Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-09-07

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That's Lord Mount Dacre, one Of
our directors. He half suspects some
thing already, and if he sees you here
he win guess at once what you have
come about
what can l do? Is there another
way out?'
"No-but stay! Step into that cup
board. lie won't be here many min
utes."
Hastily pushing Gerard into a large
cupboard, Nugent locked the door, and
turned smilingly to greet another I'M
welcome guest.
As Lord Mount Dacre discussed the
business Of the company in which they
were mutually concerned. his nearer
was on tenter hooks, for there was
slight noise in the cupboard.
Dear me, didn't know you had an
other room adjoining / hope we can
not be overheard"
mo, no, it's merely cupboard" said
Nugent, and he got rid of his visitor as
quickly as possible, and then went TO
set Gerard free.
The atmosphere of the cupboard
seemed unusually oppressive.
"Come out-he's gone. Why, Ger
rard, where are your demanded he, as
nothing stirred.
Then his hand touched another hand
which was cold and lifeless.
"My God!-he's deadr
When Nugent had partially recov-
cred from the shock which this dscov-
cry gave him, he found that the acct
dental closing of ventilator had been
the cause of the catastrophe.
Then he called in Wells, the clerk
who had shown Gerard into the office.
Wells formerly a schoolfellow of Nu-
gents, 20 years his head clerk, was the
one man in London from whom the
great company promoter had no Sc
crets.
"Now, Wells, what is to be done?:
You must think, for I'm nearly past 1t.
Tie fact of Gerrard's having come t.
my office will be enough to ruin me,
for there are rumOrs out in the city al.
ready about our dealings, and, besides
that, his executors will demand repay
ment of all the money l owe him. In
any case I'm ruined now"
"Who knows that he came here ex.
cepting ourselves?'
"Did nobody see You let him in?
mo, he came in by the side door,
which l always attend to myself"
"But might not some one in the
street have seen him coming in?
Impossible in fog like this sir"
why, mol suppose not-then you
mean to suggest"
THAT we search the body-see if by
any luck he has your papers on him
If he has burn them, and-put the body
into the river"
but this is terrible-and it amounts
to a fraud"
"Why should you look at it like that,
sir! You can repay the money TO his
friends anonymously when things
mend, and you said this morning every
thing would go right if only you could
keep the money another six months"
"True-I hate the idea, Wells. but
don't see what else I'm TO do, and-Ill
risk it,
Some hours later two men groped
their way through the fog which had
driven nearly everybody indoors. The
men carried some mysterious burthen,
which at any other time dld have
provoked some policeman's curiosity.
but tonight, when n man could hardly
see his hand before him, even under
the street lamps, the men and their
hun no
'Were nearly at the wharf, sir,
now" whispered Wells as the noise OF
the syrens grew every moment more
distinct. 'Keep your courage up-an-
other few steps and we're safe-my
God!-"
AS he uttered this exclamation Wells
fell over the edge of the wharf, drag
ging with him the body of Gerard.
After desperate but vain attempts at
rescue Nugent left the wharf, well nigh
demented by the horror of the situa-
ton. He had sufficient self-control,
however, to be silent as to what had
occurred, and when the bodies Of the
two men were found, far apart in the
river, no one connected the death of
the great financier with that of the OBJ
Scure clerk.
To the surprise Of everybody Mr..
Gerard left far less wealth than had
been expected, though six months later
his heirs received a large sum from an
unknown source.
The Nugent companies are as pros
porous now as ever, and their promoter
is baronet but few men who know
him would care to change places with
the great Spectator, for, since the day
when his clerk was drowned Nugent
has been an altered man. Those who
note his bowed head and brooding eyes
attribute this startling change to the
effect Of "A City Scare.'-Ally Sloper.