Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-12-29

I'D DOH. o1iao Jerry. Wen. newer mind
thak Yea reean I nystsriously disa3raared
hon nRton shortly aassr yonder lsd's fatAeR
dis1r
Yes, remember IT, replied Gregory.
someWhat Impressed now with the consi6e
ton that Dobbs had an object in his strange
midnight visit
Gabriel Marble was . schemer and .
thief. and for years I'd been his trusty slave.
until I knew too much about his business.
and he got afraid might in some drinking
bout tell what I knew went ON Dobbs.
Then he had done wrong?- murmured
Mrs. Gregory.
-Had!- snorted Dobbs: well. with cheat
ing estates by fraud and forgery. shaving
notes st fifty per cent. and other crimes. he
was just at the doors of the penitentiary.
and one day he come to me and told me
that he wanted ME to leave Upton and
never come back again. and he gave me
thousand dollars. and said if I ever told
any one about his shady business he would
make it bad for me. he did
-How?" querfed Gregory.
L went to New York. got drinking. I
lost and squandered every dollar had I
wrote Marble to send me enough to pay my
fare to California. and I'd never trouble
him again. No answer. / wrote again,
threatening to expose his secrets if he
didn't. That brought him. He came. got
me drinking. and next day, on trumpet
up charge Of robbery. was packed of to
States prison for three years"
What a dreadful mani" shuddered Janet
nesting closer to her lover.
L kept quiet then; had to- proceeded
Dobbs. grimly. by and by. freedom came.
I wandered around: time had changed me.
I became a tramp. and about a month ago I
found a motive in life."
And that was?-ventured Gregory.
-Revenge!-
-On Gabriel Marble?"
Who else? Hadn't he made me a thief
and a convict? worked my way towards
Upton. Yesterday. at the next village.
learned the run Of town gossip. was
sort of confused when stopped here for
food. Twas hungry. too. Then remem-
bered ye all and what I'd heard Of We. It
started me thinking; for if there was one
game for which could put the clamps on
Gabriel Marble. it was for cheating William
Tyler and John Gregory"
-Ah, at last. the brute!" murmured Cecil
Tyler, expectantly.
Man! man! can you right my wrorgsf-
cried Gregory. excitedly.
Wait and see. Truth was. the night that
Tyler came back to Upton he had $4,000
with him. He came to Marbles. and paid
it to him.
Are you sure?"
L saw him. Marble pretended the notes
was at the bank, but Tyler said to never
mind. to give him receipt, and the notes
later. Just as he handed it to Tyler he
tainted away. Marble hooked the receipt.
ha Tvla ial
bribed me to silence and claimed that he
never received the money
Why. Dobbs. your evidence alone would
bring Marble to time!" spoke Gregory.
Trust me trying it on that crafty old foxi
No. I wanted tangible evidence. When I
left here to-day I wanders into Upton.
Mrs. Gregory's food and drink enjoyed
at the town tavern primed me for work. I
hung around Marbles old house. He saw
me. and never recognized me. Finally.
ventured to ask him for work"
And got it?'
Yes. He was moving to his new man
sion, on the hill. ----------
II know"
$50 he gets me to help him. By and by.
it comes to moving his desk. I shouldered
it. Once out of sight, logged it to thicket.
I had lantern of his with me. For an hour
I searched over his papers. you bet! ]
broke open drawer after drawer. Then
carted the desk to the new house. got q lot
of abuse for delay. and a stingy dime for all
my work; and then to the tavern. and then
-here!-
And the papers?" queried Mr.. Gregory
suspensefully.
They'll fix him." chuckled Dobbs. He
kept every scrap he ever had. I'm going on
to the next town to see Lawyer Roberts. Il
won't be safe for me when Marble finds tho
broken desk. I'm going to get Roberts to
take the papers and prosecute Marble for
forgery and fraud. Oh! I'll have my re-
venge.-
Dobbs arose to his feet. He looked quite
serious as he glanced at the farmers wife.
-Missus." he said. you gave me food when
you needed it. I'm glad to be able to show
my gratitude. Among Marbles papers I
found-that!' 49,
That was a time-worn document. around
which the eager quartet crowded.
The receipt for the money paid by my
father to Gabriel Marble. and stolen from
him by MarbIel- cried Cecil Tyler. tumu]tu-
ously. -Oh! farmer. the old place will be
mine again. All that Marble has defrauded
you of he will have to repay with interest.
The dawn has come at last"
Yes, light had come amid darkness: the
receipt proved everything. With Dobbs'
evidence it placed Gabriel Marble in the
dock as common swindler and perjurer.
Upton knew the truth ere the Christmas
sun had crossed the meridian. and when the
county sheriff tapped the usurer on the
shoulder. and told him that his crimes were
well known, Gabriel Marble did not Delay in
restoring to Gregory and Cecil the prop
erty of which he had robbed them.
The tap Of the tramp's hand on the farm
house door had won him charity that he
repaid nobly.
The tap Of friend at that same door later
was welcomed with loves delight, for Cecil
was never to leave Janet again.
The tap of the hands of justice on
Gabriel Marbles shrinking shoulder brought
villainy home to him. and right triumphed
over wrong.
And those three taps made the gathering
at the Gregory farmhouse that Christmas
night the happiest and brightest in all the
broad land.
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME. |