The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-04-02

When the messenger left the room
Sharpless leaned back in his chair and
put his hands in his pockets. 1.-THE
Jethro deal cleans it all up excepting
the title to the Gates tract" he said.
"I suppose we might as we'll fix that
now as any time. Have you got blank
deed?"
Fench rummaged in his pockets for
the paper. "Where's Gates deed to
us?" he asked.
Here it is" Sharpless said, handing
it across the table. Better change the
wording little, so it won't look sus-
picious."
You let me alone for that"
Fench wrote rapidly for few mo-
ments, pausing when he came to the
date. make it about May 20, 1885,"
The lawyer made rapid calculation
in dates. "Yes, that'll do. AS nearly
rs can locate it, the raid on the moon
sinners was made in June or July of
that year; it'll be safe enough to call it
the Goth of May"
Fench went on writing, and presently
handed the two deeds to Sharpless.
Hoy will that do?"
"Thats about it," replied the attor-
ney. 81 wonder if the old moonshiner
would recognize his signature
"Td risk it. What are you going to
do about the notary's acknowledge
ment?'
It'll fix that. I've been making my
self solid with an old fellow across the
street who calls himself lawyer. He
doesn't know enough about the law to
hurt him, but he is a notary public
He'll do it-for a consideration-and he
won't be too particular about the exact
date"
''Is it safe to trust him?"
II don't mean to make the expert
'c.ent; I shall simply tell him that Gates
has had this deed kicking about the
house all these years without having it
recorded"
'Oh, that's the scheme, is it?" said
Fcnch. screwing up one eye until all
The craft:ness in both seemed to peer
ont of the other "Give me that deed
minute"
He went to the fireplace, and, taking
pinch of SCOT, rubbed it into his hands
until they were black and grimy. Then
he folded and crumpled the deed until
it had the requisite appearance of age
and i'll usage.
You're an artist, Fench!" was the
lawyers admiring comment when the
paper was handed back for inspection
Nobody will ever suspect now that it
isn't as old as it claims to be. Wonder
if l could find old Squire Pragmore to-
night?"
''Perhaps," said the manager, wash
ing the Crime from his hands. "While
you're hunting him I'll write to New
York"
Sharpless came back in a few min
utes and threw the forged deed on the
table.
That's settled" he said. when it's
recorded We'll destroy it,
odd Pragmore object?" inquired
Fench, looking up from his letter.
HE baked little at first, but I've
given him lot Of business in the last
two weeks, and $50 fee was too much
for him."
A week later Lawyer Sharpless called
1T Judge Wilkinson's Office in the court
house and asked for the Kilgrow-Cates
deed. He took the paper that was given
him and put it into his pocket without
examining it further than to glance at
the judge of probate's certificate of rec
ord. Icing by this time burdered with
many matters of greater Importance, he
did not think of it again until evening,
when he took it out with some other
papers in the Office of the Mountain
house. A cold rain had been falling
Turing the day and wood fire was
blazing in the fireplace. Sharpless
singled tlN deed out of the bunch of
papers and thrust it between the logs,
ignoring the summons to supper until
he bad seen the crisp cinders whirled
Up the chimney in a winding sheet of
ilame. Then he went to the dining-room
md took his seat opposite Fench at the
table reserved for their use.
One morning, not many weeks later,
tllacoochee the inert became a thing
IF the past. A many-handed demon of
activity had suddenly invaded the peace
full valley, transforming it into n dusty
battlefield whereon labor pitted itself
against chaos. Snorting locomotives
rumbled back and forth with trains of
building material. Shouting transfers
guided the plows whose burrows
marked the lines of new streets or
,oosened the soil in advance of battal-
gas of lebcrers establishing the grade.
Armies of workmen wrought miracles
Gf handicraft. turning unsightly heaps
of brick and stone and lumber into
stately buildings which seemed to
spring up out of the red soil as if by
magic. And into the midst of the clam
orous turmoil the daily passenger trains
soon began to pour their crowds of adj
venturers and investors to submerge
the single street of the old town and to
elbow and jostle the bewildered ma
tives as they fought for accommodate
tions at the Mountain house or strug-
gled for standing room around the tenn
porary rostrum from which Mr. Fench
dispensed bargains in real estate to the
highest bidder.
And so began the new era in ALA
coochee.
EDru