Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-09-01
CHAPTER XIV.
westward, Ho.

When he anne TO think matters over,
Stephen felt inclined to congratulate
himself upon the result OF his .'littlc
explanation (as he mentally termed
IT. at BriXton. Alice, il was true. had
not shown her previous meek reSigna-
ton to his wishes; she had even dis
played symptoms of showing fight.
But, as le told himself, the most pa
tient woman will resent. for a tic,e,
such n trick as he had played upon her.
1t is only when she calms down and
realizes the folly of kicking against a
stony mass of hard fact that she re-
signs herself to the inevitable. Sooner
or latter, Alice would be driven to
come TO terms.
A letter from Luke Brann, bearing
the New York postmark, was causing
HIM very great uneasiness. In such
strangely-spelt, yilely-written terms
that he could only make out their gen
eral sense the poacher informed him
that he had been robbed of nearly all
his money in a Bowery den, and was,
consequently, unable to proceed TO the
Far West, as he had intended. Would
his homer send him a hundred dol
lars for this purposey The scrawl was
signed "Jak Wood
"Confound the stupid. lying brute"
he muttered, sayagely. IF the police
once take up the case in earnest. that
fiimsy alias would not shield him Il
week, and his arrest would complicate
matters deucedly awkward for me. A
hundred dollars. the s%cOundrel wants.
I'd give n hundred pounds, willingly,
to know he had broken his neck"
Wishes, however, even when backed
up 10y conditional rewards, canno kill;
and Mr.. "Jak Wood was clearly i'm
greater danger of being arrested than
OF coming by a violent end. There
fore. he must, mt all hazards, be re-
moved beyond the ~far-reaching arm of
the law. He could not be trusted to
remove himself: that was clear. And
Stephen found himself driven to the
conclusion that he would have TO go to
New York and personally superiniend
the rascaIs migration.
Oscars behavior of late, had, more
0yer, caused him some uneasiness. in
asmuch as he had shown signs of re-
considering his determination to exile
himself; and, although he had not alb
solutely revoked his promise of execut-
ing n power OF attorney In Stephens
favor, he had evinced no sort of eager
ness to give effect to that promise.
Now, Oscars disappearance from soci-
ETY. was 81 obviously essential to the
realization of his brothers ambitious
hopes, that any recantation on his part
would annihiiatc them: and Stephen
set his strong. white teeth very hard at
the thought. Then, arming himself
with the power-of-attorney (Which only
awaited signaturel, he sought out Os-
car and found him in his rooms, mood
lily studying Colonial Office reports.
"Ive been expecting you round at
my chambers to fix up that legal bust.
ness" he remarked, airily, but / sup
pose you thought any time would do to
scrawl your name on a piece of parch-
ment. I've brought 1t round with me.
So, il you'll just read 1t through, so as
to make sure l have correctly stated
your wishes, we can settle the matter
right off,"
Very we'll" asscnted Oscar. leave
Ele the deed. and l will return Ii to you
signed when I've had time TO go
through 1t. I'm rather stupid and slow
ut understanding legal English
'Oh. You'll find it's all right,' pro-
tested Stephen. with an air Of being
somewhat hurt by the soldiers eau
tion. "And, by the way, there win
have to be a witness to your signature.
Have you made up your mind yet
where you're going tor
Il have pretty well decided in favor
OF Canada" was the reply. Cheap
land, good soil, a bracing climate, and
enough sport TO ill up ones spare time.
j don't think a settler, not overbur-
dened with cash, can expect more.
But. as n matter of fact" he added,
with a poor attempt at a smile, II find
1T easier to decide upon my destination
than TO start upon my exile"
That's easily understood. I don't
quite fancy a little trip ! find | shall
have 10 make myself across the her.
ring-pond;' but I'm engaged in q case
that necessitates my interviewing an
important witness In New York, and so
SO. ] must. B~y-thc-by, New York Is on