The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-11
THE DINK Bolts MYSTERY.


chair cracked. The cheese sandwich lay I'M
tasted before him. but from time 70 time he
slipped absentmindediy ct the glass Of Ameri-
caa ginger ala A little travellers clock on his
desk struck 1 He started, and series OF shud-
ders seemed to run mp and down his seventy
two inches OF massive bulk. like bubbles in .
glass OF champagne. With Q sort Of convulsive
backward witch Of his head he looked up At
the portrait hung over his desk, . full length
figure In oils Of . poftly, middls-aged man.
with . genuine Lumpkin county smile on his
tacA "Great Scottf' cried the secretary, shak.
Ing his Est as the clipper couatcuance OF the
portrait chow much longer can this 60 on with
out detecttonf First IL didn't come until s,
yesterday 1t was only half.pass s and today /
feel - though it might come At any moment.
II 1t could only Be put OF until after dark: but
no. here are the days getting longer and Longer,
and the Thing coming little earlier every day.
What II some of the watchmen or char
Women Here the secretary struck the desk
. ringing blow, and laughed the kind of a
laugh that IL not good 90 hear 30, haven't
had good time since left Atlanta" he cried.
Il don't mind wor3ing like . roustabout, but
It's enough to break up any mans nerves 70 go
through what have to every DAY. We'll,
there's no way out Of it I may - we'll 90 10
work while ! can. Perhaps / may have four
hours yet, but that horrible feeling in my head
tells me that the Things going to come early to-
''Col. Munk Irish and Maj. Buck Wilkins,
sir, to zee about Col Higntower Sweats appoint
mcnt"
''show them In. Jerry"
Jerry shows them in.
'Good mosning, colonel; good morning ma
jor. Glad to sec you. Haven't reached Col.
Swsat's name yet but shall try to get down to
zee you are interested in that portrait, Col
Irish. Natural, isn'r it?'
"About the best ever sse. Col Smith, unless
'twas the red COW that was painted on the sides
of old shack Mumstrips butcher cart down in
the valley. Poor Old Shack! He might have
been postmaster ct the creek II he'd lived"
"Wel. there's few Of 10 lett yet, colonel"
said tho secretary pleasantly.
swell, We dIdn't want you 20 be lonely, Mr..
Secretary. We came on to see Mr.. Bots"
"Never mind about Nj. Bolts now, gentle
men. II you will cali around about o'clock
think can tell Jon Just how Col sweaes case
etsnda"
At 10 minutes 70 Col Munk Irish and MAI.
Buck Wilkins were again ushered into the sec
fstary's private ofaca He was stu busy writ
Ing ct his desk, and asked them to DO seated.
Col. Irish had been going about the city without
. cab for most OF the day. and 10 dropped into
dosA Maj Buck Whiikins, always vigil
liant, 6xed his eyes upon the back OF the
secretary's head After studying that
for . few minutes, his eye vas caught
BY what seemed 70 b little tremuious
waves Of motion running across the canvas Of
the portrait Col. Buck Whiikins knew Wash.
ington whisky. and Wa prepared to receive sur.
prise parties without emotion; but whsns after
various little preliminary gurgles, the clock
struck s. IL occurred to the major that some.
thing vas happening. From the figure ct the
desk came low but dreadful groan: from the
portrait IN exultant and tumultuous~ whoop
Tue door shook - the great portrait. frame and
all jumped down. Mai. Buck Whilktns, in spite
OF the Instinct Of calmness natural to Q man
familiar with the wine Of the country aud it,
ingenious optical illusions, breathed hard and
felt at once Tightening aud . Quickening of the
heart He felt the need OF compsnionship and
the strength Of numbers. aud he kicked vainly
but 1nstinctively at the shins o. Col Munk
Irish, whose upturned nose was droning mag
nifcent hymn to sleep Alone was Col Buck
Wilkins obliged to see figure In . gilt frame.
and weighing perhaps go pounds, pour out
little cordial glass OF the contents of . cOrking
big demi5ohn which the painter had depicted in
the right-hand corner. The secretary started
up. fell back. waved his hands, but feebly for 80
athletic man. He seemed under . spell He
made little resistance to the portion offered him,
but his physical, and apparently his mental
agony was extreme. 1t was only for moment,
however. like the gasps Of man taking laugh.
ing gaa He sank back. Tenderiy the Portrait
Man put the frame around him The Secrstary's
form and features seemed to undergo some
sudden and subtilising change, at once fading
and Frightening. His eyes looked straight at
Maj Buck Wilkins, who shifted his position in
vain. His face gained color, an ethereal smile
lowered on his lips. Q certain affected attitude
was Observable in him. 1t was al done In .
moment: too quick for Maj. Buck Wilkins or
any other man to describe.
"But when / saw The fellow with whiskers
hang up the secretary on the wall In the gold
frame," said the major a. the Metropolitan that
evening. 81 just give good yell, and ran - fast
as could, leaving Munk there" After this
speech the major was most unjustly put to bed
by his friends, aud filed with bromide and
aromatic spirits of ammonia.
It was dusk when Col Irish woke up. II was
not SO dark. howeveD, that he could not see who
handed to him Col. Hightower sweas's appoint.
mont "W hat. you here, Col. Bottsf Why. /
must have been asleep. Where's the sscre-
taryr'
"Oh. he asked me to give you this: I'm help
Ing him little about the appointments. you
sea Good evening, colonel"
1--WE waited for you until o'clock last night,
Mr.. Smith," said the Hon. John Allen. Of Mis-.
sissippi. "Why did you want N to eat cur
dinner coldr'
"Well. I'm very sorry, but had IN appoint
meut 1t the department. with Mr.. Bolts last
night, and he kept me late. "-Ness York SUM