San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-03-15
TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
BY JAMES T. M'KAT.

Ir'nrvr'nht
startled her. Her finger, caught between
the wires, felt the shock of a returning
current. Suddenly the pain flashed again,
and she understood it. Elmer was reply
ing to her. She forced herself to read his
words by the pain the wires caused her,
and she spelled out:
keep cool. Don't fear him."
Seems to me you're precious silent,
miss
:'One might well keep silence while you
use such language as you do, Lawrence
Belford"
WHO'S better right9"
No man has a right not to be gentle
man, and as for your right, l have de-
Cided to withdraw it,
''What do you mean?' he cried in sud-
den anger.
She drew her hand out of her pocket,
slowly took off her engagement ring, and
said:
:.That.''
"Oh! Well have none of that. You
may put your ring on again"
II shall never wear it again"
Eyes, you will. "
II shall not"
"Look here, Miss Denny. Wen have
no nonsense. You are going to marry me
next week. 1 suppose you know that
mortgage is to be foreclosed on Monday,
and you and your father will be beggars.
know how to stop all this and can do
it. Marry me and go to New York with
me on Wednesday, and the mortgage will
be withdrawn"
1--WE may. find the will before that
ooh! You may, you may. You and
your father have been searching for that
will these ten years. You haven't found
it yet, and you won't"
Alma, under any ordinary circum-
stances, would have quailed before this
man. As it was, those trails of copper
wire down her dress kept her busy. She
rapidly sent off through them nearly all
that was said, and her knight of the bat
terry sat upstairs copying it off alone in
his room and almost swearing with anger
and excitement.
Suddenly the message stopped. He lis
tened sharply at the door. Not a sound.
The old house was as still as a grave.
Several minutes passed, and nothing
came. What has happened? Had he cut
the wires? Had Alma tainted? Suddenly
the sounder spoke out sharp and clear in
the silent room:
ELMER, comer'
He seized a revolver pom the bureau,
n d. thrustlng it into his pocket, tore off
the white strip of paper that had rolled
out of the instrument, and with it in his
hand he went quickly down stairs. He
opened the door without knocking and
advanced into the middle of the room
The moment he entered Alma sprang up
from her seat, pulling out the two wires
rs she did so, and throwing her arms
about the young man she cried out in an
agony of fear and shame
''Oh, Elmer, Elmer! take me away!
Take me to my fatherp'
He supported her with his right arm
and turned to face her assailant with the
crumpled ribbon of paper still in his hand.
''What does this mean, sir? Have you
been i'll treating my cousin?'
go to bed, boy. It's very late for
school children to be up"
"Your language is insulting, sir. re-
peat it. What have you said or done to
4 Miss Denny?'
y 'Oh, come away! come away, Elmerr'
j "NOne of your business, you puppy"
"There is no need to ask what you said,
sir. / know every word and have made a
copy of it,
"Ah! Listening, were you?"
''No, sir. Miss Denny has told me- Do
4 you see those wires? They will entangle
4 you yet and trip you up"
"Come away, Elmer. Come away"
''For the present will retire, sir; but,
mark me, your game is nearly up"
"By, by, children. Good night. Re-
member your promise, Miss Denny. The
carriage Will be all ready"
l Without needing this last remark, FL
nlcr, with hll cousin on his arm, with
4 DIRE. As they closed the door the tele-
grapL wires caught in the carpet and
broke. The man saw them, and picking
one up, he examined it closely.
Suddenly he dropped it and turned
ashen pale. With all his bravado he
Quailed before those slender wires upon
the carpet lie did not understand them.
He guessed they might be some kind of
telegraph, but beyond this everything was
vague and mysterious, and they filled
him with gniltY alarm and terror