Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-09
patience of Sir Giles Mount1oy.

/ he OF his dCCOmp1ce was actually IN the
| town, posting the letter within half a
| minutes walk of the bank. The contents
: presented an impenetrable mystery, the
writing looked worthy of a mailman.
| Sentences appeared in the widest state Of
confusion, and words were so mutilated
as to be unintelligible. This time, the
force OF circumstances was more than Sir
Giles could resist. He took the clerk into
his confidence at last.
Let US begin at the beginning, +" he said.
'"There is the letter you saw on my bed,
when l first sent for you. l found it wait
ing on my table when | woke, and | don't
know who put it there. Read it,"
Dennis read as follows:
SIR GILES MOUNTJoY:-I have a disclosure
to make, IL wE.cn one of the members of your
family is seriously interested. Before l can
venture to eXplaIn myself, i must be assured
that l can trdSt to your goot faith. As a Test
of this, l require you to fulfill the two condi-
lions that foilow-and to do it without the
slightest loss of time. / dare not trust you
yet with my address, or ms signature. ANY
act OF careless"e-s, on my part, might end
fatally fer ItC true frienI who wrIIeS these
lines. If you neglect this warning, you will
regret it 10 the emu Of your ift.
To the conditions on which the letter
insisted there is no need to aIlrde. They
had been complied with when the discov-
cries were made at the back OF the mile
stone, and between the pages of Gibbons
History. Sir Giles had already arrived at
~ SOHCIuSIOu lHdU d conspiracy was III
progress to assassinate him. n perhaps
TO roo The bank. The wiser head clerk
pointed to the perforated paper n the in
comprehensive writing received that
morning. IF we can find out these
mean," he said, you may be better able,
sir, to form a correct opinion"
And who is to do that?" the banker
asked.
Il can but try, sir" was the modest re-
ply, IF you see no objection to my making
the attempt"
Sir Giles approved of the proposed ex-
pertinent, silently and satirically, by a
bend of his head.
Too discreet a man to make a suspi-
ciously ready use of the information which
he had privately obtained, Dennis took
care that his first attempt should not be
successful. After mOdeStly asking per-
mission to try again, he yentured on the
second occasion to arrive at a happy dis
covery. Lifting the perforated paper, he
placed 1t delicately over the page which
contained the unintelligible writing.
Word and sentences now appeared
(through the holes in the paper) in their
right spelling and arrangement, and adj
dressed Sir Giles in these terms:
Il beg to thank you, sir, for complying
with my conditions. You have satisfied
me of your good faith. At the same time
it is possible that you may hesitate to trust
a man WHO'S not yet able to admit you to
his confidence. The perilous position in
which | stand obliges me to ask for two or
three days more of delay, before L can
safely make an appointment with yOu.
FRA be patlent-and on no account apply
for advice or protection to the police!''
Those last words" Sir Giles declared,
"are conclusive. The sooner l am under
the care of the law the better. Take my
card to the police office"
May | SaF a word first, Sir?''
me?"
81 mean that"
you were always an obstinate man,
Dennis; and it grows on you as you get
older. Never mind! Let's lave it out.
Who do yOu say is the person pointed ut
in these r~aScallg letters?"
The head clerk took up the first letter of
the two and pointed TO the opening sent
ence: Sir Giles Mountjoy, 1 have a dis
closure to make in which one of the mem
berS of your family is seriously interest
words, One of the members of your fam
lily" His employer regarded him with a
broad stare of establishment.
One of the members of my family?''
Sir Giles repeated, on his side. WAY
man alive, what are o thinking of. I'm
an old bachelor, and [ haven't got a fam
ily."
There is your brother, sir"
My brother is in France-out of the
way of the wretches who are threatening
me. L wish l was with him!"
There are your brothers two sons, Sir
Giles"
We'll? And what is there to be afraid
of? My nephew, Hugh, is in London
and, mind! not on a political errand. I
hope, before long, to hear that he is going
TO be married-if the strangest and incest
girl in England will have him.. What's
wrong now?'
Dennis explained. 81 only wished to saw.
sir. that | was thinking of your other
nephew"
FSir Giles laughed. arthur in d~angerl'
he exclaimed. LAS harmless a young man
as ever lived. The worst one can say of
him is that he is throwing away his money
farming in Kerry"
Excuse me, Sir Giles; there's not much
chance of his throwing away his money.
where he is now Nobody will venture to
take his money. l met with one of Mr..
Arthur's ~neighbors at the market yester-
day. Your nephew is boycotted."
80 much the BETTER" the obstinate
banker declared. He will be cured of
his craze for farming, and he will come
back to the place | am keeping for him in
the office"
""God grant itp' the clerk said, ~fervent-
ly.
For the moment Sir Giles was staggered.
"Have you heard something that you have
not old me yeu?'' he asked
No. sir. / am only bearing in mind
something w~hich-with all respect think
you have forgotten. The last tenant on
that bit of land in Kerry refused to pay
his rent. Mr.. Arthur has taken what they
call an evicted farm. It's my firm belief, .
said the head clerk, rising and speaking
earnestly, that the person who has adj
dressed those letters to you knows MI.
Arthur and knows he is in danger, and
is trying to save your nephew (by means
of your influence at the risk of his own
life"
Sir Giles shook his head. 81 call that
a Tar-fetched Interpretation, Dennis. Ii
what you say is true, why didn't the writ
er of those anonymous letters address him.
self to Arthur instead of to me?'
Il gave it as nv opinion, just now, sir,
that the writer of the letter knew Nj.
Arthur"
80 you Gid. And what of that?'
Dennis stood to his guns.
Anybody who is acquainted with Mr..
Arthur" he persisted. know that with
all sorts of good qualities) the young gen.
tleman is headstrong and rash. If a friend
told him he was in danger on the farm
that would be enough of itself to make
him stop where he is and brave it out.
Whereas, You sir, are known to be eau
tious and careful, and far-Seeing and dis
Greet" He might ave added: And cow
ardly and obstinate, and narrOw-minded
and inflated by stupid self-esteem. But
respect for his employer had bllndtolded
the clerks observation for many a long
year past. If one man may be born with the
J heart of a lion. another man may be born
with the mind of a mule. Dennis master
was one of the other men.