The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-01-06
NV.
nR WTNn THIN c

When the first burst of exultant ex
citmcnt had spent itself, Thorndyke sat
down upon a f~iat-topped stones and
mapped out a plan of attack. He would
begin on Pragmore, terrifying the old
nortary into submission and confession
by a sight of the forgery which he had
made possible. Then he would push
Fench and Sharpless to the wall by i'm
%stituting proceedings against them in
both the civil and the criminal courts.
lie would apply for an injunction re
straining them from disposing of any
of the property in dispute. He would
stop the wheels of business and seal up
the fountain of Allacoochee's prospect
ty until Kilgrow's rights were recog.
nized. He would show these unscrupu-
lous robbers that though Justice might
be blind, she never sleeps.
This was the outline of the temerari-
Gus plan which in~geniously combined
all the elements of defeat and failure.
The impetuous zeal which had carried
Thoridyke triumphantly over the dis
arrangements of the long search for
evidence became at once a source OF
weakness and a stumbling-block in the
way of fina success; and he was never
less a match for the crafty and con.
~scienceless corporation attorney than
at the moment when he believed that
victory was to be had for the taking.
Not to give sober second thought a
chance to counsel better things, he
pocketed the forged deed and went
straight to the dingy little office next
door 10 Catron's store. The old notary
was sitting at his desk, and the lines of
reticencc in his sallow face deepened
into wrinkles when he looked up and
saw who had opened the door. Thorn
dyie wasted no time in Introductory
phrases.
II wo or three months ago, Mr.. Prag-
more, | asked you some questions about
a deed purporting to nave been given by
'Iohn Kilgrow to James Gates. The
record shows that you attested it, but
you denied any recollection of the cir
cumstances. Will you tell me now that
you did not antedate your certificate six
years or more? that you did not ac-
knowledge the signature of a man
mum fOh Y W pC dCd0
Pragmcre stiffened himself in his
chair and made no sign, though he had
to moisten his thin lips to say: "You
cayn't prove anything"
The sullen defiance overdrew what.
ever amount of prudence the discovery
of the deed had left ~Thorndyke. Lean
ing over the desk, he held the paper out
cnrnnH hafnra the auau 90 fho oIl .~,.
do you pretend to say hat this is not
your signature? win you tell me that
you don't know Fench's handwriting
when you see it? Did the printers make
d mistake of five years when they put
their imprint on this blank?"
The mask of inscrutability slipped
aside for a moment, and Pragmore's
race became gray and furred with
terror. Then he relapsed into sullen-
ness again, but there was an angry snarl
in his voice when he spoke.
81 don't know nothin' about it. mr.
what-all ye're amin at, but I'll tell ye.
first an last, ye 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 of in a white heat OF
wrath. Halfway to the door he turned
on Pragmore.
II 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 a tool of you. Once for all.
willyouturn states evidence? or shall I
send the sheriff after you?"
fT0 pE CoNTrNIfEnl