The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1891-10-03
CHAPTER SXII.

rapid speech:
81 don't whey hit me and stun
ned me l don't know who, but know
their faces They were here moment
ago"
"1Cu are Surc?"
"They just went out"
"Then they must be in the next room y
Mr. Pratty put hand over his mouth,
and leaning in a dramatic manner to-
ward the door. to which one thumb
pointed, he ierked the thumb signiti-
cant y.
Joe nodded quickly.
"Iiumph? Wei, it's lucky l came in
here. never am herc-eEccpt on bust
ness. I'm lawyers c'erk the didn't
say he was his uncie's), and I've got to
go around hunting up witnesses in al
kinds of PAGES. This"-lowering his
voice-"is terrible p ace-for a young
lady. Terrible"
"Ian't you tell the police, or tell my
friends, and they'll soon get me away
yes, and Mons.eu Dufaur will punish
them for it. They'll never NEEDLE with
any one again, if Monsieur Dufaur
catches them.
"Ges, no doubt But this is ticklish
thing Awful ticklish You see, the
very moment l go out they'll take you
somewhere csc, and then how am to
prove | saw you Lere? Why, they d
swear through thick aud thin they never
saw you-never heard Of you And I'd
be laughed at. No, I've better plan
than that. I'll pretend ! know you
that you're a friend Of mine, and in
short Miss, I'll just have to make be.
lieve | won't have no nonsense, because
you aremy particular fayorite. Sce?"
Joe did not see, ard said 50 very
promptly Y.
"Why can't you make a row now, and
then III run away and find the rt al
home "
They'd think nothing of settling my
hash, said Mr.. Pratty in elegant phrase,
"and they'd lie rougher with you, No
In the first ace, must find cut who's at
the bottom of this ! must find ont
who's paying ITEM to do This. and al
about it, in short Then III spring a
trap on them. Now, III slip out again,
and if you don't 50" me soon you may be
sure I'm wo king plan to get you out
Of their clutches
Then Mr.. .'enks darted out quickly
ana Joe was left alone again She
looked eagerly about the room There
was no means OF exit There was but
one door, and that led into the room
where she heard loud voices AMI the
blinking OF g asses.
I he time seemed interminabe to poor
Jor. In reality bat ten or fifteen min
u'es elapsed, but Joe never cou' d believe
h .urS DID not roll round before Mr..
jerks reappcared 0 'tiy.
81 thought you hid gone-I was sure
you had gone"
NO. | was Just getting to the bot
tom of this business Now, listen to me.
I'm lawyers Clerk, as ! told you.
know all about the Law. There's some
body has claim Oh you"
Il know-Mr. Caper, of GAINESVILLE
PoorhouSe. o, I'll die-Ill kill myself
before I'll go back there" Joe cried.
"Nell, now, You may ,lieVe me or
not; they can take you
Not ii Monsieur Dufaur or Mr.. Job
Wonder knows it
You just listen minute, then you'll
see just how it is. In the first place
now don't interrupt ne til get through.
IN the first place, the IoDrhouse as.thor-
tiles can ta'.e you. ! suppose you've an
idea of that sort. In tie next place,
there's an old farmer who says he is re-
SponSibie for You to that MIR. CaDer, or
to the authorities of Acorn County. It
seems the old coigcr is in New York
now don't speak, wait till I'm done
Well, he's Interested nightly. He'll
lose, | guess, five hundred do lars if he
can't produce y0u when Acorn County
authorities demand you. So, he's
anxious to get out Of that fix But il
seems he's made a deal with the super
intendent of the poorhou>e like this:
The cd farmers not to b. known in it
onn wa or other. He cam, to town and
spicd around-sot poll emcn and detect
tiyeS found you out-then, instead OF
telling them to nab you-you see. to do
that h. would have to figure in it. and
as near as | can learn, he's afraid his
wife will make il warm for him if he gets
his name in the papcrs-as it would; it
couldn't help being printed when it
comes into court. a it must. SO he is
pretty sly-awful sly is the old farmer
he finds a gang Of fellows who will hold
you till they get word to /eke Caper, and
hcl send on. or come on himself
like ne VIII come on to New York him
self, and then, when he gels you back in
Acorn County, why, no one will suspect
the farmers had hand in it-and
it leaves him out-no more responsibility
on his shoulders.
Il don't believe IT," Joe cried-but the
doubts had entered the poor girl heart
she did believe it-aLd the disillusion
was more difficult t. bear up under than
the dread of encountering Zeke Caper
again.
"Wcll-that's just all l learned be-
lieve it. It's clear enough to me, miss P"
at is Job Wonder-the man who was
kihdest TO me "
"Ah. That's pity, too"
"He-he-he. Joe was sobbing now,
"called at Monsieur Dufaur's to day
What" exclaimed jerks. He was
not bad actor-Ike jerks surprise
seemed real.
"He called to-to-to tell us Tiff any
thing happened me-So Madame Dufaur
told me-to be sure and send him word,
and he would do all he could to help me.
"Ah h"
jerks exclamation SCI med to be final.
THAT settles it"
"What settles it,"
"Why-don't you see? He knew be-
forehand, and how did h know? Be
cause he had planned it Then the
cheek of the scoundrel-to go to your
house and pretend he would help find
YOU"
MIR Isaac jerks. alias Pratty, was
furiously indignant at such
treachery He cou'd not say enough i'll
of job Wonder
Poor Joe was abaShcd- dumfounded.
The worst OF il is, if You should man
age to get back 10 Monsieur Dufaurs
either /ckn CaIer or Mr.. Wonder
@. he is :. wonderful sly Wonder, is he
either Of them can walk right IN. take
YOU out OF the hoaSc. and no one dare
Sag boo. That's the law. suppose
Monsieur Dufaur or his wife is inclined
to resist. well. then. they II be arrested:
and before they get cut Of the muSS it'll
cost en- We !, knowing what | know,
seeing what I've seen OF interfering
with law, if they get Of with a hundred
6oi ars apiece II two or three lawyers
aud i'll take two or three sure, and