Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-01-19

big. burIy, fat-voiced man, with Jet
bIack beard so Enthusiastically dyed nat
II increased his years and gave an UNI
wholesome tinge to his pallld mple
ion. He had greasy, fawning
AN assumption Of bonhomie that yoV
instinctively distrust. l never carea
for him much, but he always pFetehoeo
to be devilish fond Of me.
had met this Lawford on the other
side of the Atlantic, in the south
American city where l had spent some
time in a recent mission. He gave IL
out that he was prospecting Tor gold
In those parts, but many believed that
he was q spy and secret agent OF the
American government. Their we came
home together in the same steamer,
ard / was much thrown with him on
boa I'd. He was on his way to England
to make hts ard every ones fortune.
mine included. / confess the fellow
| amused me. his schemes were SO tre-
mendous; he had Il a profound be-
lief In himself and in the simplicity OF
the British public.
Yes. sir. / shall spoil them; stick
them up and carry off a pie of plum
der. You'll do well to cut in with me-,
captain. You'd strike ii rich; yes, sir.
1 can dispose OF rs. coo acres OF real es-
tate which is just honeycombed with
gold. The greater pant belongs TO me,
Rufus LaNford, but I won't part till
your darned capitalists have unbut-
toned. But they will that when they've
seen my prospeCtuSes and heard my
witching tongue"
La~ford had not found the innocents
Of the city go easy to beguiie. 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
H. ~ - 49, C--,AAtAaan hA sec -
the eve OF pulling off some gigantic
operation; at others he was in the
depths of despair and borrowed a SOW
ercign ION 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
the neutral, debatable ground where
every mans hand is against his fel-
lows and frank bIigandage is more or
less the rue.
/ was surprised to find him in the
west end, and tod him so, as he over
took me with the fifth Globe In his
hand.
Hello! Hello! I'm taking a holi-
day. Those galoots eastward won't
Lite, and ! thought ia give myself an
airing IN the park. Never expected to
see you" which was a deliberate lie,
for / had reason to know later that he
had come cut for that very purpose.
see your name in the papers. Presume
It's you? They've got the whole story.
Fine fortune, young sir; fine. Wish
you joy
l thanked him, not overcordially per-
haps; for the man bored me, n /
guessed that his was only an early at
tack upon my new found millions,
NOW, CaptGin Wood, l am delighted
to have met you, for / may be able TO
give you a little advice. You will be as
sailed on al sides. You capitalists are
the natural game Of the promoters.
Give them a wide berth. There's a
mass Of yillainy about. Don't trust
them-not a man Of them. If you're
IN any difficulty, II you've got q few
thousands TO pay with at any time,
YOU come straight 10 me. | shall be
de lighted to serve yOu-for yourself,
mind, ana for the sake Of Old times,
for ! knew Bully Mcknight Well"
"Ah, indeed, Tell me about him. You
knew him" / was eager to hear more
Of the man from whom my strangely
unexpected fortune had come.
Continued Next Week.)