San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-05-04

VA,
inquiry he found that Suggs and the
false Mrs. Riggsby had gone away in a
buggy nearly an hour before, while it
was Thought that Dill was at the office
of Horace Bland.
The sheriff hurried away and soon ar.
rived at BANDS Office, where his loud
knocking upon the door startled the ras-
cally land agent and the willy lawyer, as
described in recent chapter.
When the knocking was repeated
Horace Bland rose and opened the door.
The sheriff and his deputy entered. Dill
rose to his feet, momentary pallo-
coming over his emaciated face.
The sheriff advanced to Dills side,
and laying his hand upon the lawyers
shoulder, he said:
"You are my prisoner!"
Dill turned as pale as death, and for a
moment he stood stupefied with astonish-
ment and fear; then recovering his self
possession in manner, he demanded:
What do you mean?-there must be
a mistake"-
II think not, said the officer coolly,
and drawing forth the warrant he read
it to the prisoner.
This is an outrager' exclaimed the
lawyer, assuming an air of buster; lit is
a plot to injure my character! | shall
make some one suffer for thisv' But he
finally subsidized and was led away by
the officer and locked up in the Jail to
await preliminary examination.
While the incidents just recorded were
taking place. wagon containing three
persons entered the city of Fort Scott
and moved slowly up one of the princi-
pal streets. A single glance would suf-
fee to recognize the occupants of the
vehicle as Simon Riggsby, Mrs. Riggsby
and Fanny. The sudden appearance of
the family in the city at this time may
be briefly explained as follows:
On receiving from the dying cattle
man the letter which contained such
important news and which. as the reader
will remember, had so mysteriously dis
appeared on the night of Ben Ropes
visit to the inn, Mr.. and Mrs. Riggsby
conferred over the news conveyed by
the letter and decided to investigate the
matter regarding the Mansfield estate at
once.
AS soon as the funeral of the deceased
cattleman was over, the family made
preparations to visit Baxter Springs on
the following day for the purpose of
consulting with the attorneys who had
written the letter, but on learning from
a traveller from Baxter Springs that the
senior member of the law firm was dead
and that his partner had removed to
Fort Scott, they decided to proceed to
that place without delay, which they did
on the following morning.
They had a double purpose in visiting
Fort Scott. Aside from the business
matter that called them thither they had
desire to gain some tidings from Dan,
whose long silence had given cause of
the gravest apprehension for his safety.
sOn arriving at the Fort Simon Riggsby
drove directly to the law office of Dill
and Suggs, but what was his surprise to
learn that the, INSCRIPTIONS Dill had
Just been locked up in prison and that
his partner had fled from the city, for
the story of the frauds practiced by the
two had spread like wildfire and vas
the all absorbing topic of conversation
throughout the town.
While Simon Riggsby was conversing
with one of the little crowd of men
who had collected in front of the office of
Dill and Suggs. Fanny suddenly uttered
u cry of '.Oh, Dan. DAM" and descending
from the wagon she ran hastily forward.
and was soon claSped in her brothers
arms.
The meeting WIS indeed happy one.
Mutual explanations followed. and when
Dan related the s,ory of his strange adj
ventures since leaving home and the cir
cumstances which led to the discovery
of the plot of Dill and Suggs. Mrs. Riggs
by said revereltly:
j .It's the hand of Providence-nothing
else G. uld have brought all these things
about and the tears ran down her
cheeks as she ciasped her son to her
breast.