The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-05-15

never met with such a human enigma
Who was this man? At least he knew
easily managed If treated with kind
ness and consideration.
Then you promise that If I tell you
wher the daughter is"-he did not
have the courage to. say my daughter
YOU will be silent respecting her
origtn"
IT am listening"
Can I trust you?"
For a moment the face OF Hen
bricks relaxed, and he smiled.
1t seems to me hat just now we
nave reasons to trust and yet distrust
the other. One will safeguard the other.
You need, however, have no fear that
she Will ever learn whose daughter she
really Is. I know that o can mean
her no harm, and that she is safe. But
(! should like to see her for reasons 1t
Is not necessary for me to state"
Very. well. After the terrible az
fair Of the other night, I Thought it best
to have her removed to the home of her
old nurse
And where might that be?" and the
question came as If Hendricks was deal
Ing In court with a recalc1trant witness.
The nurse is h~ousekeeper for the one
lawyer that this town affords, named
Jared Henslow."
"Henslow?" the other repeated, rub
bling his forehead.
What, O know him?"
How should I know him? But the
name is familiar. I once knew a man Of
that name"
well, she is there"
Hendricks ross and stood for a mo-
merit looking down on the foo with a
strange expression on his face.
For this last information I thank
you-as the friend Of Martin Frale, Of
course. I have no doubt that she has
led q happy life all these years."
"She has been brought up as the
daughter of a rich man should be-" re-
Piled Ellison, theatrically. Then, re-
membering that he was not addressing
an ordinary visitor, continued: 81 am
quite sure that, If Martin Frale was iliv-
ing, he would have regretted hav-
Ing trusted his daughter to my care.
What, after all, does it matter If some
trickery was used in the matter to re-
tain the fortune in the family, instead
of allowing 1t to be scattered among a
dozen perhaps worthless relatives Of
my wife. Martin FraIe's daughter must
have gone to an asylum as a child, n
never known what happiness meant, but
for us strange circumstance In her
life. She has been carefully reared, has
enjoyed everything that money could
purchase. Could Martin Frale, We're he
living today, wish her differently off ?
Would he attempt to drag her down
to his own level again? Would he take
her from the luxury in which she had
been bred, to a different life-one of
possible misery?"
AS the spokesman Of Martin Frale,
I believe that he would do nothing of
this kind" said Hendricks, in a low
voice. She would hardly love her old
father with the brand Of shame upon
him-the father h never knew. She
would NOT ha n Synr,s, IN n "a 10 NJ, a r po
her lot for the sake Of carrying pos
sible comfort to the declining years of
an old convict"
Job Hendricks at this juncture
seemed to be particularly interested
in a picture on the library walls, for
he turned his back on his companion
and said, after a pause: "Ah, you are
we'll provided for here. T should like to
feel that I was going to be SO comfort
ably lodged for the rest Of my life"
You are no in very prosperous cir
cumstances. then, Hendricks?" ven
tured Ellison, who thought he saw the
way now to offer a bride which his
guest had rejected with such scorn a
short time before.
pumped down in a chair again.
Il dare say I am as prosperous as
I Deserve. he said. MY wants are few
and l am getting or in years. A man
don't ned much when he has reached
my age" :.
Still, there are comforts hat might
make life easier"
but oblige me by not approaching the
subject again."
The banker was silent.
"Thell me-" said Hendricks, after a
pause. are there no clews hat would
point to the fact that some other per-
son must have committed the crime,
rather than young Barnett?"
Nothing as yet" replied Ellison, as
if weary of the subject. "Of course.
the young man free, and SO at the first
opportunity ]. sent to- New York to
bring down an expert detective to take
charge Of the case. The police are do
Ing something, Of course, but I thought
I might do a little Independently"
"And what is the result?"
Nothing as yet. He only arrived yes
time since in ~interrogating the SER
wants"
well, I should not wonder If I
took a hand in the matter myself If
all else failed"
What. your"
Eyes, why not?". replied Hendricks,
calmly. II am interested, as T tell you,
in this young mans affairs, and
anxious to get him free. Sometimes,
you know, an amateur is able to do
more than the argus-eyed professional,
for he brings originality and fresh ideas
to bear uopn the subject. These moss
covered bureaucrats go plodding along
In the same rut year by year"
Then you have engaged in such
business before?" and Ellison, who had
never ceased to wonder what manner
of man he had to deal with. cas- a
searching look at his companion.
Perhaps" and Hendricks smiled,
Come, why should you want to know
so much about a poor stranger? II
Martin Frale was standing before you
1 suppose o could s1ft him heart and
soul in q moment"
II don't see why you keep referring
to that unfortunate man." said Ellison
with a grimace. Let h past bury
her dead. He was an ignorant man, 6
poor, miserable fellow, who is well out
Of the way. He did one good thing, and
that was to trust his daughter to my
care. for which he received a good sun