The Holly chieftain., 1898-01-14
A CASE in EQUITY.
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
rcepyisht. 1895. by }. B. upplneot, Col
XIv.-CosTINuEp.

XIV.-CoSTINUED.
There was rasping noise, as of
hastily opened drawer. and the old man
spIang to his feet and leveled o revolt
yer at Thcrndyke. His eyes blazed, and
his voice yuuvered 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 argu-
nient 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 lind
magistrate, he swore out warrant
for Pragmore's arrest and went him
self with the deputy who was to serve
il. 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
Johannisberg to prepare the papers Ill
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
inil and see il Prngmorc had been
caught With the heetllessness 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 Mt
the hotel; and, picking his way through
the obstructed streets, he was soon in
the neighborhood of the courthouse.
Under the branches of water-oak. at
point where the light from the elec-
tric lamps at the crossings made n
garish twilight, he stumbled over the
body of n man lying across the side
walk. Before he could recover him
self he was promptly gaEroted, thrown
down and held by two footpads while
"A third rifed his pockets. The assault
was well planned and deity executed,
and when his assailants had left him
Thorndyke was astonished to find tha:
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 full
ing over heaps of building material and
paving-stones, and colliding 'blindly
with chance pedestrians who happened
to get in his way.
He brcathed freely again when he
reached his room and found that the
papers were undisturbed, 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 ewent out again, taking carc
to keep in the well-lighted and fire.
quented streets until he reached n hard
ware store where he could buy a re-
rolver. With the weapon in his pocket
he felt safer; and, leaving Broadway,
he once more turned his steps toward
the jail. Pragmore had not been
found; and, after assuring himself that
description of the missing notary had
been telegraphed to the ncighboring
towns on the railway. Thorndyke went
back to the hotel. Approaching the
building by a walk through the
grounds which led him beneath the
windows Of his own room in one OF
the southern gables. he was surprised
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 destr,rc-i
tion. In his absence the room had
been thoroughly and ruthlessly ran.
sacked, and one Of the gas jets-wheth-i
er by accident or design he never knew
had been swung around against the
mosquito netting. which was blazing
and dropping a shower OF small fire.
brands upsn the white eounterpane be
meath it.
When he had put out the fire and
gathered up his scattered belonging.
Philip began to have a juster apprecin-
tion of the desperate character Of the
men with whom he had V deal, and
he determined 10 take no moro risks.
After having his room changed. he
tclephoned 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.
Wv