Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-07-03
By Fred m. Uhite
rHAPTER XVIII. Continued,

THAPTER XVIII. (Continued.)
"a man who Is highly respected. A
man who stands wonder fully high in
public estimation. There are thousands
and thousands of people who look upon
him as a great and estimable creature.
He gives largely in charities, he devotes
a good deal of his time TO the poor. My
uncle. who is a good man., If you ike,
declares thai Reginald Henson is abso-
lutely indispensable to him. At the next
election that man is certain to be .e-
turned to parliament to represent an
important Northern constituency. If
you told my uncle anything about 1t ne
would laugh at YOU"
81 have not M slightest intention OF
approaching your uncle on this matter
at present"
Because o could prove nothing.
Nobody could prove anything"
''But Christiania Henson may IN
time"
look at her companion.
$50 you have discovered something
about that?' she whispered.
81 have discovered everything about
Il. Legally speaking, the young lady is
dead. She died last night, as DR.. Walk
err Will testify. She passed away In the
formula presented by me the night n a
I met her in the darkness at 218, Bruins
wick Square. Now, will o be so good
as to tell me how those girls got hold of
my synopsis?"
THAT came about quite naturally.
Your synopsis and proof, In an open en-
velope were accidentally slipped into a
large circular envelope used by a firm
Of seed merchants and addressed to
Longdean Grange. sent out. no doubt,
among thousands of others. Chris saw
1t and, prompted by curiosity, read II.
Out of that our little plot was gradually
evolved. You see, / was at school with
those two girls, and they have few Sc
crets from me. Naturally, / suggested
the scheme. because / saw a great deal
of Reginald Henson. He ome here;
he also comes frequently TO our house
I'm Princes Gate. And yet i am sorry,
from the bottom of my heart, that l
ever touched the thing, for your sake.
The last words were spoken with a
rlance that set David's pulses beating.
lie took Ruth's half-extended hand IN
hts, and 1t was not withdrawn.
Don't worry about me- he said. II
shall come out all right in the end.
Still, I shall look eagerly forward to any
assistance that you can afford me. For
instance what hold has Henson got on
his ~relatives?"
THAT I cannot tell YOU" Ruth cried.
t'You must not ask me. But we are act
ing for the best; our great object was
to keep you out of danger"
There is no danger to me IL i can
only clear myself" Steel replied. IF
you could only tell me where those bank
notes came from When I him OF that
part Of the business I am filed with
shame. And yet, II you only knew how
fond / am of my home. At the
same time, when I found I was called
upon TO help ladies I'm distress / should
have refused all offers OF reward If ]
had done so I should have had no need
OF your pity. And yet-and yet 1t Is
very sweet TO me"
He pressed the hand In his, and the
pressure was returned. David forgot
all about his troubles for he time: and
II was very cool and pleasant and quiet
there.
IT am afraid that those notes were
forced upon u.s." she said. Though i
frankly believe that the enemy does not
know what we nave learned to do for
you. And as to the cigar case; would
IL not be easy to settle that matter by
asking a few questions?"
MY lear young lady. I have done so.
And the more questions I ask the worse
IL Is for me. The cigar case. / claimed.
came from Walen's, beyond all ques-
ton. and ives purchased by the mystic
rious individual now in the hospital. j
understood that the cigar case was the
very one I admired at Lockhart's some
time ago. and
'sIf you inquire at Lockharts, you will
find such to be the case"
David looked UP with a puzzled ex-
preston. Ruth spoke so seriously and
with such an air OF firm conviction h a
he was absolutely staggered.
so I did" he said. "and was In
formed In the most positive way by the
Junior partner that the case / admired
had been purchased by an American
called Smith. and sent to h Metropoie
after he had forwarded dollar notes for
It. Surely. you don't suppose that a
firm like Lockhart's would be guilty OF
anything
Ruth rose to her feet. her face pale
and resolute.
This must be looked to-" she sa2 Y
."The cigar case sent to you on that
particular. night was purchased al
Lockhart's by myself and paid for with
my wi money"
ha ."LH