Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-01-17
big, burly, fat.yoiced man, with 80
black beard so Enthusiastically dyed that

big. burly. fat,yoiced man, with 80
black beard so Enthusiastically dyed that
it increased his years and gave an un-
wholesome tinge- to his pallid complex
ion. He had greasy, fawning manners
AN assumption of bonhonaie that you
instinctively distrust. never cared
i for him much, but he always pretended
to be devilish fond of me.
I had met this Lawford on the other
side of the Atlantic, in the South
American city where had spent some
time in recent mission He gave 1t
out that he was prospecting for gold
4 In those parts, but many believed that
| he was a spy and secret agent OF the
American government. Then we came
/ home together in the same steamer,
and / was much thrown with him on
! board. He was on his way to England
to make his and every ones fortune,
mine included. l confess the fellow
amused me, his schemes We're so tre-
mendous; he had such a profound be-
| lief in himself and in the simplicity OF
the British public.
Yes, sir shall spoil them; stick
4 them up and carry off pile of plun-
der You'll do we'll to cut in with me.
captain. You'd strike it rich; yes, sir.
can dispose of $1,000 acres of real es-
tate which Is just honeycornbed with
gold. The greater part belongs to me,
Rufus Lawford, but I won't part till
\ your darned capitalists have unbut-
1 toned. But they will that when they've
seen my prcspectl.ses and heard my
witchfns; tongue
Lawford had not found the innocents
of the city so easy to beguile. He
passed through many phases of good
! and evil fortune in the months that
followed his arrival. / saw him from
time TO time, now gorgeous, now look
the eve of pulling off some gigantic
operation; at others he was in the
1 depths OF despair and borrowed SOW
erc!gn "on account of the great for
| tune he meant some day to force on
me. He evidently did not prosper in
his schemes of promotion. But he still
hung upon the frontiers of finance, in
I the neutral, debatable ground where
| every mans hand is against his fell
/ lows and frank brigandage is more or
/ less the rule.
I was surprised to find him in the
west end. and told him so, as he over
took me with the fifth" Globe in his
1 hand.
Hello! Hello! I'm taking a holt
/ day. Those galoots eastward won't
Lite, and thought I'd give myself an
airing IN the park. Never expected to
see you" which was a daij .-.isa.
for l had reason to l.n2-,o want To go
\ had come out for that very t... ~
See your name in the papers. Presumdt!
I it's you? They've got the whole story.
1 Fine fortune, young sir; fine. Wish
you joy
/ thanked him, not overcordially per-
! hans; for the man bored me, and 1
/ guessed that his was only an early at.
tack upon my new found millions.
Now, Captain Wood. am delighted
to have met You, for 1 may be able to
give you a little advice. You will be as
sailed on all sides. You capitalists are
the natural game of the promoters.
Give them a vide berth. There's q
mass of villainy about. Don't trust
them-not man of them. Ii you're
IN amy difficulty, il you've got a few
thousands TO pay With at any time,
you come straight to me. shall be
delighted to serve you-for yourself,
mind, and for the sake of old times,
for l knew Bully McFaught we'll"
All, indeed! Tell me about him You
knew him." l was eager to hear more
of the man from whom my strangely
unexpected fortune had come.
Continued Next Week.)