St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-08
mind to drop the whole thing, and I'm here

said Renshaw quietly, because you have in
that drawer an equal evidence of my folly
and my confidence; but if you are wise YOU
will not presume too far on either. Let us
see how we stand. Through the yarn of
drunken captain and mutinous sailor you
became aware OF an unclaimed shipment of
treasure, concealed in an unknown ship that
entered this harbor. You are enabled through
me to corroborate some facts and identify
the ship. You proposed to me, as a specula-
ton, TO identify the treasure if possible be-
fore you purchased the ship. l accepted the
offer without consideration on consideration
l now decline it, but without prejudice or
loss to any one but myself. AS to your in
situations, need not remind you that my
presence here to-day refutes it. would not
require your permission to make a much
better bargain with good-natured fool like
Mott than / could with you. Or, if did not
care for the business I could have warned
the girl
1.-THE girl--what girl?'
Renshaw bit his lip, but answered boldly:
''The old mans daughter-a poor girl
whom this act would rob as well as her
father"
Seight looked at his companion atten-
lively. "You might have said so at first
Well, then-admitting you've got the old
man and the young girl Oh the same string
and that you've played it pretty low down in
the short time that you've been there-I sup
pose, Dick Renshaw, I've got to see your
bluff. Well, how much is it? What's the
! figure you and she have settled onl"
For an instant Mr.. Sleight was in physical
danger. But before he had finished speaking
Renshaw's quick sense of the ludicrous had
so far overcome his first indign alton as to
enable him to even admire the perfect moral
| inseDsibility of his com panion. As he arose
and walked toward the door, he half Won
dered that ne had ever treated the affair Sc
riously. With smile he replied:
Ear from blufing, Sleigbt, am throwing
my cardslon the table. Consider that I've
passed out. Let some other man take my
hand. Rake down the pot if you like, old
man. I leave for Sacramento tonight.
Adiosln
When the door had closed behind him,
Mr. Sleight summoned his clerk.
SIS that petition for grading Pontiac street
ready?"
Give seen the largest property holders,
sir; they're only waiting for you to sign
| first" Mr.. Sleight paused and then affixed
his signature to the paper his clerk laid be-
| fore him. Get the other names and send it
up at once"
eff Mr.. Mott doesn't sign, sir?"
''No matter. He will be assessed all the
same" Mr.. Sleight took up his hat.
1.-The Lascar seaman that was here the
other day has been waiting to see you, sir. l
said you were busy"
Mr.. Sleight put down his hat. "Send him
| up"
Nevertheless, Mr.. Sleight sat down and at
once distracted himself so completely as to
be apparently in utter oblivion of the man
who entered. He was 1.-THE and Iudian-look-
ing, bearing in dress and manner the care
less slouch without the easy frankness of
the sailor.
'Well'' said Sleight without looking up.
81 was only waitin' to know eff you had
any news for me, bossl'
''NewsF' echoed Sleight, as if absently;
''news of what?"
''That little matter of the Pontiac we
talked about, boss returned the Lascar
with an uneasy servility in the whites OF his
teeth and eyes.
"Ob," said Sleight, ''that's played out.
| It's a regular fraud. It's an old forecastle
yarn, my man, that you can't reel off in the
| cabin"
1.-THE man who was looking into it has
thrown the whole thing up. tell you it's
played out!" repeated Sleight, without rails
ing his head.
''It's true, boss-every word,' said the
Lascar with an appealing insinustion that
seemed to struggle hard with savage earn
estness ''You can swear me, boss;
wouldn't lie to gentleman like you. Your
man hasn't half looked, or else-it must be
there. Or
'That's just it," said Sleight slowly; ''who
is to know that your friends havn't been
there alrcady-that seems to have been your
style"
''But no one knew it but me, until told
you. l swear to God. / amt lying, boss
and l amt drunk. Say-don't give it up,
boss. That man of yours likely don't be-
lieve it, because he don't know anythin g
about it. l dol could find it."
A silence followed. Mr. Sleight remained
completely absorbed in his papers for some
moments. Then, glancing at the Lascar, he
took his pen. wrote buried note, folded it,
addressed it, and. holding it between his
fingers, leaned back in his chair.
eff You choose to take this note to my man
he may give it another show. Mind, don t
say that he viii. He's going to Sacramento
tonight, but you could go down there and
fnd him before he starts. He's got a room
there, believe. While you're waiting for
him, you might keep your eyes open to sat
isfy yourself"
Aye, aye, sir,'' said the sailor, eagerly
eudeavoring to catch the eye Of bis employer
But Mr.. SIeight looked straight before him,
and he turned to go.
''The Sacramento boat goes at O."
said Mr.. Sleight, quietly.
This time their chances met and the Las
cars eve gistened with subtle intelligence
The next moment he was gone, and Mr..
Sleight again became absorbed in his pa
pers.
Meanwhile Renshaw was making his way
back to the Pontiac with that light-hearted
optimism that had characterized his parting
with Sleight. 1t was this quality Of his ma
ture, fostered perhaps by the easy civilization
in which ne moved, that had originally
drawn him into relations with the man he
Just quilted, quality that had been troubled
aud darkened by those relations, yet when
they were broken at once returned. 1t con-
sequently did not occur to him that be had
only selfshly compromised with the diff
Guilty; it seemed to him enough that he had
Withdrawn from q compact he thought dis
honorable; he was not called upon TO betray
his partner ia that com pact merely to benefit
others. he had been willing TO incur
suspicion and loss TO reinstate
himself in his self-respect, more
ne could not do without JUS
tifying that suspicion. The view taken hy
Sleight was. after all, that which most business
men would take-which even the unbusiuess
like Mott would take which the girl herself
might be tempted to listen to. Clearly he
could do nothing but abandon the Pontiac
and her owner TO the fate he could not in
honor avert. And even that fate was prob
lemstical. It did not follow that, the treasure
was still concealed in the Pontiac, nor that
Mott would be willing to sell her. He would