El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-30
Continued from last Saturday.


one you sold it to. But then apologists
would arise to show that the Jugginses-
dom shy at the word, sir-were lazy and
ignorant, and also that they absorbed the
corn whisky of the country in excessive
quantities. And then that company could
smile smugly and pose as misunderstood
bepefactor. So it's profits wouldn't be
smirched in the least. Grasp that?"
Yes. yes, 1 dare say you have worked
it all out to yourself and thought out the
details so many times that the whole
scheme seems entirely plausible But,
locking at it from the view of a business
man, I cannot say that it appears to be an
enterprise 1 should care to embark in.
You see, it is SO very much beyond the
scope of my general operations that Ter
-hesitate-er-you understand 1 hest
tate
YES" said Patrick Cambel quietly,
lyon hesitate because you've got some
thing ten times more profitable up your
sleeve
Shelf started and shivered slightly.
''You may as well be candid and open
with me,'' Cambel continued, land tell
me what you are driving at II it suits
me, I'll say SO, and if it doesn't I'll let
you know with surprising promptness.
And, again, if we don't trade, you may re-
ly on me not to gossip about what you
suggest. I'm not the stone throwing va
riety of animal. You see, live in sort
of SEN. greenhouse myself"
There was a minutes pause, during
which Theodore Shelf shifted about as
though his chair was uneven rock beneath
him. Then he jerked out his tale sentence
by sentence, squirting sideways at his
companion between each period.
You know, I'm shipowner in a large
way of business?"
Cambel nodded.
steamers, even new steamers, straight off
the builders slip and well found in every
particular. -
$50 I've read in the newspapers"
''And every shipowner insures his yes
sells to the full of their value
Except when he has foreboding that
they will come to grief ON a voyage. Then,
SO rumor says, he usually has the fore
thought to OverinSure."
Mr.. Theodore Shelf passed handker
chief over his forehead and started what
was apparently new topic: There is n
silver crisis on just now in the United
States, and by this mornings paper the
dollar is down at 60 cents. American gold
Is not to be had English gold is always
worth its face value What more natural
financial operation could there be than to
ship out sovereigns and profit by the dis
crepancy?"
Inc new ana Valuable steamer WHICH,
though overinsured, is likely to be report
ed lost is evidently to have a consignment
of specie on board. Five hundred thou
sand pounds / fancy you mentioned as the
figure in the billiard room this morning.
Well, if one is going in for robbery-or
piracy, I suppose it would turn out to be
in this instance-there's nothing like
large coup. It's your ntggler who usually
fails and gets laid by the heels. Drive on,
and he n little mora Pynlicit -
Couldn't the steamer be lost somehow
in the gulf of Mexico and a boat con tain
ing the boxes of specie find its way through
this channel of yours into the interior of
Floridas''
How LOST"
Don't Steamers he asked, don't they
sometimes have sad accidents which
which cause them to blow up?''
''Such things have been known. But
it's rather rough ON the crew, don't you
think?''
"Oh, poor fellows, yes. But sailors
life is always hazardous. Indeed, what can
he expect with wages at their present
.ruinous rate? Shipowners must live
''Oh, you beautyr' said Patrick Cambel.
81 must ask you to refrain from these
comments, sir. But, tell me, before I go
any further in this confidence, am to
count upon your assistanceg
''That depends upon many things. To
begin with, there'l have to be modifca-
tions before dabble. I'm not obtrusively
squeamish about human life-my own or
other peoples. On occasion I bagged my
man because he had twice shot at me.
Still piracy, complicated with what prac-
tically amounts to murder, is an art which
haven't trafficIled in as yet, and, curious
to relate, don't intend to begin. Your
scheme is delicious in its cold bloodedness,
but it would look better If it were toned
down a trife. By the way, better help
yourself to drink. Your nerves are in
such a joggle that fancy you'll faint if
you don't. notice there's no blue ribbon
on your evening dress. Humph! That's
a second mates nip-four fingers if it's a
drop. Apparently you re used to this. By
the way, what honorarium do you propose
should take for engineering this piece of
rsscality in your favor?''
Il will give you $500"
''Now, would you really? Not even
guineas?''
Mr.. Cambel. I'll make it a thousand.
Therel''
''Mr. Theodore Shelf, when a monkey
wants cat to pull cbestnuts for him out
of the fire, he first has to be stronger than
the cat. You don't occupy that enviable
position. In fact, have the whiphand of
you in every way. We need not partiou-
yourself. Now, I'll make you an offer
half of all the plumber and entire control
of everything
my God, do you want to ruin me?"
81 don t care in the least if I do. Your
welfare doesn't interest me. My services
are on the market with prix fxe. You
can take 'em or leave 'em. That's final
Shelf burst into torrent of expostula-
tons, exciting himself moro and -co-o as
lie went on, till at last he stood before the
other, with gripped fists and the veins
ridged down his neck, inarticulate with
fury.