Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-05-31

Inc message GSfatCiicu, we proceed.
ed to examine Wilson's papers, and
proof Of the correctness Of my surmise
that he had intended to give the vendor
a bogus draft was speedily forthcom-
ing. We ascertained also that the de.
lay In the completion Of the purchase
arose from the difficulty of getting a
plate engraved. There was Il diary,
the entries wherein, though they would
have been incomprehensible to any
body ~unacquainted with the facts, were
plain to us, such as "A. declines"
"Se,n b. again; wants a reference"
Then, after an interval, III. will do the
job on condition of f3 down, and f5
when l get the first proofs. The
money, or. some of it, doubtless the
proceeds of successful whist playing at
the Hyperion, must have been paid;
for after another interval came a final
entry, Got proofs from III. and set to
work"
The work consisted in filling UP n
Of the printed forms and forging the
signatures of the manager and cashier
of a Dorsetshire bank to a draft on
tlteir London agents for $4,000. He
had no doubt filed up several, and Sc
lected for use that which seemed most
perfect. Anyhow, we found only one.
so artiStically executed that it would
have deceived an expert in handwrit-
ing.
"AIl the same, I don't see where Will
sons advantage was to come in. The
cat would have been out Of the bag
In a few hours and himself arrested"
Perhaps Holroyd may be able to
give us a clew," l suggested.
Later In the day Holroyd came, and
was naturally very much cut up by the
announcement of Wilson's death, which
/ prefaced with a history of the events
that led TO it, and ended by asking
whether he could throw any light on
the matter.
"I think I can" said he, after a mo-
ment's thought. This is not a time
for keeping aught dark. When Mr..
Harlow here refused to find me t brass
and made light of my bargain, it put
my back up a bit. and I resolved there
and then to find it somewhere else.
by hook or by crook, just to let him see.
/ was in that mind when / fell in wi
Wilson. He talked about having clients
wi lots of money to invest, and l said
as if lie could get one of EN- to ad-
vance $4,000 on Talpa. I'D give him
$500 for his trouble. That was t bar
gain; when t. mortgage deed was sign
ed l undertook to pay him $500, either
l. bank notes or by check, at his op-
ton"
That explains ALL" observed Mr..
Harlow. Wilson fixed Saturday at IL
o'clock, because, as the draft could not
we'll have been cleared before Monday,
he would thereby get a start of forty
eight hours or so. Meanwhile, he would
nave changed your bank notes for gold
at the Bank of England, gone by the
mail train to Holyhead, caught the
Cunard liner at Queenstown and got
clear away. He would have been
brought back, of course But for the
sake of recovering what might be left
of the $500 it would not have been
worth while; and l don't think you
would have made the attempt"
Il am sure / should not. 1t would
have been throwing good money after
bad"
"And on that, I dare say, he reck-
oned. You should have taken my adj
vice, forfeited the deposit and had done
with the business. What will you do
now? You have run yourself into Il lot
mere expense; it is impossible to save
the deposits, and, rs likely as not. SOr-
lcl and Seedytoe will bring an action
against you for specific performance
Ct contract. What will you do?"
Accept an offer I got this morning
producing a letter. and was going to
refuse-for 1t isn't half enough"
AN offer of what?"
Three thousand pounds for my bar
gain"
God bless me! I never knew such
a thing in my life. Accept it by all
a You are well out Of a bad
k~usiress."
"Holyroyd is like a fighting cock"
said l. HE always lights on his feet"
Yes. He will be a millionaire one
Of these days, and perhaps something
more"
Mr.. Harlow proved a true phophet.
Holroyd did become a millio laire and
something more. When he had made
his pile he presented a fine park to
his native town, and at the election
next ensuing his grateful fellow towns
men sent him to parliament. John
has never made a speech in the house,
yet he makes a far better legislator
than some of his colleagues who talk
by the hour.
Trur rrr