Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-02-16

CHAPTER v.
PRECIOUS SPOIL.

bank, as A bel MerwYn was rescued from
It's clutches Then, worse babel than
before ensued.
The men reSembled furious beasts of
prey. Some one ran for the village Of
fcers, some one rang the town bell.
Disorder stalltcd through every street,
mob-rnle held the bank invested as if
the castle Of Il hated enemy.
Within, the relocked doors q safe bar
rier against the invading foe, the cashier
had carried his inanimato burden to the
private office, and placing him on q
couch looked down at him.
Hes dead! dcad!' wadledo Wharton,
trembling like an aspen, his ashen face
stricken, haunted, anguishcd. "Oh,
what awful workers. and what awful
work! A doctor, Mr.. Dacre."
''Silence!" ordered the,,cashier, sternly.
"There's some liquor: in that cabinet
Quick! hand it here"
He forced tho fiery liquid between the
lips Of the PROSTATE man. There was a
hutter of the hands. The kindly eyes
opened, but dimmed and hazy, to take
their last look upon the face of the man
he had trusted, whom, in his unsuspect-
ing innocence, he trusted still.
"Here-herev' gasped the banker,
scarcely audibly, lifting an unsteaay
hand. "I-have-somothing -to-say.
The bank"
"a false ALARM lied the sleek knave
glibly. "Somc one started q run"
eyes, yes! available funds low"
gaspcd MerwYn. II understand, pay
them-pay-paY."
He wavcred from side to side and
seemed sinking again into insonsibility,
but the crafty, eager scoundrcl pressed
him close.
Eyes, yes!" he urged, pay them! you
mean"
Hes goncr' fairly shrielled the old
clerk, rccollng, Us with d gasp the banker
fell back rigid
With serious face Arnold Dacro felt
over his heart, with q blank one he arose
to his feet, scared, white to the lips
~ hardly counted on this" he NUT
tered. THAT blow on his tomple did it.
Quick! Wharton-the false statement.
Hand it here"
ooh, Mr.. Dacrc," whimpered tho clerk
bat he extended n folded document.
put it In his pocket" ordered Dacre
rapidly. Come, be brisk, it's no triling
matter for you and | now. Since he's
dead, wc'll have to face the music. Tho
statement will fix all the blame on him. ~
wrotched Wharton, covering by the side
of the couch. you've killed him
don't blast his reputation"
Arnold Dacrc's face famed like that of
a demon.
"You sneak! You poltroon!" he Kissed,
"f you don't instantly obey me, I'll be-
tray who you were, what you were
when | took you in hand"
Mercy gasped the half insane clerk,
"Tll do it. I'll do it. Oh! why did |
ever come hcror'
His trembling, unsteady hands sought
to press tho paper into tho inside pocket
of the dead mans coat Sacrlege to the
dead, his eyes were glaring with terror,
he was babblng like an idiot driven
frantic with fright.
81 can't get it ill.," he whincd-"thc
pockets full"
Empty it, then" commanded Dacre,
bis eyes expressing excited thought in u
pcrilous dilemma. "What now?"
What? indeed! for the old clerks mood
had suddenly changed. He had arisen
10 his feet and was glaring wonderingly
at hugo wallet. which he had Just re-
moved from Abel Merwyn's pocket.
Look" he painted. He meant this
what are you talking about" de-
manded DaCro rritably.
HE said save the bank-pay. He
must havo suspected or feared. See
money, bonds. decds!''
John Wharton spread open the wallet
1t buIged with opulence-bills of largo
denomination, stocks, certificates, gov
eminent bonds Dacrc, with an eager,
avarcious cry, sprang to his side and
Gazed, too.
"Whero did he get it?" he cried
Enough to save the bank ten times
over. Why" as his eyes lit on the en-
dorsement Of the document, Its Flora
Merwyn's fortune"
IFS it?" murmurcd Wharton. "What
it? She would direct its use as no or
dered. Pay Mr.. Dacre! Save tho bank
protect this mans namo from ,infa my.
I'll tell the mob wcll open tho do ors,
wolf"
"You idiot" cried Dacre, boiling over
at the bare hint "Do you imagine I'm
a raving lunatic, with that wealth in our
power, to give it up? It's what I've
plotted for, it's the reward we've schemed
for. Give it here-givo it up, tell yo u!
it's mine"
With wall, batlled in his last hopeful
struggle for atonemcnt the man of one
lad deed and many good impulses, reelcd
as though thrust by tyrants hand
back into the mire Of guilt and wretched-
ness he had sought 20 escape.
ITS mine. l tell you, all minc!" cried
Dacrc, with sparkling. Sloating eyes sur
Veying tho precious spoil he had wrested
from his hreling.
"No, il is mine."
As if dealt u sudden blow the villain
recoilcd as if fascinated by u spiritual
Vlsitant the old clerk reeled back
A small graceful hand, that of an in
truder who had just noiselesSly entered
tho room from the covered passage way
leading to tho bankers home, was
stretched out, and its fair white fingers
closed about the precious pocket-hook.
Aud, whittier than the shapely hands,