The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1897-04-17
A CASE IN EQUITY.
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
copyright. 1905 by J. B. uppineott Col

-'Do you pretend to say that this is not
Your signature? Will you tell me that
you don't know Fench's handwriting
when you see it? Did the printers make
q mistake of five years when they put
their imprint on this blank"
The mask of inscrutability slipped
aside for moment, and Pragmore's
face became gray and furred with
terror. Then he relapsed into sullen-
mess again, but there was an angry snarl
III his voice when he spoke.
81 don't know nothin' about it, mr.
what-all ye7re aimin' at, but I'll tell ye
first an last, We cayn't bulldoze me.
This here's my office, an since ye found
the way in, reckon ye can find the way
out"
Philip started off in a white heat OF
wrath. Halfway to the door he turned
on Pragmore.
81 came down here to give you one
more chance to save YOURSELF" he said:
@'you don't deserve any more consider
alton than any common criminal, but
you're an old man and you've let these
fellows make tool of you. Once forall,
willyou turn states evidence? or shall
send the sheriff after your"
There was a rasping noise, as of 4
hastily opened drawer. and the old man
spJlng to his feet and leveled a revolt
yer at Thcrndyke. His eyes blazed, and
his voice quavered with excitement
"By the Mighty! if ye don't get out
o here"
Philip stood his ground long enough
to show his contempt for the argn-
nlent of force; then he turned his back
on the angry man and ran up the street
to catch an electric car for the new
courthouse. AS soon as he could find
a magistrate, he swore out a warrant
for Pragmore's arrest and went him
self with the deputy who was to serve
it. AS a matter of course, they found
the office locked and empty; and, leay-
ing the officer to continue the search
for the notary, Philip went back to the
Johannisberg to prepare the papers III
the suit against the town company
The constable had promised to report
in the course of the afternoon, and
when evening came without any word
from him, Philip resolved to go to the
Jail and see if Pragmorc had been
caught. With the heedlessness which
goes hand in hand with triumphant
perseverance, he left the forged deed,
together with the unfinished papers.
on the writing-table in his room at
the hotel; and, picking his>way through
the INSTRUCTED streets, he was soon IN
the neighborhood of the courthouse.
Under the branches Of water-oak, al
a point where the light from the cleo
Uric lamps at the crossings made n
garish twilight, he stumbled over the
%body Of man lying across the side
walk. Before he could recover HIM
..self be was promptly garroted, thrown
down and held by two footpads while
a third rif1ed his pockets. The assault
was we'll planned and deity executed,
and when his ASSISTANTS had left him
Thorndyke was astonished to find thas
they had taken none of his valuables.
Then it came to him like a sudden
stroke of illness that their object had
been 10 secure the forged deed, and he
grew cold with dismay when he re-
membered where he had left it. The
next moment he was racing madly
toward the hotel stumbling and fall
ing over heaps Of building material and
paving-stones, and colliding blindly
with chance pedestrians who happened
to get in his way.
He breathed freely again when he
reached his room and found that the
papers were undisturbcd, but the dis
ouieting experience taught him the
lesson of prudence which he might
otherwise have gone wanting. Button
ing the papers into an inside pocket Of
his coat, he went out again. taking care
to keep in the well-lighted and FIRE.
quented streets until he reached hard
ware store where he could buy re
volver. With the weapon in his poke
he felt safer; and, leaving Broadway
he once more turned his steps toward
the Jail. Pragmore had not beer
found; and, after assuring himself that
description of the missing notary had
been telegraphed to the neighborine
towns on the railway, Thorndyke wen
back to the hotel Approaching the
building by walk through the
grounds which led him beneath the
windows Of his own room in one Oh
the southern gables, he was surprised
10 see them brilliantly lighted; and
bolting up the stairway at the end o
the corridor, he was barely in time t.
save the Johannesburg from destruc
ton. In his absence the room hac
been thoroughly and ruthlessly ran
sacked, and one of the gas jets-whetf
er by accident or design he never knew
had been swung around against tn,
mosquito netting, which was blazing
and dropping a shower of small fire
brands upon the white counterpart be
meath it.
When he had put out the fire anc
gathered up his scattered belongings
Philip began to have juster upprecia
ton of the desperate character of the
men with whom he had TO deal, anc
he determined to take no more risks
After having his room changed, ht
1clephoned to the stable for his hors,
and rode out to the Duncan farm, sleep
ing that night in the attic bedroom
with the forged deed under his pillow