The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-06-09
ghe aaehta Daily Eagle ghursday 7orno, gume g. 1892

| rided him, but when Terence himself, il
his own peculiar chirography, directes
to me an envelope containing such star
Ting news, all set forth in the highes
style of the engraver's art-well, it wa.
too much, and l went down into tn,
camp, where surcease of sorrow was OBJ
tainable in quantities to suit the pur
chaser, and where there was full scor,
of Terence's friends and acquaintance
to toast his memory and console witt
each other. And grief was our lot unit
the day Jewett ''struck it" in that hol'
he had been pegging away at over OF
the other side of the gulch, and excite
| ment reigned supreme.
la the midst of the confusion, tele
grams came and went, fying-brough1
and sent by special courier to and from
the Office at Sunrise, nine miles away
and one day came one for him who sits
! here burning the nocturnal kerosene. 4
was from Hallegan, who was now hv
ing in Chicago, and summoned me t.
hasten to that city, where was needed
| to assist in transaction involving tbs
! Terence and were interested.
Terence met me at the station. HI
| looked remarkably well, even for a per
son whose health and spirits had always
been of the very best, and | told him So
adding that III deponent's opinion he
must have drawn a capital prize in the
matrimonial lottery.
He smiled happily, and took my arm
to walk outside the train inclosure az
he said:
eThat / did-that did, me boy; Just
wait till you see her, and you'll be sure
of it."
He called a cab, gave the driver some
brief instructions, and leaped in after
me- We rode several minutes in silence
then Hallegan turned to me in rather
embarrassed way, and said, in strained
tone:
BILLY, me boy-it's very near dinner
time at our house-and there's no time
for-explanations. Only-if you think
you've seen-my wife-if her face is IA
miliar-please don't mention it, or act
as though you noticed it. FL explain
after dinner"
1 acquiesced wonderingly, and won
dered yet more after | had met Mrs.
Hallegan, for was quite positive that !
had never seen her before, and there
was ample opportunity during the course
of the excellent dinner we presently sat
down to, to study her. She was slightly
above the medium height, and of a per-
feet, though rather slight figure. Her
hair and eyes were dark, setting off ex-
cellently her clear olive complexion, and
her features were all that an artist could
desire. She was hardly what one would
call a beautiful woman, however
Handsome" would be the better word
or, perhaps, striking" There was
something about the firm set of her
mouth when not speaking, and the
strong, rather masculine chin-in which,
oddly enough, there was a charningly
feminine dimple-that caused this effect,
| think. One would never have taken
Mrs. Hallegan for the daughter of the
little, white haired, sweet faced old lady
who sat opposite me, and whom she ad-
dressed as mother"
No, had never seen her up to half an
hour ago, SO gave up studying her and
fell to wondering what Hallegan was
going to explain"
Dinner over. the ladies rose to leave us,
smiling over the broad hint Terence had
just thrown out concerning desire to
smoke. AS they reached the door Mrs.
Hallegan turned and bowed mockingly
to her husband, whose hand was Just
reaching for the bell. Il hope, Sir Ter
ence, that the cigars may prove dry
company" Then, with bright smile,
she vanished.
l topped into my chair breathlessly.
Where had seen that mocking bow?
Then suddenly there came before me
that little scene in the mountains two
years since-the dust, the heat, the
sleepy cowboy inside the coach, the dap
per little chap who SO politely took our
money and watches. He bowed Just
that way when he finished his work and
departed. "Her brother" thought
"black sheep, blot on family escutcheon.
How much they resemble
well, me boy?"
Hallegan was looking at me quizzi-
cally through the smoke, we having
lighted our cigars meanwhile. l sup
pose looked embarrassed. OF course it
was all rot The idea of there being
any connection, however remote, be-
tween the stately creature who had just
left us and the little rascal who en-
gineered that holdup!
Hallegan spoke:
BILLY, me boy, won't make a short
story any longer than is necessary You
remember the little fellow who held rs
up two years ago"
"Of course do"
eyes, very likely. Well, fancy I'd
better begin at the beginning.
Three years ago young fellow
named Wilson, who had been employed
as cashier by the l.. and a. Stage and
Express company, got into trouble over
his accounts. The manager, Robinson,
charged him with a shortage amounting
to several thousand dollars. There was
an investigation, and on the strength Of
certain circumstantial evidence which
need not be stated, as it is immaterial,
backed by the testimony of Robinson,
the manager; Tweedy, the superintend-
ent. and Frank Robinson, son of the
manager-who. by the way, had always
been Wilson's bosom friend-the cashier
Was convicted on trial and sentenced 70
a long term at Canyon City. Strange to
say. he offered no testimony and made
no defense except his plea of not guilty
We'll, it killed him. Inside of year
the worrY and disgrace. along with The