Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-03-11
GLOVER Of The DRY.
CHAPTER XIV. Continued.

! There was prodigiCus excitement up
| at those city offices about the head OF
| the firm, and Smithers, the clerk, who
had first heard and found the injured
Sir Andrew, had to repeat his story to
eager inquiries at least a hundred
times in the course of each hour. Il
was not much of matter of surprise
! that Smithers grew haggard and dis
/ Lracted in appearance under this strain
which he had to bear in conjunction
with anothero Of a widely different
character. Important races had been
run at Newmarket on the previous day
and Smithers had Tot only carefully
| picked out and heavily backed five
| losers, but, nearing ON the excellent
authority of a bookie, who was a to-
| baccenist in the eyes of the world
! round the corner, that he laid a hun
dred to one against Toreador, the fav-
orite for the race, which had some den
! tai trouble, which had come
in length a head Of the second horse.
leaving the field no where.
'"You must be alfUlly hard hit, old
man! What are YOU going to do
! about it? P2wning your watch won t
do you much good this time, and you
won't ge5 much grace from that john
ME round the corner" one OF his fell
low-clerks said to him in one of those
brief intervals when the "murderous
assault on the chief was not under
| discussion.
Luckily was prepared" Smithers
stammered, II car pay up on SET
Ting day. / an aunt of mine died
last week and left me a few hundreds"
The devil she did! Then why the
deuce are you looking so green about
the gills? If I were you, old chap, I'd
give up this game. You'll never do any
good at it, and it will land you in a
place you won't like by and by. You're
the cleverest Johnnie at picking out
losers | ever met with, and if you put
your name upon a winner it's sure to
be no price,
S1nithers groaned impatiently.
you've kept the death very dark"
his unconscious tCrmenter went on;
eff a relation of mine did me such a
kind turn should stand a champagne
supper to all you fellows and ask you
to drink to the chiefs recovery. By
the way, was the poor old boy there
long after Graham left, do you know?"
Il knew nothing beyond what have
told you dozen tines" Smithers
snapped. How should I know more
than you when Graham left?''
Our commissionaire can settle that
point. What time vas it when you
heard the chief groaEing? That is i'm
portant."
Il was too agitated to take out my
watch to see the time
Il don't believe Graham did it" the
other man said, th0ughtfully. His
lodgings and his person have been
searched but nothing has been found"
What should be fcund?" Smithers
asked testify.
Why, haven't you heard? That pin
the poor old chap wore with the price
less black pearl and his pigeons blood
ruby ring are both missing By this
time every paWnbroker in London is
in possession of that pin and ring
Whoever took them will have to clear
out OF the country before he can dis
pose of them
What steps should you think Ora
ham will take to gec rid of them, sup
posing he is the man who has got hold
Of them?" Smither asked, attentively
examining the nib OF pen with which
he had been trying to write while his
fellow-clerk had been discoursing.
"Well if I were in his place. the
other man replied, throwing himself
into the position of the criminal with
the zest of a hopelessly innocent per-
son; eff [ were in his place and out of
quad. l should just show myself about
in all my usual haunts for a few days,
talk great deal about the affair. pro-
pound a good many theories concern
ing it, just to throw people off the
scent, you know, and clear off with the
swag to Belgium or Holland just as
the chiefs brains came back from
wool gathering. He's a wonderful old
chap, the chief; the latest bulletin says
that he remembers seeing Sholto Ora
ham leave the office, and he can
swear that Graham never came back
again.
Hang this penr' Mr.. Smithers ejacu-
lated irrelevantly; cit won't write
line. I feel chippy! I shall ask the
sub for a days leave and go and look
after my aunt's furniture"
Where did your aunt live? Lucky
dog, to have come III for furniture as
well as dollarsr'
Live? Oh, she lived out Hornsey
Rise way" Smithers said, hurriedly,
and as he spoke the office boy opened
the door and announced:
Mr.. Thorburn and Mr.. Vereker, for
Mr. Smithersp'