Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-10-09

By Fred M. Dhite

Henson would never have dared.-
he said MY mind was quite easy on
that score.
Il understand Chris murnured
@And you kept the c~igar-caseg-
Yes: rather liked IL. And I,corld
afford q luxury Of that kind just then"
Then why did yoa dispose OF IL at
Rutter,s. In Moreton Weiss And why
Moreton Wells"
RawIins laughed as he lighted a
fresh cigarette.
Il came To M0reton Wells. knowing
that Henson was at Littimer Castle"
he explained. Il yer there 10 Dor
row goo from Henson. Unfortunate
~, I found him in great need OF money.
Somebody who had promised MIN a
large sum OF money had disappointed
him"
Chris smiled. She had heard all
about Lady Littimer's adventure with
the ring, and her stubborn refusal 10
give Henson any further supplies,
Presently | a tell you who disap-
pointed Henson" she said. But fancy
you being short Of"
"Of ready money; | frequently am.
One OF your great millionaires told me
lately that he was frequently hard up
for E1,000 cash. | have frequently
been hard up for e5. Hence the fact
that sold the eigar-case at Moreton
Wells"
Well. the ground is clear SO far"
said Chris. DO you know Van Sneck?"
II know Van Sneck very well, Raw
Inns said, without hesitation. "a won
derfully clever man"
4And a great scoundrel, / presume?"
well, on tine whole, | should say
not. Weak rather than wicked. Van
Sneck has been a tool ard creature of
Henson's for years. III he could only
keep away from drink, he might make
a fortune. But what has Van Sneck
got 10 do with it,"
"a great deal" Chris said, drily.
~And now please follow carefully what
4 am going To say. A little time ago
we poor, prosecuted put u
heads together TO get free from Regin-
aid Henson. We agreed TO ask Mr..
David Steel, the well known novelist,
20 show us a way Of escape. Unhappi-
1y for us, Henson got to know Of IL"
Rawiins was really interested at
last.
Pardon me" he said, eagerly. 'ff |
ask a question or two before you pro
GGGus Id NIL DhNiQ 6LOCl LlC EtALIC~
man who found a man half-murdered
In his house In Brighton?"
"The same. But don't you know who
the injured man was"
"Yod don't mean I say IL was Van
Sneck?" Rawlins cried.
Chris nodded gravely. Rawlins APP
peared like q man who was cropping
about I'm a sudden dazzle of light.
II begin to understand he mutt
tered. The ~scoundrell"
After that | will resume" Chris
said. You must understand that Mr..
steel was d stranger TO as. We lit
upon the idea of interviewing him
anonymously, SO Il speak, and we were
going to give him a gun-metal cigar
case mounted In diamonds. A friend
of mine purchased that cigar-case at
Lockhart's. Mind you, Reginald Hen
son knew all about this. The same day
Henson's tool, Van Sneck, purchased a
similar case from Walen's-a case
really procured for you approval
and later on In the day the case passed
from Van Sneck to Henson. who dex-
terously changed tLst cases"
"Co.sTs5x, Rawlins muttered. But
I begin to see what is coming"
THE cases were changed, and the
one from Walen's la due course, be.
came Nj. Steel's. Now note where
Henson's diabol!cal cunning comes in.
The same night Van Sneck is found
half-murdered In Mr.. Steel's house, and
In his pocket Is the receipt for the very
~cigar-case that Mr.. Steel claimed as
his property"
every awkward for Steel" RawIins
said, thoughtfully.
"Of course Ii was. And why was 1t
done? Sc that we should be forced to
come forward and exonerate Mr.. Steel
from blaine. We should have had to
tell the whole story, and then Henson
would have earned what steps we
were taking 20 get rid OF him"
Rawlins was quiet tor some time.
Admiration for the scheme was upper
piost In his mind, but there was an
cher thought that caused him to
glance curiously at Chris.
and that Ia all 0 know?" he
psked.
mot quite" Chris replied. 81 know
that On the day of the attempted muir
der Van Sneck quarreled with Regi-
maid Henson, whom he said had treat
ed him badly. Van Snack had in some
way found out that Reginald Henson
meant mischief to MIR. Steel. Also, he
couldn't get the money he wanted.
Probably he had purchased that cigar
case at Walen's, and Henson could not
repay him for the purchase of it. Then
he went of and wrote to Mr Steel,
asking the latter to see him, as he
had threatened Henson he would do.
"Ahta Chris exclaimed, suddenly,
"Are you sure of this?"
I'm afraid this has come as a shock
to you" Rawlins said, quietly.
"It has, indeed" says Chris. "And
your reasoning is SO dreadfully logic.
all
We'll, | may be wrong, after all,
Rawlins suggested.
Chris shock her head. ~douhtfully.
She felt absoI.-sty assured that Raw.
Inns was right. But then, Henson
would hardly have run so terrible a
risk for a little thing like that. He
could easily have silenced Van Sneck
BIZ a specious promise or two. There
must be another reason for
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