Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-06-06
Stairs Of
|Sand....

and addressed it, and left 1t on the bu-
reau where II could be easily seen, M
went quietly out of h room, closing
the door softly behind him. He was
rather glad that he did not find the
landlord below stairs, but even IL the
worthy Peter had been there he would
have said nothing about his going.
Let this spy and thief still think I
am in town." he said to himself, as he
went out the door. $50 much the
easier for me to throw him or the
track"
Thinking that perhaps there might
be unseen eyes watching him, ne ap-
preached the depot in a circuitous way,
reaching 1t from exactly the opposite
road he had set out. Then he kept out
of sight until the train arrived that was
to carry him to ~Farrenford, where he
knew that poor Dick Barnett was con-
fined. He felt satisfied as the train
moved out Of the station that his de-
parture had not been noticed, n the
thought that the man who had been
left to watch him was outwitted filled
him with quiet amusement.
So 1t came about that the little man
In brown was never again seen In the
town of Exton, and the landlord Of the
Bluebeli, when he found his star board
er a taken French leave, mourned his
loss for many weeks afterward, n
was wont to regale the loafers of his
establishment with the prodigality Of
the millionaire travelling In disguise
who had honored his roof for a few
short days.
Meanwhile Dick Barnett took his con-
flnement coolly, and now and then his
solitary life was cheered by a visit
from Grace Ellison.
She generally came with her
father, and 1t seemed to Dick that
Ellison did not treat him with the
same feeling as In the past, before this
trouble came up. He often wondered,
too, what had become OF the little mar
who had acted in such a friendly way
while he was enjoying, or rather endur-
ing, Mr.. Bliven's hospitality at Exton.
He finally set him dow as an eccentric,
who had become tired of playing phi
lanthropist In his case and was prob
ably amusing himself On a fresh sub
ject.
When he was examined he was sur
prised to find what q weight Of circum
s~tantial evidence there was against him.
There were two things that ounted in
his favor. First, his good character and
even temper making 1t seem impossible
that he could in q fit Of nge have
killed the mother, simply because she
opposed his suit; secondly, the discov-
cry that Mrs. Ellison la been despoiled
Of her earrings Of diamonds and emer-
aids. Still, there was some doubt
whether she had worn them that night,
though they could not be found IN the
receptacle where she usually kept her
jewels.
That the young school teacher could
have been q robber as well as guilty of
n deeper crime seemed absurd on the
face of 1t. On the other hand, he was
very poor, and had made arrangements
to leave the town that night s%urrepti-
tiously.
SO the case remained, and he was re-
manded to await his trial with the
prospect Of some months in Jail, any
way, before he could be free. AS for
Ellison, he promised to do great things.
He would pay a force of detectives to
search for new evidence, and pro-
claimed dramatically in court his belief
In the young mans innocence. He did
all he could 70 make his former protege
comfortable In prison, and Dick, far
from feeling downCast, as he expected
to be when he found the weight Of evil
dence against him, became confident
that he had but to wait n all would
be well.
On the very day of the examination,
while James Ellison was still enjoying
the proud feeling of n man who has
been defending the cause of the poor
and weak, n card was brought to him in
his hotel room that drew from him an
exclamation of surprise.
SHOW the man up he said to the
servant, and straightaway began to
walk nervously up and down the room
as IL the prey to a violent excitement.
When he heard a step in the corridor
without and heard q timid knock on the
door, he went and opened II, admitting
a gayly-dressed young man, with q
sharp face and closely-cropped hair,
who stood for q moment on the thresh-
old, twisting a light felt hat n~ervously
in his hands.
well, why don't you come IMP"
grumbled Ellison. And then, as the fell
low seemed to have trouble In making
up his mind, reached out his hand and
pulled him into the room, closing the
door behind him..
"Sit down." pointing to a chair.
The visitor, who seemed to be I'M
comfortable In his new clothes, n at
n loss to know what to do with his
hands, slowly lowered himself to a rest
ing position on the edge of a fauteuil,
while his black eyes turned here and
there about the room, as II looking for
a means of escape.
Ellison, who had taken q seat direct
ly in front of his visitor, eyed him with
u contemptuous smile.
We'll, what have you done to earn
your money!" he began.
"Blime me, Mr.. Hellison, / amt had a
good nights sleep since I went on his
here 'untin' hexpedition," speaking with
a strong cockney accent.
That's all very well. But what did
you accomplish by staying awake? The
paper-did you get IT."
NO; I didn't"
ellison made q gesture Of irritation,
and looked at his visitor In no very
friendly way.
What chance was there for me to
lay 'ands on it?" explained the young
man, energetically. Didn't l plank my
self down in the same lodgin' 'ouse with
the party? Didn't / keep alter him all
day-an', let me tell we, he ain't a pc
destrian you can give distance to.
Didn't l ransack his baggage when he
was hcut?"
"Oh, that was all nonsense. You
might have known that he carried 1t
about with him."
And l suppose / was to knock the
gent over in broad daylight, and take
1t from 'im?" remarked the other, show
ing that he had a pretty skill In the
way of sarcasm.
II don't cara what you might have
done. Your duty was to get the paper,
and you haven't lone it. / declare, you
are not so clever as I thought you
were"
Come, guv'nor. ] lone the best l
could, so just please wait until
well, go on; 1 am listening" replied
Ellison, with the bored expression of
patient resignation.
Eye know We wanted to find out who
this here chap really was"
YES, but what can you tell me about
him that l don't know already, Briggs?
Don't try to make up a story so as to
cover up your own stupidity" And he
looked at the young man in such a
threatening way that the latter cast an
anxious look at the door, as If he would
gladly be on the other side of 1T.
Yer see, when 1 was On the trail OF
this gent" he began, as he ~regained
some confidence and found out hat he
wns NOT to he eaten. ~ fell in with some