] happened to BIO looking
straight at Scroggie, and n dark shadow seemed
to gather over his face. The expression
startled me, ana vanished.
"Stay!" said Bowser AZ l was about to con-
tinue. Let me toll the story as 1 heard it
from Alice DarcIl."
Isaid, 'By all means;" and, leaning back in
my chair, I waited for Bowser 10 proceed.
Miss D%areil's father" said Frank Bowser,
'tswas chief cashier at a bank in a large market
town in the North Of England. He lived on
tho premises, aud his daughter Alice lived with
him. His position was an arduous one. Ho
was frequently engaged over the cash. or IN
examining the ledgers, until late into the night;
especially on evenings preceding market
days. 1t was part of his duty to weigh,
or count over and cheek of in the
bullion book, the various bags OF gold,
large and small, before they were handed
over, or distributed among tho cashiers. And
SO, night after night, the olink of gold might
be heard in the iron room beyond the back
parlor, for night after night MIR. Darrell sat
there weighing the gold in the scales, or count
ing il, or shoyeling it into tho bags, cllnk-
clink-clink.
Here Bowser paused, and taking his own
bag Of gold out OF his pocket placed it en- the
table before him.
Sorogsie was sitting in gu attentive attitude,
but his eyes were never raised from the IRE,
md o worn look, which l had not observed at
FIRST, had settled upon his face. Bowser moved
nearer toward ue, coming within the circle of
light under the lamp; and, emptying outof
his bag a quantity OF bright soverelgns, he
continued in an impressive voice:
zone night Nyhe told us-"one night, between
IL and II o'clock, the cashier is seated In the
Iron room undera shadedlanp-as I am seated
now-weighing the gold as usual, and filling the
bags, one after another, entering them In tina
bullion book, tying them up and casting them
aside. He is deeply engrossed in his occupa-
ton. Is he th~inking-this honest, industrious
cashier-is he thinking, as no looks upon this
glitter and listens to the clinking and ringing of
this gold, what q hateful thing money ia? Or
who shall say?-who shall. say but what-with
. desire for his daughters happiness passing
through his mind-who shall say but what, for
her sake, he is wishing that the soyersigns were
his owny He is working, working now, solely
for her, and if he is dreaming OF riches, what
more natural on, earth? But, Whatever his
thoughts may be, he is, so absorbed that he
hears no cat-like f~ootsteps moving atealthily
toward the SPOT where he weighs the gold
ciiuk, clink, clink-he sees no shadow crosse tho
light in Ne outer room, within o short dis
tanoe Of where he stands; he hears nothing.
observes nothing, until the arm is uplifted
swiftly behind him, and q stided cry escapes him
nc time for more. Ho falls, beaten and
crushed by a heavy blow. What's happened?
Amurder committed in the dead Of night"
When Bowser had uttered these words thore
was a silence between MS for some minutes.
Scroggie was the first even to- move in his
obair. had retllled his glass during tho last
pause in t}s narrative; and he now stretched
sut his b. ~ hastily and lifted the lumber TO
his lips, aud drank 1t of as II it we're water.
His hand shook violently as he placed tho
empty glass on the mantleehelf. had often
seen his hand tremble-indeed, 1t was seldom
quite etesdy-but he had never exhibited such
excessive nervousness before.
swell" said he, without looking round
.There is not much moro to tell" said Bow
ssr. .Tt was evidently q collision between the
usLk porter and 9 sailor-or at least . man who