The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1897-12-31

ever suggestive material there was in
him. Philip expected nothing further
in the way of information from Fench
or Sharpless, but, none the less, he sent
a message to Col. Van Colt, asking him
to give prompt attention to any inquiry
from Allacoochee, suppressing only
the fact of the sender's profession.
When that was done, Philip found
himself once more among the uncer-
tainties, but he made another journey
to the courthouse for the purpose of
copying the missing documents from
the records. For two days he pored
over these copies in his room at the ho-
tel, searching with infinite patience for
out of the tangle. A copy Ola copy
proved to be barren of suggestion, but
he made memorandum of the attest
ing notary's name, and on the third day
he paid visit to Squire Pragmore.
Nothing came of it, however. The
notary's replies grew more indefinite
as the inquiry progressed. His memory
was at fault; he had acknowledged so
many papers for the town company
that he could not be expected to recoi-
lect the details of any one transaction.
Thorndyke called attention to the fact
that the older deed antedated by sew
eral years the beginning of the rush OF
business brought by the transfers Of
the town company; whereupon Prag-
more took another tack. 1t was too long
| ago. He had doubtless acknowledged
Kilgrow's signature, but he could re-
member none of the circumstances.
Thorndyke was baffled again, but an
other clew came to the surface when he
reached the hotel and found a note
from Sharpless asking him to call at
the company's Office. He went, was re-
ceived with a cordially born of the ia
| vorable answer to the telegram sent by
Fench to Col. Van Colt, and was shown
the missing deeds with an air of re-
proachful frankness that almost dis
| armed him.
''Since you made point of it, wired
our secretary to send them down"
Sharpless explained; and as Philip read
| them he thought he could never be suf-
| ficiently grateful for the impulse that
had led him to make the copies from the
| records. In porting over them he had
| well-nigh committed them to memory,
| and a single reading of the pretended
originals convinced him that these
were recent forgeries. The notary's at
| testation was genuine-a fact that at
once implicated Pragmore-and if any
| further damnatory proof had been
needed, it was supplied by single cir
cumstance in the acknowledgment.
Pragmore had useda rubber stamp with
a dotted line for his signature. and the
words notary public" beneath it. and
the gummy ink of the stamp was still
fresh enough to be blurred by the
thumb of the reader.
Philip read the papers leisurely 4
second time and handed them back to
the attorney.
I'm sorry you went to so much
trouble" he said. 81 have given up the.
idea of buying inside, and have been
thinking more particularly of trying
something in the resident district"
Sharpless met him half way, and
Philip thought he surprised fieeting
expression of relief on the shrewd face
of thelawyer. "That'sa sensible change.
Between us, and leaving Mr.. Fench out
OF the question, ] believe there's more
money to be made in Cheltenham
Heights than on Broadway. I've scat
tered my own little bit of capital
around ON the edges"