The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1895-03-15
CHAPTER XI.--tContinued.)

CHAPTER XI.-tContinued.)
Afterward drove a carriage. At
the hotel had seen a small silver chain
~protruding from il vest pocket OF one
of the bathers, as it hung in the ante
room. Supposing it to belong to a
watch. he had pulled it out and found
it only a silver medal: and, afraid to
offer it for sale, had kept it concealed.
Then he left the hotel and drove IL car
riage for q short time: and one day
found on the seat this memorandum
book, said he to the attorney-at the
same time handing him Nivette's lost
memoranda of the Blake family. In
that. Smithers had found the clue to
the medal, and from it he had con
cocted his claim to be Joe Blake and
heir to Gray Sulphur Springs estate.
The astute Mr.. H. Colburn looked
over that e + complete historical
sketch Of the Blake family with great
surprise and no little qualification.
Had it been made to order. it could
not have suited his purpose
better. If he could not win
his ease with that SHOULD he de-
eide to win it at ALI. then the genuine
and true heir could never win his own
case.
Now what is your plan-how o
,oll explain your long absence and
present appearance now??'
II claim that my father was MUIR
dered and robbed at ~Covington, Ky.
just as we reached town late at night:
that | saved the medal in my shoe as
before instructed by my father" lie
did not get that from the memoranda:
1T was a lucky invention, adhered to
after he found from Mrs. Blake he had
made a hit. THAT I was taken by the
robbers by boat to Pittsburg after they
had sold the carriage and horses, and
thence to England: and that /
was there placed III the family of a
carriage driver where l grew up (as /
certainly did,. learned to drive and be
handy with horses: that the old man
with whom / lived told me to 90 to
Cincinnati soon as was of age. and
find Gray Sulphur Springs and my
friends. And finally, that my memory
was strong; and | could tell all about
the old place and all my folks and
in course l can. as YOU will see.
You ought to have been a lawyer.
Smitflers-or Blake as l must cali You.
You could have made your fortune
said Colburn. Leave me that long
memorandum, and | can draw the bill
and petition without your help"Imuch
better than with it, he might have
added. Tell everybody ! have taken
your case merely on it's merits: it will
give You the public sympathy, and
that's worth a good deal-come again
Tomorrow
Nh. Smithers went to his boarding
house highly elated, though the whole
conference between him and Colburn
resembled one between two thieves.
Mir Sam Blake was less outspoken
in his communications with Mr.. Clay
ton. He told the story Of his trip to
Cincinnati, but said he found an idiot
boy named Joe who had somehow be-
come wrongfnlly possessed of a medal.
which he recognized as that Of his lost
nephew; and he had employed an old
man named Molier to obtain that
medal for him from the hoy: and to
prevent a bad use of it had thrown it
into the river. But now he had no
donbt that Molier had imposed another
medal upon him, and that the one
thrown into the river was counterfeit.
At any rate; he said, the medal
shown by the false claimant was I'M
doubtedly that of Little Joe" and
was sc recognized by the mother.
aSubpena Molier,' said the attor-
ney. THE. court will take testimony
as to facts: and by Mclier we can
prove that this medal has long been in
Cincinnati. and that it has probably
been stolen.
ssBut Molier might prove o much 3
replied Blake.
well, between the crue ard the
false heirs you Of course prefer the
true?2s'
Couldn't we buy off this fellowo?.
with he3fnll and as you say cor
rect knowledge Of affairs which he
possesses, itwonld hardly be safe to
make that proposition. Does the
widow join yon in the defense Of this
suit
am afraid moi. She thinks she is
Joes heir: she is already in
joint possession and interest fol
life; and If the strange man should
win, he must provide for his alleged
mother. at Least for appearance sake
Any other asked Clayton
with = most searching look.