The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-11-19

| undoubtedly, masa matters rather un-
pleasant for him, II his whereabouts
were known.
So he realised on all valuable papers
In his possession and started East
Nearly month elapsed between the
enactment Of the vineyard tragedy and
the time Of Leon Velasquez's final dis
appearance from the Sonoma valley
With the assistance and advice Of Joel
Wilcox, Mrs. Delaro was preparing to
dispose OF her house and leave the dis
trict Thanks to the old Yankees busi-
ness tact, she found that she had suf-
ficient money left from the proceeds Of
the sale to keep her In comfort for q
number Of years. Still she was anxious
to be rid OF the house also.
In any case she would have been COM
PEELED to sell 1t shortly afterwards, for on
the twentieth OF the month, thirty days
after Delaros death, notice was served
on tho executors OF the estate to the effect
that note for 1850, ,OOO ffty-thousand
dollars drawn in favor Of Leon Velasr
quez and discounted by him in San
Francisco, was due and must be paid in
three days
This threw new light on affairs, and
Mrs. Delaro was amazed. Why had her
husband given Velasquez note at
thirty days for such an amount Of
money? She was utterly unable to
solve the riddle, and at once sought her
old friend for aid.
This is what old Joel Wilcox, the
millionaire, said about 1t: "You kin
depend upon it, Mrs. Delaro, that there
is more in this than you or know at
present This note that's O lyin' In
the bank for you to meet was drawn on
the night that my friend Mario was
murdered, and I'm as sure that it's got
sumthin' to do with that dirty work as
am that Anton Reyman is innocent Of
1t all The note'll hev to be met, but
it'll knock big hole in what you got
out of the sale O. the vineyard to do it
So when you're ready to sell your house
don't go to anybody else. I'll buy 1t
and give you fair price for it."
Mrs. Delaro was much stirred by old
Wilcox's words, and 1t was with q
blanched face that she looked up at the
big millionaire, and said: "Mr Wilcox,
do you think for one moment that Leon
Velasquez had any thing TO do with the
death Of my poor husbandp"
Eyes | do" was the reply land
what's more I'm going to find out Just
how much he did hev to do with 1t, or
my name amt Joel Wilcox"
~ don't like TO think this without
some good grounds for the belief" said
tho beautiful woman; but | will
arouse myself at once. am unusually
quiet and do not as a rule jump at con-
clusions; but when my husband was
cruelty taken from mo 1t seemed as
though my heart had been forcibly torn
from its place to be replaced by spirit
OF revenge. Henceforth my duty shall
be to find Mario's slayer. |, too, do not
believe Anton Reyman guilty, but"
here her voice became choked with
emotion and passion. The quiet pas.
sive nature OF tho lady was fast fading
before the hot southern blood OF an
aroused woman, and it was with fash
Ing eyes and painting breath she
earnestly exclaimed: "T eiU find his
murderer, and may the blessed Virgin
have mercy on him whom | do-for
will have none"
Joel Wilcox promised that he would
leave no stone unturned, but as Rev.
/ mans trial was to come Oft in about ton
days he must go to San Francisco and
interview the brokers. so as to find out
all he could about Velasquez's recent
actions.
THAT is the clew l must follow he
said TO the widow. "In the meantime.
you, OF course, will keep your eyes
and ears open to all that transpires in
this immediate neighborhood."
Such was the compact which Joel
Wilcox and the widow OF Delaro en-.
tered into that night, and through
many weary years OF mingled hopes
and disappointment they kept the one
aim In constant view
The next morning Joel Wilcox
started for San Francisco, to learn what
he could about the money which velas.
quez had raised on the note.
For this purpose he called at the Of.
flee Of Crandall & Co., investment
brokers' Delaro had often told him