The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1896-11-12
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CHAPTER NN...

AN awkward and II dl'iSr'eabIe DUST
aess. | may say"
The sneaker was Mr.. Sturt. one of the
principal solicitors in Dane'orough. and
.lcrk 10 the magistrates.
AN awkward business for him.. |
home srnwlrd ont the person addressed.
you persist. then. i'll your accusation
against the gentleman who's name you
Aav. iuSt - rtioncd:' said Lawyer Sturt.
Every we'll. | hay" sent Il message to
Or. Leader. 10 other count! magistrate
could he 80 promptly communicates
Wit"
Crouch took IA chair. while Mr.. Sturt
went on with is writing. In perhaps
twenty minutes more IA boy clerk ushered
in DIR. Leader"
This man insists" said Lawyer Sturt,
''upon bringing Il formal charge against
Sir Richard Mortmain. Of lielston. "A
landed gentleman. IA haronet. and brother
If lady Thorsdale."
".Ah. in,lreh,' said DIR. Leader. survey
ing from boncath hi bu>hy gray eye
hrows thc t|ruculont co1ntenance. shaggy
and broad form Of the acCuser.
And" added the clerk To the magis-
tratc. "h" admits that it is private re-
Stlll'ltit I!l'l HAS lli'lu'''s nm ~ 'pih'
forward II this matter"
"\othinc more probable" observed the
Doctor. wv" had better get in Il sue
cin"t form his statement of the ease and
reduce i. 10 writing.
He gave inc these, Sir II. did" said
Crouch. ~Savagely as with a brown fore
finger he pointed to two BLUSH wales
that Scared his ugly face; "as if I'd been
IA hound 10 bear the whip. But I'm not
her" to jaw about Il mere assault. |
charge Sir Richard Mortmain. baronct.
with forgery 10 the tune of eight hNndred
pounds sterling. He did it Il, a time
when he was on bad terms with his faith
er. the late Sir Richard. The forged
check purported 10 be signed by a noble
man who lived near uS-at MOrtmain, |
mean-and | was the man who presented
it. and got the cash for il, at Threddles-
ton. Then there came II GOODNESS and
thee We're words between me and Sir X.
And that was how he wrote me two let
tiers. which | have by ne to this day. and
which ~" proofs that h. wrote Lord
Wyvern'S name on the check. and that he
begged and prayed me. his accomplicc,
not 10 split.
This sounds Il cock-and-bull story. my
man, remarked Lawyer Sturt. Il doubt
if any jury would believe your tale"
That depends. Of course" said DR..
Leader. mildly, ".pon the proofs"
1--WE got them. sir. never douh me-"
responded Crouch, confidently. II can
lay my hand at an hours notice on what
will send my fine gentleman 10 spoil his
white hands with CONTEMPLATING and
Q~uarryman's work"
Rufus Crouch. after indulging for n
time in liquor and b~oastful talk at IL low
public house on the verge Of the town. left
marlborough in Il state Of high excite
ment.
Il shall he queens evidence. and SO
come safe out of the forgery job" he
muttcred To himself.
Horde Cliff. as Rufus had truly said in
his conversation with the baronet. is Il
Formidable p%lace--a raInpart frOWning
down upon the sea. rOuch excited by
drink and the tension of his nerves. walk
ed rockleSsly al the very verge of the
giddy height. kicking over now and then
Il pebble or Il clod of earth. and then laugh
ing, as an ogre might have done. at the
grim visions that passed through his
seething brain.
Al last Rufus reached the tempting
spot which h" had lovingly described 10
Sir I,ichard-thc scene Of the intended
murder. How he had gloated over the
details Of the projected crime. 1t would
never be done now-that dark deed
never. never. Crouch was not one TO
risk his neck gratis; and yet
Al the selected spot the rufiian turned,
with his face toward Daneborough. the
town he had just left. and by an effort
of the imagination saw before him. hur-
rying along and unsuspecting. the hated
form of Don.
Aha. my gentleman founding" he
snarl"d. "onc good push ana over YOU 20,
never to coine up again. And as he
spoke he stamped his heavy foot On the
betting cliff, and threw forward his great
hands in hideonS imitation of the pur-
posed crime. But Their the crumhling
path gave way beneath his unwary feet.
and with ole wild yell Of 'icspairing an
guish. down. down went Rufus himself
To III" Jagged rocks below.
1t was TWO days before the body was
found.