Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-06-12
CHAPTER x.

absolutely no sign of a foe. All was
quiet and peaceful and the men who
had formed themselves into hasty
Gordon about the building began to
look at each other obviously. Their
attention was finally attracted by
Mrs. Glimmer, who came out in front
of the Emporium.
"Who rang the bell" she cried,
nervonsly.
Don't you know?" returned her
husband in a bewildered tone.
81 haven't the slightest idea, Ben
| iamin. I heard a noise upstairs and
ran to see what was the matter.
While I was gone some one rang the
bell Dear sakes! Are the Harmony
folks comin'?"
Don't you worry, Amanda.
Whether they come or not, I'm here.
Did you see any one in the store
when you came DOWN."
mot a soul"
Here's how-de-do, boys" said
| Glimmer, in a puzzled tone. "Who
could have rung that bell and what
was it rung for?"
There's Sampson up on top of the
Blizzard building!" shouted Bilkins.
! Sampson was there. sure enough,
shading his eyes with his hand and
! looking off toward Harmony.
"See any one, Samp?" cried Petit
bone.
Cant see a thing" called back
Sampson. "Some one must have
played a joke on you fellows"
"Joke'" spluttered Waffle. eff we
could find the man who played
j joke of that kind we'd string him
up"
Coincident with the judges re-
mark, the Colonel rounded the front
of the Blizzard building. His whole
manner was one of hauteur and ut
! ter Indifference. The crowd around
the courthouse watched him in 81
lence. The great man had been
treated shabbily. The citizens real
lied that now, and as their sympathy
deepened for the Colonel their anger
arose against the judge.
The Colonel mounted slowly and
with dignity step by step. On reach
ing the upper landing he laid his
hand on the knob of the Office door,
hesitated, and then turned and
vouchsafed his attention to the
group below.
Men of Concord" he said, sonor-
ously, christopher Waffle has
spared traitor this day at my
expense. You have been cozened,
deceived by some confederate of
Liscomb's. This confederate raised
a disturbance in Glimmer's living
apartments. and while Mrs. Glimmer
went to ascertain the cause of the
unwonted noise the confederate
slipped into the Emporium and rang
the bell. What was the effect? In
the confusion that resulted the
traitor escaped. Search among you
and see if I am correct
The Colonel entered his office and
slammed the door. He had had his
fling. Upon them he had returned
moiety of the disparagement that
| had short time before been his.
| And he was right, as usual, for Lis
comb was nowhere to be found; nor
| could the confederate be discovered.
After brief period of search the
citizens went their several ways.
Guy and Pettibone turned in the
direction of the hotel. While
sauntering leisurely along, discuss
sing the incidents of the morning,
Sampson passed them. The printer
was going to the post Office to get
the Colonel's mail and he had his
hands in his pockets and was
whistling Justify. Any one with half
an eye could have seen that he was
very well satisfied with himself.
II want word with Sampson i'll
private, Pettibone," said Guy. "Will
you wait here a moment while
overtake him?''
"Going to put up job to give me
the slip?' inquired the sheriff with
wink.
II hadn't thought of such thing"
"All right. go on"
Guy called to Sampson and over
book him dozen yards ahead.
There is one man in this town,
Sampson" remarked Guy, 'who
knows all about your dealings with
the Harmony people"
The printers jaw dropped and a
troubled look shot athwart his
freckled face,
whats that?" he mumbled.
Guy repeated his words and Samp-
son cast an apprehensive glance be-
hind him.
what are you trying to get at,
any how?" he demanded, putting on
bold front.
"I'll tell you in moment. But
for combination of unusual cir
cumstances that came to my aid,
you'd have got me into peck of
trouble Monday night. I have the
note you wrote to Vlandingham.
You made q mistake when you used
the lack Of an old sheet of copy. I