Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-04-13

would be forwarded to the secretary
of state for India, the result of which
would be that my brothers appoint
ment would be cancelled
''And the amount of the claim?'
Give hundred pounds"
''Who is the solicitor?"
''There is none. The man has been
employed at some time in a lawyers
office, 1 believe. At present he is
schemer who will stick at nothing
DO you know the contents of the let
ters?''
Il don't. Charley assures me he is in
no way to blame, but he would rather
pay the two conspirators their demands
than have them published or sent, as
they threaten to do. He says he will
repay mamma in a year or two"
l knew that my friends the Gray
dons, though at one time fairly we'll off,
had suffered recently, like many more,
from the prevailing fall in value of
land. Their rents had been reduced,
and their tenants even then had diff
Guilty in paying. The elder Mr.. Graydon
had died a few years before, leaving
his affairs very much involved, and
Charley's necessarily expensive educa-
ton had been a hard pull on the wild
ow's diminishing income. [ wanted
time to think the matter over.
Does your brother know Of your
coming to tell me?'
Not for the world"
Don't you think l had better see
him? Do you know, l think he is act
ing rather selfishly"
He can't help himself, poor fellow"
'And what do you propose doing?
Mother thought that we might be
able to raise the $500 by selling out the
stock standing in my name. Charley
is sure to pay it back"
''And when is this precious arrange
ment to be carried out?'
'They are to call at our house to-
night. The money must be paid some
days before my brother sails"
Yes, | understand. The best thing
to do would be to have them indicted
for conspiracy to extort money"
"And my brother would have to stay
and give evidence, and the letters they
have would be published"
'Well, l shall be at your house to-
night when they call; meanwhile, we
must think the matter over"
At the time appointed the pair Of
scoundrels made their promised visit.
| thought it better that my interven-
ton in the matter should, for the time
being, not be known to them, and so
before they were announced l had sta
toned myself in a small room separat-
ed by folding doors from the drawing
room. With these left slightly open, l
was able to see and hear all without
my presence being suspected. Eaves-
dropping some might call it, but neither
the men with whom l had to deal or
the circumstances were such as to raise
any qualms of conscience on my part
They were fighting with poisoned
weapons, and felt justified in dealing
with them accordingly.
From what l overheard | soon made
up my mind that Mayer, the ex-so-
licitOr'S clerk, and his dusky associate
were not men to be deprived of their
prey by any apparent artifce. The
former was evidently the master hand
in the plot, and, nad time permitted,
l.
his antecedents. He expressed his re.
gret for the absence of Mr.. Graydon,
who, he understood, was TO make a
final arrangement that evening; was
sorry, he said, to cause the ladies any
Inconvenience or unnecessary alarm;
but business was business, his clients
claim was a just one, though not re-
coverable in a court of law, and this
alone it was that prompted him to
make the use of the discriminating
documents he was now doing Taylor,
his companion, nodded assent, but said
nothing. l thought of Uriah Heep in
Dickens story of David Copperiield,"
and my fingers itched to take Mayer by
the neck and throw him down the
steps. But something whispesF,, F,,ssss; y;
me that he would have lnzsN<vgcnrlg
better himself. if he was not much
hurt, for actions for assault are profit
able sometimes to men of his kind.
At last all was settled, and to the OBJ
vious relief of my unfortunate friends
the two visitors rose to take their
leave. They had refused to abate
penny in their demands. | never ex-
pected that they would. | had thought
out plan for checkmating them, risky
in high degree, but the risk must be
run, or two if not three, innocent peo-
pie would be f1eeced by two designing
scoundrels. Clean weapons were out
of the question where they were con-
cerned. In pursuance of my plan an
arrangement was made that the $500
in bank notes should be paid to them
at certain address in Garden court,
Temple, three evenings later, on their