Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1895-08-30


ris," said Hiram Skldder, without taking
the trouble to present his brother to the
newcomer. @Its all ready for our sig
natures
The document was duly perfected and
handed to Jerry. who counted out the
S2 O,oO0 agreed upon, and the notary,
after few words in the ear Of his client,
took his departure
1t would be hard to say which Of the
two brothers was the most delighted at
the transaction. Their mutual expan-
sion was tremendous.
"And now for the other half of this
property, Hiram" said Jerry. gaining
hl5 feet and securing the deed in his
| pocket, with suppressed jubilance slow
far ia it to Inglehelm to the home OF
our brother-in-law, Charlest Tower, who
bought these lands with you?"
| about eighteen miles, jerry" replied
the merchant, who was in the act Of de-
posting in his desk the money which
had lust been handed him.
~There are trains every hour or two,
do doubt?" pursued Jerry.
sob, yes; every half hour, think, at
about this time of the day. But why do
ask?"
Naturally" explained the visitor. al
am going to Ingleheim to see Charley
Tower, the husband Of our sister Mary,
to buy his interest in these lands, and
| III frankly warn you, Hiram"
"Oh, save your threats, jerry" inter
| rupted the merchant with insolent iubl-
| lance. "l shall make no attempt to
warn Tower OF your coming or OF your
errand. The fact is he has been dead
over year"
Jeremiah Skidder dropped heavily into
the chair from which ho had arisen.
"Really?" he muttered seeing the
merchant was perfectly serious "Then
shall have to deal with 81 ter Mary,
and that will suit me better; women are
so easily wheedled"
"But sister Mory is dead. tool" con
tinued the merchant, in the Same tone
and with the same aspect he would have
displayed In mentioning the price of q
yard of tape. "She died last week,
| jerry"
"Indeed? Then | shall have to deal
| with their daughter" declared the
| visitor, without the least expires sion Of
| sorrow Lets see-what was her
name? I've forgotten IL.
"lIer name is Ellie, said the merchant
"She was here an hour ago, asking mo
for little assistance, but l turned her
off without a penny.
Then she don't know the value of her
| inheritance, OF course? Good Capital
l can buy her out for few hundreds
! She has gone back to Inglehelm, OF
/ course?"
The point is uncertain. In any case,
| It would do you no good to see her The
title you are seel1in does not rest in Eer.
Jerry. Tho truth is, Charley Tower sold
! his half of the Musse' shell property some
two or three years ago"
impossible" cried .'erry, springlng to
his feet again and looking startled.
The fact Is Ierfect certain"
~But who bought him out?"
perry Wynaus-my cashier"
"For how much?"
-Four hundred dollars"
"Four hundred" gaspcd Jerry, turu-
ing pale. @You cannot mean it,"
al am telling you the ex CT truth"
"And you permitted it."
al didn't know any better at the time,
| jerry" said the merchant, his face sud
denly lighting up with concentrated
wrath and disgust "You had been tell
ing us for years in yonr occasional let
ters that the lands were Of no account,
and Tower and | were fools enough to
believe you. "
sand where is this Wynans?"
u
by this letter"
He handed the farewell epistle Of his
| ex-cashier to Jerry, who literally writhed
while reading it.
Destruction" he ga ped on reaching
the signature "The fellow is posted.
The cat is out of the bag. He'll be in
| Montana before | am He'll learn al
the facts in the case | shall never be
able to buy him out-never! neyer.7
The very excitement Of the Old man |
/ tended to make his younger brother
angry, so terribly did it remind him OF
what he had lost by tie falsehCois and
deceptions heaped upon him
"The lands are prize, then?" he |
cried, his face livid with passion.
"A prize. Hiram" returned Jerry, |
carried away by his emotions "rhey're |
the biggest thing on earth! We have
discovered two gold mines on the prop |
erty from which we have been taking |
thousands of dollars day"
"And yet"
With a cry like that of a maniac,
| Hiram Skidder sprang to his feet and |
caught up the chair in which he had |
been sitting, swinging it aloft and ap
| preaching his brother,
sand yet, you Internal rascal" " he |
cried, you have the cheek to come hero
and offer me $500 for half interest in
all those present and coming millions!
Oh! what ought to do to you"
"Look out, Hiram! Don come a step
nearer. Put down that chair or I'll yell
murder" cried Jerry, starting TO his
| feet and nmbly darting behind the mer-
chants desk. "I've only done what you
would have done in like circumstances.
Besides, intended to tell you all about
I IT. som a c my tit q was DprfpCtl"
"Wretched fool and knaye that you
are" returned the merchant, recovering
his self-possession and lowering his
| chair, "youll never secure the least title
TO foot of the land in question
never!"
Jerry Skiddcr looked agha't at the
violence of these denunciations
~Why, youv just given ;H1-"
"A mere bait to catch my own," inter |
rupted the merchant with grim and
| mocking frankness. "The pretended
deed l have just given you is not worth
the paper it is written upon.
why not?"
"To begin with, the lands have been
out of my hands nearly three years, ex-
planned Hiram Skidder, with visible Joy
at the gall and wormwood he was sery-
| ing up to his brother "You gave me
/
to sell them TO Wynans for seven hun
! dr1d dollars.
Jerry not only tottered to his chair
again, but he lay there so faint and help
less that his brother began to find him q
source of amusement
"Then you have sold me piece Of
property you did not possess" returned
| Jeremiah, his rascally wits beginning to
| recover their habitual flow; "and | need
not remind you that such an ogense is
punishable by long term Of imprson-
| ment."
"l'm probably quite as wise in the law
as you are, jerry" sneered the mer-
| chant-"too wi Q, certainly, to place my
self in the power of such q reptile as
| you are capable of being"
"Then what is that deed?"
at is decd to fine piece of land I
have in Idaho. and for which l paid
about two Thousand dollars" explained
the merchant his sardonic smile coming
back to his features "WhiIe you read