Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-08-07
DAILY SHORT STORY
No. I46.
ICrgtnaI.I

have to come back here again"
AS the warden spoke the prisoner
stared at him as though his mind were
upon other matters, then. without re-
ply, fastened out into the world.
Several years before this Henry
Tracy was young business man of
such marked ability that when Man
ming Brightman, an intimate friend,
though fifteen years his senior, died it
was found that Tracy had been named
sole executor of his estate and guard
ian of the only heir, Edith Bright
man. seventeen years old. One day
Abel Barnicourt, who had once been
Brightman's attorney, produced papers
transferring the whole estate to Sarah
Parton. who claimed to be the second
wife of the deceased. These papers
disappeared and there was such strong
evidence that Tracy had stolen them
that his incarceration followed. While
he was in prison the estate remained in
litigation, and Edith Brightman, being
deprived of her income, was forced to
earn her own living.
On the evening of his discharge he
stood on a street corner waiting for
the clocks to strike 10. At the first
stroke a man crossed the street and
Joined him.
"The shovels?" asked Tracy.
"On the place"
"AlI right. You go ahead, and I'll fol-
low. We don't want to be seen to-
gether."
Tracy followed the man out of town
to deserted house standing beside the
road, and the two entered the grounds.
A pick and u shovel were found under
a porch, and Tracy, leading the way to
large tree in n corner Of the lot, be-
gan to dig. Coming to a small sheet
iron box, they removed it and returned
with 1t to the city.
'We'I go to your room, Brown" said
Tracy. You've got the documents
there, believe"
Yes
A few minutes later Brown scratched
match in his room. lit the gas. locked
the door, pulled down the shades. and
the two opened the iron box. taking
out a bundle of papers. Brown mean
while unlocked n desk and brought
forth an envelope containing dOcu-
ments. Tracy seized them eagerly and
scanned them one after another till he
came TO one at which he uttered n cry
of JOY.
This Is the key to the situation," he
Exclaimed. Without this the others
are worthless. I'll take care OF this
myself You look out for the others.
Meet me in the morning at the court
house, and we VIII swear out the war
rant"
1t was IL o'clock at night when
Tracy left the detective and walked
rapidly to Il house where there was but
one light burning. He rang the bell
and when a servant came asked for
Miss Brightman.
"Gone to bed
Never mind that. must see her
tonight"
"Who shall 1 tell her wishes to see
herT'
Never mind that either. She'll APP
prove of your calling her up"
When Edith Brightman entered the
room and saw her guardian, the ex-
convict, she caught at the door knob.
His Imprisonment and the mystery at
tending ii, together with the loss of her
property, had not only been a puzzle
but u horror to her. When 1t occurred
she was still half n child. Now she
was q woman.
Edith" said Tracy. ''your estate is
saved to you
She stared at him wonderingly as
he proceeded:
when your father asked me to be
his executor he told me of the woman
who claimed to be his wife, and that
he also suspected Barnicourt. When
| t. . H. no, n
ity practiced on my little girl. Promise
me you Will see that she is not robbed
"T promise on my honor and my
life replied.
when the blow fell knew the pa
pers were fraudulent, but could not
prove IT. The court was about to turn
over the estate to this woman. who
would at once turn it into cash and
leave the country. / deliberately stole
their papers and buried them in my
yard. While serving my term 1 en-
ployed a detective, who has only re-
Gently unraveIed the case. Here is q
contract between Abel Barnicourt and
Sarah Parton, wherein she agrees to
divide the estate with him in case he
secures 1t for her, and below her con-
fessiOn that she was never married to
your father, and the documents are all
forged, the signatures being copied
from letters of your father which had
fallen into her possession. This con-
fession Barnicourt was to hold over
her I'm case she refused to divide with
him after the estate was acquired"
While Tracy was giving his ward
this brief summary of a case which
could only be written in volumes her
face wore the expression not of one de-
lighted at hearing how she had re-
gained her property, but an engrossing
pity mingled with wonder, admiration,
gratitude for one who had suffered dis
grace and Imprisonment that it might
pass to it's legitimate owner.
"And you did this to fulfill a prom
Ise?"
mo. loved the little girl for whom
did it."