The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1898-01-14
A CASE IN EQUITY .
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
Copyright. 1905. by J. G. Lippincot, Co.
XIV.-CONTINUED.

There Was raSping noise, as of :!
hastily opened drawer. and the old man
spIahg to his feet and levcicd u revolt
yer at Thcrndyke. His eyes blazed. anu
his voice uIavered with excitement.
"By the Mighty. if We don't get out
o. here
Philip stood his ground long enough
to show his contempt for the argyll
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 find
magistrate, he swore out Il warrant
for Pragmore's arrest and went him
self with the deputy who was to serve
1t. 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
Jail and see if Pragmorc 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 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
frsIn 10 of hn 10 n
garish twilight, he stumbled over the
body of 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
vas well planned and deity executed.
and when his assailants had left him
Thorndyke was astonished to find thai
they had taken none of his valuables.
Then it came to him like n 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 Icing madly
toward the hotel. stumbling and fall
ing over heaps of building material and
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 undsturbed. 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.
ouented streets until he reached a hard
ware store where he could buy re-
volver 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
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 n 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 destruc-
ton. In his absence the room had
been thoroughly and ruthlessly ran