Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1900-11-01
A\%%%<<<<<<<<<*%%<%<~*<%<<
+: Saved from Ruin F.:
~ THINK you had better attempt
no explanation, Mr.. Halhon." tie

~ THINK you had better attempt
no explanation, Mr.. HalLon." tie
senior partner was saying to me. very
quietly. No" he went on. as | was
Oh the point of interruptiug him.
'either TO excuse or to inclminate
Yourself For the sake of Your IA
Their, who was one Of the stannchest
and best servants the firm ever pcs
sessed. and lor the sake Of his widow,
Mr.. Sampson and myself have deter
mined to make his son ever, allow.
ance. As the matter stands. there is
balance of 997 unaccounte for, and
you are the only person who can
make it right If the amount is
em.--replaced by this day fort
night nothing more will be said.
But if not" ''Then. went on Mr..
Sampson, the junior partner. "the firm
Will require Your services no longer,
Mr. Halbon. Possibly, for the sake
of those whom Mr.. Marsh has mem
toned. we shall not take amy more
stringent measures; but, of course.
such a dismissal. without reason or
references. would be ruin to YOU. We
trust, therefore, that YOU will be able
to rectify the mistake. Good after
noon.'
Ruin! That was just the word for
It all. and it rang in my ears with
terrible significance as [ left the
my seat at desk in the office outside.
For alt though they had not named the
word, the terrible charge that was
staring me in the face was ennbezzle
nent. They had discovered it all.
Foot that | had been; alas. the dupli
cate of many. Not half q dozen years
out of my teens. with berth that
many an older man might have en-
We'd, the nnder-casllicr in the wealthy
firm of Marsh Il Sampson. of Silk
minister, one of the largest houses in
the Midiands.
Could ! do ito I asked myself the
question that night in the solitude of
my lodgings. ! had been invited out
to spend The evening at the house
of my fiancee. Alas. | dared not face
her row. SO | sat alone in an agony
] counted out my resources. The ut
most could scrape together was
"a shil.ings. and, look where ] would
! could not see my way to laying my
hand on more.
The game was up: that was evident.
And out OF the situation there grew
the desire, stronger anU stronger, to
get away. anywhere from Silsmnster
TO London, perhap s-London. whi1h-
er every fortune-hunter or fortune
loser turns his steps. At length a
definite plan took possession of me-
Hastily | packed few things in
my bicycle 'hold-all." filled my lamp.
knocked at my landlady's door, and
said: 81 am going for a long ride,
Mrs. S'nith---to see a friend. He'll be
almost sure to ask NE to stay the
night, so don't expect me till to-mor-
row evening""
And in another minute I was howl
ing through the suburbs of Silk min
ster. until the houses became more
and more scattered, the lamp posts be-
gam to disappear, and al length | was
out in the open country speeding
away on the road that led to london
Dullminster was now a good five
miles behind me- and | had entered
upon a stretch Of road that was more
than usually dreary and secluded. On
my right was an open eNpanse of com
mon and on my left, on the top of an
embankment. the main line of the
Great West-N Northern railway ran for
some two or three miles parallel wit h
the road, hedge between me and the
bottom of the embankment The mo-
men'ury flash Of warning red light
, on Il siynal-post as | began riding by
the side of this embanknent set my
mind flowing in Il new channel. The
j, whole country had recently been
aroused to the sense of a terrible dam.
!, ger. The most cold-blooded and (as.
tardlN attempts We're being made or
certain of our great trunk railways tc
wreck express trains. Some of these
attempts were successful. and more
than one accident was the result:
L some were discovered only lust in time
, to prevent an appalling disast Ell; while
5 others fortunately proved powerlesy
to upset he magnificent engines ant
trains for which they We're INTENDED
Suddenly as | was riding ,hus slow
: ~. happened to glance upward at tn,
{ railway embankalent. and started VIC
: lently at what | saw. There. outlined
t against the dim Sky. was the figure of ;
n'an. now standing. now STOPPING
downward, seemingly doing something
: to the metals. The situation flashed
across me in Il moment 1t was tn,
-wrecking fiend at work. Careful
I. ~ l alighted from my machine, MAX
ing up my mind the while how to act
The whole thing came as a flood of re
lief to me. If he were really placin,
: something on the line he was desper
ate fellow, and to attack him would b.
I desperate-just the very thing for
man in my mood And then there cam
: across me another thought. The Grea
West-N Northern had offered GlC0 re
: ward. What il I should win it? IF SC
l was saved!
= 1 his idea oIra mo cO,,ro 7 al. -,