The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1902-04-17

| Midnight meant the coming OF the last
| day. fter sunrise. some greasy loung-
er, pregnant OF cheap tobacco, would
come In and assume that he represent
| ed the sheriff. bills would be hung. like
banners on the outward walls, and
then
Bells, somewhere. Like the bells in
the valley where the vicarage used 20
stand. Steel vaguely wondered who
now lived In the house where he was
born. He was staring in the most abb
sent way, at his telephone, utterly un-
conscious of the shrill Impotence OF the
little voice. He saw the quick pulsa-
tion of the striker and he came back 10
earth again.
Jefferies. of tie Weekly Messenger, OF
course. Jefferies was fond of a late
chat on the telephone.
Steel won 1ered. grimly, IL Jefferies
would lend him E1,000. He flung him
self down In a deep lounge chair and
placed the receiver to his ear. BY the
deep. hoarse clang of the wires. long.
distance message, assuredly.
From London. evidently. Halloa,
Londonl Are you there?"
London responded that II was. A soft,
clear voice spoke at length.
rs that you, Mr.. Steel? Are you quite
alone? Under the circumstances, you
are not busy to-night?'
Steel started. He had never heard
the voice before. 1t was clear, and soft
and commanding, and yet there was
Just suspicion Of hooking Irony In II.
II am not very busy tonight" Steel
replied. who is speaking to me?"
THAT for the present we may not go
into" said the hooking voice. "As GER
tain old-fashioned contemporaries Of
yours would say, We meet as strang-
ers' Stranger yet. you are quite alone"
Il am quite alone. Indeed. am the
only one in the house.
"Goodl I have told the exchange peo-
pie not to ring OF until have finished
with you. One advantage of telephon-
ing at this hour is that one Is tolerably
free from interruption. So your moth
er is asleep? Have you told her what is
likely to happen to you before many
hours have elapsed?"
Steel made no reply for a moment.
He was restless and i'll at ease tonight,
and 1t seemed just possible that his i'm
agination was playing him strange
tricks. But. no. The Moorish clock. in
it's frame of celebrities droned the quar-
ter after II; the scent OF the Dillon roses
hcated In from the conservatory.
IT have told nobody as yet" Steel
said, hoarsely. Who In the name of
Heaven are your"
THAT in good time. But did not
think you were a coward"
mo man ever told me so-face 70
face"
Good, again. recognize the fight
ing ring I'm your voice. II you lack GER
tain phases OF moral courage. you are a
man OF pluck and resource. Now, some
body who is very dear to me is at pres
ent in Brighton, not very far from
your own house. She is in dire need OF
assistance. We can be of mutual ad-
vantage to one another"
What do you mean by that?" Steel
whispered.
Let me put the matter on a business
footing. / want you to help my friend,
and In return 1 will help you. Bear in
mind that I am asking you to do moth
ing wrong. II you will promise me to
go TO certain address In Brighton to-
night, l promise that before you sleep
the sum of e. 900 in Bank of England
notes shall be in your possession"
No reply came from Steel. He could
not have spoken at that moment for the
fee-simple OF Golconda. He could only
hang. gasping to the telephone. Many
a strange. weird plot came and went ia
that versatile brain, but never one more
wild than this. Apparently. no reply
was expected. for the speaker resumed:
II am asking you to do no wrong.
You may naturally desire to know why
my friend does DOT come to you. That
must remain my secret our secret We
are trusting you because we know you
to be gentleman. but we have enemies
who are ever on the watch. All you
have to do Is to go to a certain place
and give a certain woman information.
you are thinking this Is a strange mys-
terry. Never was enything stranger
1reamt of in your philosophy. Are you
agreeable?"
The mocling zone died out OF the
small. clear voice. until IL was almost
pleading.
You have taken me at disadvant-
age" said Steel. "And you know"
Everything. / am trying TO save you
from ruin. Fortune has played you into
my hands. I am perfectly aware that
IL you were not on the verge of social
extinction, you would refuse my re-
quest. 1t is in your hands TO decide.
You know that Beckstein, your credit
or is absolutely merciles5. He will get
his money back. and more besides. This
is his idea OF business. Tomorrow you
will be an outcast-for the time. at any
! rate Your local creditors will be inso-
| lent to you; people will pity you or
| blame you, as their disposition lies. On
the other hand, you have but to say the
/ word. and you are saved. You can go
| and see the Brighton representative of
| Beckstein's lawyers, and pay them in
paper of the Bank OF England"
IF I was assured of your bona
| fdes," Steel murmUred.
| A queer little laugh, laugh Of tri-
! umph. came over the wires
II have anticipated that question.
| Have you Greenwich time about you 20
steel responded that he had. II was
five and twenty minutes past IL. He
had quite ceased to wonder at any ques-
tions put 10 him now. 1t was all so like
/ one of his brilliant little extravaganzas,
"You can hang UP your receiver for
4 FIVE minutes" the voice added. Pre-.
| cisely at half-past ~ you go and look on
your front doorstep. Then come back
| and tell me what you found. You need
not fear that shall go away"
Steel hung up the receiver, feeling
that he needed a little rest. His cigar.
cite was actually scorching his thumb
and forefinger. but he was needless o.
the fact. He nicked up the dining room