Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-09-07
A CASE IN EQUITY.
BY FRANCIS .LYNDE.
lCopyrieht. 1895. by J. B. Llpplncott Col
XIV.-CONTINUED.


hastily opened drawer, and the old man
spIang to his feet and leveled a revol-
yer at Thcrndyke. His eyes blazed, and
his voice qnavered with excitement.
~By the Mighty! if ye don't get out
% here
Philip stood his ground long enough
to show his contempt for the argu-
n,ent 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
n magistrate, he swore out a warrant
flor Pragmore's arrest and went him
self with the deputy who was to Sc rye
it. AS matter of course, they found
the Office locked and empty; and, leav-
ing the officer to continue the search
for the notary. Philip went back to the
~Johannisherg 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-tahle 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, at
a point where the light from the cleo
trio lamps at the crossings made a
agarish twilight, he stumbled over the
body Of a man lying across the side
walk. Before he could recover him,
self he was promptly garroted, thrown
down and held by two footpads while
a third rifled his pockets. The assault
was well planned and deity executed,
and when his assailants had left him
ThOrndyke was astonished to find tina:
they had taken none of his valuables.
Then it came to him like sudden
stroke of illness that their object had
been TO 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 undisturbed, but the dis
~nuieting experience taught him the
lesson of prudence which he might
otherwise have gone wanting. Button
:iEg 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 a re-
wo1ver. With the weapon in his pocket
ne felt safer; and, leaving Broadway,
he once more turned his steps toward
the Jail. Pragmore had not been
found; and, after assuring himself that
a description of the missing notary had
been telegraphed~ to the neighboring
towns on the railway, Thorndyke went
back to the hotel. Approaching the
building by walk through the
grounds which led him beneath. the
windows of his own room in one of
AAC oOutACAA SeAOiCos AC WAS sui HAHSCu
to see them brilliantly lighted; and.
boiling up the stairway at the end Of
the corridor. he was barely in time to
save the Johannisberg from destruc-
ton. In his absence the room had
been thoroughly and ruthlessly ran
sacked, and one Of the gas jets-wheth-
Ger by accident or design he never knew
bad been swung around against the
mosquito netting, which was blazing
and dropping shower Of small fire.
brands upon the white counterpart be
meath it. = !. - $%TE ~:.~ 80
When, he had put out the fire and
gathered up his scattered belongings.
Philip began to have a juster apprecia-
stion of the desperate character of the
men with whom he had to deal, and
u, determined to take no more risks.
After having his room changed, he
.Aelephoned to the stable for his horse
:and rode out to the Duncan farm, Sleep
ing that night IN the attic bedroom
With the forged deed Under his pillow.
XVI Z.
ON THE MOUNTAIN.
The level rays Of the morning sun
reefa F ahonkifln I'll acrosa s the III "a fArn5