Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-05-08

| duce notes sufficient to discharge your
debt-Bank of England notes, the num-
bers of which, I need hardly say. are in
my possession. The money is produced
from the case yonder, which case we
know was sold to the injured man by
Mr.. Wallen.''
Marley made a long aud significant
pause. Steel nodded
| "There seems to be no way out Of it, +"
| he said.
| II can see one" Marley suggested
"Of course. it would simplify matters
enormously If you merely told me. in
confidence. whence came those notes.
You see as have the numbers. could
verify your statement beyond question.
! and
Marley paused again and shrugged
his shoulders. Despite his cold. official
manner, he was obviously prompted by
a desire TO serve his companion. And
yet, simple as the suggestion seemed. it
was the very last thing with which
Steel could comply.
The novelist turned the matter over
rapidly in his mind. His quick percep-
tions flashed along the whole logical
line instantaneously. He was like a
man who suddenly sees a midnight
| landscape by the glare of a dazzling
| flash of light.
Il am sorry" he said, slowly. every
sorry to disappoint you. Were our stu
ations reversed. 1 should take up your
position exactly. But is so happens
that I cannot. dare not tell you where
got these notes from. So far as am
concerned they came honestly into my
hands in payment for special services
rendered. 1t was part of my contract
that I should reveal the secret to no.
body. If I told you the story, you
would decline to believe it: you would
say that it was brilliant effort of a
novelist's imagination to get out of a
| dangerous position"
II don't know that should Marley
replied. II have long since ceased to
wonder at anything that happens in or
is connected with Brighton
"All the same. 1 can't tell you, Mar
ley" Steel said. as he rose. my lips
are absolutely sealed. The point is:
what are you going to do?"
! For the present. nothing" Marley
replied. $50 long as the man in the
hospital remains unconscious. l can do
no more than pursue what Beaconsfield
|
I have told you good deal more than
had any right to do, but did so in the
| hope that you could assist me. Perhaps
in day or two you will think better of
| it. MEANWHILE
Meanwhile I am in tight place.
Yes. I see that perfectly well. 1t is
just possible that may scheme some
way out of the difficulty. and, if so. I
shall be only tor pleased to let you
know. Goodnight, Marley, and many
| thanks to YOU
But with all his Ingenuity and fer
| tility of imagina ton David could see no
| way out of the trouble. He sat up far
into the night scheming; there was no
flavor in his tobacco; his pictures and
flowers, his silver and china, Jared
| upon him. He wished, with all his
heart, that he had let everything go. It
| need only have been a temporary mat
| ter. and there We're other Cellini tank
| ards and intaglios. and line engravings
| in the world for the man with money in
| his purse.
He could see no way out of 1t at all.
| Was it not possible that the whole
| thing had been deliberately planned so
as to land him and his brains into the
hands of some clever gang Of swind-
| lers? Had he been tricked and fooled
SO that he might become the tool of 9TH
| ers? 1t seemed hard 10 think so. when
| he recalled the sweet voice in the dark
| ness and it's passionate plea for help.
| And yet the very cigar case that he had
been told was tho one he admired at
Lockhart's had proved beyond question
| to be one purchased from Walen's!
If he decided to violate his promise
and tell the whole story, nobody would
/ believe him. The thing was altogether
too wild and improbable for that And
yet. he reflected. things almost as i'm
possible happen in Brighton every day.
And what proof had he to offer?
Well. there was one thing certain. At
| least three-quarters of those bank notes
the portion he had collected at the
house with the crimson blind-could not
possibly be traced to the injured man.
| And. again. it was no fault of Steel's
that Marley had obtained possession Of
the numbers of the notes. If the de-
tective chose to ferret out facts for him
self no blame could attach to Steel. If
these people had only chosen to leave
out of the question that COMPOUNDED
cigar case!
David's train of thought was broken
as an idea came to him. 1t was not SO
long since he had fac-simile cigar case
in his hand at Lockhart's. in North
street. Somebody connected with the
mystery must have seen him admiring
it and reluctantly declining the pur-
chase. because the voice from the tcie.
phone told him that the case was a
present and that it had come from the
famous North street establishment.
'By Jove!" David cried. I'll go to
| Lockhart's tomorrow and see If the
case is still there. If SO, may be able
| to trace it,"
Fairly early the next morning David
was in North street. For the time be-
ing he had put his work aside altoge.h-
er. He could not have written a dozen
consecutive ines to save the situation.
The mere effort to preserve cheerful
face before his mother was q torture
And at any time he might find himself
forced to meet a criminal charge.
The gentlemanly assistant at Lock
hart's remembered Steel and the cigar