Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-03-23
.a.n 90. WA a .uodsand dollars in it, .

| casn oox WA .nodsand dollars In it, /. .
hearr
THAT'S all right" answered Dick. Keep
away from crooks an the like, an no one'll
ask yer to go ter prison"
| "Come, Dick said the other, trying con-
| ciliatory measures, "give us a tenner to satisfy
the cop, an III see my mother about the bal
ance in the morning. Pom my word Pm
only out on parole Ipromised to be back in
;en minutes with the money, and they just
| Know where to put their hands on me this
minute"
There was an ugly, artful look in the fell
| lows eyes when he said this that would have
made Dick cautious about opening the safe If
he had been dealing with a stranger but he
did not think i'll enough of his brother for
| that, and so, to rid himself of the nuisance,
| he unlocked the door and took out a roll Of
bills
The sight of the money seemed to rouse the
| avarice of his companion, and stretching
| hastily forward he tried to snatch the roll
| from his brothers grasp, but was not quick
| enough.
The baffled man looked at Dick for an in
slant with an ugly scowl, and the next mo-
ment his hand was round his throat while
Dick was struggling on the floor.
| "Policel police! let me upr' shouted Dick,
| claSplnB us roll OF money closer.
Then in an instant he saw a glittering blade
| in his brothers hand descending towards
himself.
"Oh, spare me, Harryr' cried the helpless
Dick; but his cry for mercy came too late; the
knife was plunged deep into his body, and
| the red handed Cain was the possessor of the
fruits Of his industry.
There were no traces OF drunkenness about
| the murderer now
The shock of his desperate action had So
bered him. He looked at the dead body at his
feet and kicked il aside. Then Lee turned to
the safe and taking the money placed it in
! his own pocket
Next he approached the window and looked
out into the street
1t was unusually quiet. There was not a
human being in sight.
Once more he returned to the scene of his
butchery. The body of Dick Law still and
harmless on the floor He lifted his ewes
TO look around, and for the first time he saw
the jackdaw seated on its perch looking in
tently at him as if perfectly aware of all that
had happened.
Now your champion is gone I'll settle
scores with you, black DEVIL" said the muir
derer as with a savage oath he attempted TO
capture the bird. But his old enemy was too
ocoh AeA oOuehi6 OSuiIu SutlNeS anu
bundles he managed to elude pursuit and so,
| fearing TO risk staying longer, he made sure
that the course was clear and disappeared
into the dismal night.
When the murder of Dick Creepy was dis
| covered the best detectives in the city were
put on the case to work it up
1t proved, however, to be one of those Il n
solvable mysteries with which the police
often have to deal Each clew after being
inevitably correct, proved to be a mere chi
| mera and was reluctantly abandoned until
| finally the case was considered to be exhausted
and was given up,
Meanwhile the Widow Creecy, after bury.
ing her son, decided to sell out the clothing
store, and the stock was announced for sale
by auction.
Not the slightest breath of suspicion had
ever been directed towards Harry, but never
| theless he had avoided the store by Kind
of instinct ever since tho murder, and entered
| 1t for the first time while the sale was 90
ing on
There were not many people present-a
few of the neighbors engaged in the same
business were looking for bargains, and a
solitary detective who had dropped in acct
| dentally with the vague idea that he might
| find q clew
| As soon as Harry arrived the detective
| walked over and sat down beside him to talk
over the case They were near the stove
and the auctioneer was standing on the exact
place where the struggle had happened. The
detective was propounding some absurd ideas,
| and Harry was amused TO think how far of
his conclusions were from the right point
Suddenly, during slight pause which had
occurred In the business a scream was heard
Tho murderer looked up TO the place from
which it camo and his head turned strangely
dizzy. What did he heart What was the
| sound which held all the people spellbound
| and directed all eyes to himself9
"Oh, spare me, Harry Oh, spare me,
Harry! Oh, spare me, Harry"
Right through his brain that sickening
sound seemed to 60, while there perched up
on the seat, sat the jackdaw, with the diabolic
| fire burning in its eyes, screaming US if il
| would never stop this last appeal his brother
had made when he had madly plunged the
knife into his bosom.
In vain the disconnected man tried to re-
cover himself and to smile Off the deadly
| sickness which had come over him. Before
the malignant gaze of those two eyes riveted
| mercilessly upon him he quailed and. srembled
| and as the murderer tried to shuttle out from
the crowd around him the detective laid hi:
hand upon bis shoulder and whispered:
II think have the right clew You had
| better como with NEIL. E. Clamp in New
York Mercury.