Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-04-17

day. fter sunrise, some greasy loung-
er, pregnant OF cheap tobacco, would
ZONE in and assume that he represent
ed the sheriff. bills would be hung. like
banners on the outward walls, and
Bells. somewhere. Like the bells in
the valley where the y.carage used to
stand. Steel vaguely wondered who
now lived in the house where he was
born. He vas staring. in the most alb
SEN way. at his telephone. utterly un-
conscious of the shrill impotence of the
little voice. He saw the quick pulsa-
ton of the striker and he came back TO
earth again.
Jefferies. of TIE Weekly Messenger, Of
chat on the telephone.
Steel wondered, grimly, IL Jefferies
would lend him a1,Oo0. 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. a long.
distance message, assurediy.
From London. evidently. Halloa,
London! Are o there?"
London responded hat Il was. A soft,
clear voice spoke at length.
rs that you. Mr.. Steel? Are you quite
alone? Under the circumstances. you
are not busy tonight"
Steel started. He had never heard
the voice before. It was clear, and soft
and commanding. and yet there was
just a suspicion of knocking irony in IL.
Il am not very busy tonight" Steel
replied. Who is speaking to me?"
That for the present we may not 60
into said the mocking voice. "As GER
tain o~ld-fashioned contemporaries OF
yours would say. We meet as strang-
ersi' Stranger yet, you are quite alonei"
II am quite alone Indeed. / am the
only one In the house."
"Goodi i have told the exchange peo-
pie not to ring of until I hove 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 elapsed2"
Steel made no reply for a moment.
He was restless and I'll at ease tonight.
and Ii seemed just possible that his i'm
agination was playing him strange
tricks. But. 40. The Moorish clock, in
its frame OF celebrities droned the guar
ter after II; the scent of the Dion roses
hcated in from the conservatory.
II have told nobody as yet" Steel
said. hoarsely. Who In the name OF
Heaven are your"
THAT in good time. But I did not
think you were a coward"
mo man ever told me so-face TO
face"
Good. again. I recognize the fight
ing ring In your voice. II you lack GER
tain phases of moral courage, you are a
mar OF pluck and resource. Now, some
body who is very dear to me is at pres
n In Brighton, not very far from
your own house. She is In dire need OF
assistance. We can be OF mutual ad-
vantage to n another"
What do yon mean by that?" Steel
whispered.
Let me put the matter on q business
footing. / want you to help my friend,
and in return I will help you Bear in
mind that l am asking you to do moth
ing wrong. If you will promise me to
go TO a certain address I'm Brighton to-
night, / promise that before you sleep
the sum of 91. 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 fla
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
x@rV frsanA AAaa nnk nrn 60 .vntx rsh q Q
must remain my secret our secret. We
are trusting you because we know you
TO be a gentlemen, but we have enemies
who are ever on the watch. All You
have to do is to go 10 a certain place
and give a certain woman information.
you are thinking this is a strange mys-
terry. Never was snything stranger
dreamt OF in your philosophy. Are you
agreeable?"
The mocking zone died out Of the
small, clear voice, until It was almost
pleading.
You have taken me at a disadvant-
age" said Steel. And you know"
Everything. I am trying to say you
from ruin. Fortune has played you into
my hands. I am perfectly aware that
IL o We're not on the verge of social
extinction, o would refuse my re-
quest. 1t is in your hands to decide.
You nov that Beckstein, your credit
OF. is absolutely merciles3. He will get
his o 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 o people will pity you or
blame you, as their disposition lies. On
the other hand. you have butte say the
word. and you are saved. You can go
and see the Brighton representative OF
Beckstein's lawyers. and pay them in
paper or the Bank of England"
III was assured OF your bona
ftdes," Steel murmured.
A queer little laugh. a laugh OF tri-
umph. came overthe wires.
II have anticipated that question.
Haye you Greenwich time abou you %
Steel responded that ne had. II was
five and twenty minutes past IL. He
had quite ceased to wonder at any ques-
tons put TO him now. II was all so like
one OF hts brilliant little extravaganzas.
you can hang up your receiver for
five minutes" h voice added. Pre-
cisely at half-past II you 60 and look on
vour front doorstep. Then come back