Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-07-20
CHAPTER XIy-CoNrrSrF

CHAPTER XIv.-CoNrISuEp
First claim!" reflected North. con-
scious of slight satisfaction in the
thought; then he added, addressing
Dennis sharply:
Don't you know that, having COM
municated with Hunter and Ketchum
as you did, you had no right to enter in
to any similar negotiations with anyone
else? However, as events have devel-
oped, You will not get into any serious
difficulty in consequence of this double
dealing, if you faithfully perform all
that You have undertaken: for, let me
give you to understand that my inter
ests are identical with Hunter and
ketchums, and you cannot serve one
without equally serving the other.
Now, what have you been doing since
that day of which You speak, when you
were overheard discussing this story of
Annie Dupont with jim Nolan? What
have You been doing toward fulfilling
the agreement then and there entered
into?''
Faith, SORT, an it's to Ivansburg
that I've been, to see Ann O'Gorman an
coax her to give me thin paphers.''
Wouldn't she do it?'' asked North
quickly, perceiving at once the possible
obstacle to the success of his plans.
"Niver bit, SORT. She swore by all
the blissid saints that she'd how'd on to
thin as long as she lived, bad cess to
her! An me a-coaxin' an besaychin'
her, an me cousin Patrick hilpin' me
loike a ginthleman, for it's part of the
money I'd promised him if he'd be
afther a-usin' his influence wild Ann, an
shwarin' he'd break her head if she
didn't give in paycable!"
Patrick is valuable coadjutor,
though 1 cannot say that I wholly ap-
prove of his methods of persuasion"
commented North with innocent grav-
ity. and in spite of all this argument,
did Mrs. O'Gorman remain obdurate?
Did she persist in refusing to give up
the rapers?" he added, perceiving the
necessity of rendering his speech more
lucid.
'.Indsdc, an she did, sorr, till was
so thritd wild her that 1 jist ken away
without thim," returned Dennis, in
belligereut tone.
Il shall find a way to induce Mrs.
O'GOrmap to come to terms if it shall
really traitspire that she is supprcssing
important documentary evidence" re-
marked North, with trace of skeptic-
ism in his tone and manner. But be-
fore proceed to any desperate meas
ures wish to have some idea of what
those papers contain. Come now, Dem
mis-. my good fellow, if you can tell "a
plain, unvarnished tale begin at once,
and impart to me all that you know of
this wonderful story
And lazily lighting cigar, North
settled himself comfortably in his chair
! to listen. But after the first few puffs
he forgot his cigar and everything else
in utter Amusement at the story that
Dennis now related to him. When at
last the rambling but consistent nara
tive was ended, North rose from his
chair, tossing aside the lifeless cigar,
and walked RAPIDLY to and fro with half
snothered cjacllations expressive of his
astoni3hmcnt 3nd incredulity.
''Impossible! a fabrication on the
very face of it," he muttered under his
BREATH half veNcd at himself for hav-
| ing listened to such a story. And yet,
what can this man hope to gain by such
a stupid imposition? And how could
his story tally so perfectly with the few
facts in my possession if they were not
| genuine bits of the same mosaic of truth?
| Stranger than fiction indeed. if it
prove not to be one tissue of falsehood
from beginning to end. 1 must go at
| once to EyanSburg and see this O'GOr-