Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-11


| ground The canvas showed no hole through
which he could look in. He crawled all the
way around the tight structure without dis
| covering a lesion in the cloth. He heard
| Wiams astir within, and the position of the
| lighted lamp was changed several times At
| length. despalring of a less risky diyice. viii
| took out his penknife and made tiny slit
| With one eye at the aperture, he looked in.
Aleck Wiams sat astride trunk, on which
| stood the lamp, while in his hands he held q
package of treasury notes of the same fraudu-
| lent manufacture that had been taken from
| his two scapegoats. He was irresolutely finger
| ing them, as though making up his mind with
dificulty what to do with them. When a de-
Termination was reached, he had to summon all
his resolution to carry it out. He held handful
| of the notes over the glass funnel of the lamp
but before the heat ignited the paper ne drew
| luctantly burn the remainder OF his stock of
| spurious money for fear that it might be dis
| covered. He had obtained It to mix with cash
to pay his employees A little had been used in
| that way, add Detective Alloway had followed
| the trail by means of these cautious OUTPUTS
1t seemed the part of common sense to make
his safety sure by destroying all the evidence
of guilt rather than keep it at his peril. Again
he held the package over the lamp, and a
charring corner broke into flame
stop. you scoundrel!" VIII Brown yelled
Wiams' action was equally inconsiderate and
instructive. He dashed the lamp to the ground.
But instead of putting out the light he created
a vastly greater one The glass broke with an
explosion, and the oil was thrown over the
mans clothes. The tent and its occupant we're
instantly ablaZe
A screech of fright and agony resounded
through the camp The tent famed high, and
was gone like a fash of fireworks, leaving
Wiams burning like great torch. The oil had
saturated his garments, and he was all en-
veloped IN fire. The four temporary jailors ran
hastily to the spot. Deuce Low was next She
saw the burning man, and believed that some
mischance of heintended rescue had delivered
her father from durance into this awful dis
aster. She had brought the blanket from
where Will had dropped it on leaving her. She
desperately wrapped the woolen cloth around
the fiery object Then other hands helped, and
the flames were smothered; but they saw that
the man was dead, and Deuce as well as they
recognized him as Aleck Wiams. Her father
caught her with hug, for the abandonment of
his jail had left him free to join the excited
throng.
20, Dads, she cried, kissing him bysterically,
well, you were saving your father Just the
same" exclaimed Will Brown, "for you kept
this evidence Of his innocence from being
of the dead criminal the half-burned bunch of
counterfeit notes.
There was no more imprisonment for Jack
High and Old Jugg Brown.
A few days later they were discussing the
singularity of their escape, and the commend
able parts played in that event by their chill
dren.
at occurs to me-" said Jack, without quite
hiding his idea that such a thing would be
condescension, ''that nothing would delight me
more tDan TO marry my RlIl 70 your DOy.'
AN I've been a thinking, responded Jugg,
with still less eoncealment of his belief that
the bestowal Of honor would be his. THAT I'd
like to have my boy marry your gal"
-"Of course, my daughter would not go into
an engagement without first getting my con-
sent"
AN my son wouldn't pop the question with
out my knowin' OF it before hand"
At that moment the youngster Joined them.
Father" said Will Brown, "this young lady
is Miss Laura Wallace, and she has consented
to become my wife; and, in telling you of it,
I'm going to say something to you-straight
and plain. You must sign a total abstinence
pledge. and keep it, or we will disown you.
ing to never taste whisky again."
Old Jugg Brown was silent and solemn mo:
ment before grasping his sons hand and say
ing: $50 help me God, will never taste the
stuff again. An wish you g-o-y.'
Dad, /" said Miss Wallace, lit is true that
have engaged myself to WILL and you are the
only reason why should't be his wife. But if
you will swear to let that game of poker be
your last hand Of cards, will name the we'd
ding day, and put you on probation
II solemnly swear that l will never gamble
again." he slowly answered. "God bless you,"
and he kissed scar which the fire had left on
her hand.
The fathers subsequently signed their names |
to a certain marriage certificate as Robert H N
Wallace and Henry A. Brown, witnesses" The
of Jack High and Old Jugg were
silenced along with that of Deuce Low, when
she became Mrs. Brown, and it seems improb-
able that they will ever be revived.
(THE END.)
Copyrighted, 1889. All rights reserved.