The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-02-07

mustn't let the rest of the creditors get ahead
of Us, If we are not too late already. You can
take the six-o'clock express, aud reach the
county town tonight in time to find out
whether any assignment has been filed, and be
on hand with an attachment carly tomorrow
morning. Nab everything there is in sight
LII go right down TO the lawyers Office and
swear TO the papers and have them sent to you
at the Barclay Street Station. Get what
money you want from John, and have him
telephone to Al Wall that I'll be there in ten
minutes and one Of the firm must be in the
Office"
Saying this, the MANAGER jumped up, caught
his hat, and walked briskly down the store,
putting on his oyercoat as he went In few
moments he was rolling down town on the ele-
waited road; and two hours later, Blood, seated
in railroad-car just moving out of Jersey
City. was endeavoring 70 read paper courte-
ousiy addressed to ANY constable or sheriff of
the State Of New York, greeting" and contain
4 ing, in vast labyrinth of yerbiage. d peremp-
tory command that we take, hold, and pos
sess all the goods chattelS. credits, chooses in
action, of every kind, nature, name, sort, or
description whatsoever, now being in the pos
/ session Of or IN any way pertaining or belong
+ ing to the said Norman Downer, the above
named defendant"
The clerk of Summit county was much sur
pTise1 by q call at eleven o'clock that night
1 from an impetuous little man with a full black
! beard and bright black eyes, who wished to
4 know whether Norman Downer had filed an
! assignment for the benefit of his creditors.
/ The clerk assured him that no official claim
had been entered, and that the attachment he
now received would be the first lien, and
! should 90 on file at the opening of the Office in
! the morning, and bowed him out with the inn
preston that a great commercial crisis must
be impending
Now said Blood to himself as he walked
back TO the livery-stabie near the station, " ii
that beat hasn't removed the goods, and If there
is no one else already in possession, ought to
be able TO light on enough to make fifty per
cent. and expenses anyway Must be q good
six hours drive over there: and may as well
start now as later"
Some little delay was caused by the caution
OF the stable keeper, who was so much astound-
cd by the receipt of ten dollars in advance and
by the energy of the New Workers. manner,
and so unable to conjecture why any sane man
should insist on driving to Jigtown in the mid
die OF the night, that he suspected his customer
of being a bank-robber fleeing from justice.
He sent for an athletic young giant who acted
as driver for him on occasions when there was
a Likelihood of a personal encounter with a
passenger, and, when he came, cautioned him
You've got to drive the blacks over TO Jig
town tonight, and you want to look out foI
that Teller He might knock you on the head
and run off with the team.
q kin handle him" said the man, with calm
confidence, after a careful survey of Blood's
figure, which the other illuminated by the fee
bic rays of q stable-lantern.
" He's quiekern eat in his motions" said
the liyery-keeper neryously :" n mebbe he's
science Don't you run the team, whatever he
says; m keep your eye peeled for him."
q Let him be science if he wants to, said the
!, son of Anak contemptuously.
Come driver sang ont Henry, if we are
going TO get there, we must start"
They drove out Of the barn, carefully watch
ed by those that remained. as is the habit with
the hangers-on of livery stable, who regard
every start with as much interest as if it were
the trial trip of an experimental vehicle drawn
by newly domesticated animals. Blood, with
the experience of a veteran traveller, appro-
priated the larger part of the robe, and made
himself as comfortable as possible on his side Of
the scat. The driver sat with his necl. slightly
/ forward and the muscles of his shoulder in
state OF tension, ready for fierce grapple with
! his suspected companion On the slightest warn
: ing; but the latter nodded and dozed with per
tact equanimity, except az he was awakened
/ from time TO time by some unusual jolt,--fo
how could the driver, whose eyes were partly
closed and inverseiy turned toward the seat
. avoid III the imperfect light the holes and rut
. which make up the greater part of a countr,
road in the spring. 1t would have been hart
, 10 tell which OF the two men was the less i'm
pressed by the beautiful night-etfects Of The
, mouBtain-rcad, the gray floating mists, tbs
dim light Of the half-moon on the western
horizon, the wayside pools obscureiy refiectin,
. its rays, the mysterious and suggestive shadow
of the trees. for each was utterly blind to al
such things by nature. and no culture hat
! widened the scope of his natural vision. S
| they drove unconscious through the silen
{ night. past farm houses which seemed as un
2 substantial as the & baseless fabric OF dream
4 ofa
from the adjoining barn seemed to give then
reality and conference of outline, past banks o
: forest from the depths of which the woodthrusl
] was already sounding his magic flute, through
E hollows filled with mist clouds, over hills iron
s which the mist showed like the fieecy coverin
Of a lake, till soon after daybreak they slowl
climbed the last hill and halted before one q
: the Jigtown taverns.
e Blood jumped down as fresh as if the corne
I of buggy were his usual nightly resting plac,
D and ran brislzly in, relieving the jaded drive
: from his vigilance. Early as it was, the work
ng-day OF Jigtown had begun. The landlord
y in answer TO Bloods hasty inquiry, said tha
q NO stranger had been in the iowa for week
J. and that Downer was In his store and meant
60 to Iiddlctown IN a few moments. Henri
|. said, I'll be back to breakfast shortly" an
s went 10 Downer's store.
) Pm from Harbert & Froud1 said he to th
d druggist. who was looking over package
s DIS " G EDL NDlE lcLb5r yesterday, ana Y
come to see about yonr little bill. How al
S things?"
Downer Was so staggered by the sudden az
o peaTance Of flesh and blood creditor in answt
t. to a letter which seemed but just TO have ie
t his hand that il was some seconds before h
a could reply: " Bad enough. / haven't got til
money fo< you, and ] don't see how can q
Il it,
"The bill has been running good man
It years with small payments, you know, and
% ought 10 be closed up. What have you got tina
is free and clear?"
], !" What there is in this store. and not quit
; one hundred dollars in money"
d " Does this stuff alf-belong to youg'
" 1t would if il was paid for"
- "Well" said Blood. +" I'll take possession
Y This is a copy Of the attachment, and this
Il the original"
! So saying, he handed Norman a roll of leg
paper, attached to which was a copy Of the VI
fortunate letter, the writing Of which, thong
d an act of pure integrity, constituted a leg
fraud.
Ia Now" said the New Yorker, we are e
ing TO treat you perfectly fair: but we must
10 to the bottom Of this thing. You seem dispose
n to be square, and we viii with you. | mu
Of have an inventory of what there is III the stor
rs and / don't know that there is any use for a
10 outsider. You and can take an account
stock and a schedule of your debts and boo
RI accounts well enough alone. Then / can te
v you what we viii do. It is not going to
E. much Of job, and we might as well begin rigl
d. off,