Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-02-05

Martin Erale was llV1ng, ne WOulU
never have regretted having trusted
his daughter to my care. What'
after all, does it matter if some
trickery was used in the matter TO
retain the fortune in the family, IN
stead of allowing it to be scattered
among a dozen perhaps worthless
relatives of my wife. Martin Frale's
daughter must have gone to an
asylum as child, and never known
what happiness meant, but for this
strange circumstance in her life.
She has been carefully reared, has
enjoyed everything that money could
purchase. Could Martin Frale, were
he living to-day, wish her different
ly off? Would he attempt to drag
her down to his own level again?
Would he take her from the luxury
in which she has beer bred, to dill
ferent life-one of possible misery?
CAS- the spokesman of Martln
Frale, I believe that he would do
nothing of the lxind,'' said Hendricks,
in low voice. "She would hardly
love her old father with the
brand of shame upon him-the
father she never knew. She would
not be a woman to care to change
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 ne turned his back on his com
panion and said, after a pause:
"Ah, you are well provided for here.
I should like to feel that I was going
to be so comfortably lodged for the
rest of my life"
"You are not in very prosperous
circumstances, then, Hendricks?
ventured Ellison, who thought he
saw the way now to offer bride
which his guest had rejected with
such scorn a short time before.
Job Hendricks turned about and
pumped down in chair again.
81 dare say l am as prosperous as
I Deserve" he said. "My wants are
few and I am getting on in years.
A man don't need much when he has
reached my age"
"Still, there are comforts that
might make life easier"
81 know what you are thinking
about, but oblige me by not ap-
/ preaching the subject again"
The banker was silent.
''Tell me-" said Hendricks, after a
pause, "are there no clews that would
point to the fact that some other
person must have committed the
crime, rather than young Barnett?"
Nothing as yet," replied Ellison,
as if weary of the subject. "Of
course, as / told you, / am interest
ed in setting the young man free, and
so at the first opportunity l sent to
New York to bring down an expert
detective to take charge of the case.
The police are doing something, of
course, but I thought might do
little independently"
"And what is the result?"
Nothing as yet. He only arrived
yesterday afternoon, and has spent
the time since in interrogating the
servants"
'Well, I should not wonder if I
took hand in the matter myself if
all else failed"
'What, you?'
eyes, why not?" replied Hendricks,
calmly. 81 am interested, as / 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 profess
sional, for he brings originality and
fresh ideas to bear on the subject.
These moss-covered beaureaucrats
go Flooding 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,
cast a searching look at his COM
panion.
Perhaps" and Hendricks smiled
"Come, why should you want to know
so much about poor stranger? Ii
Martin Frale was standing before
you, [ suppose you could sift him
heart and soul in a moment"
81 don't see why you keep referring
to that unfortunate man." said FL
lison, with a grimace. 'Let the past
bury her dead. He was an ignorant
man, 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 good sum in return
You may be friend of his, and so
naturally refer to him now and then,
but you will oblige me by not men
tioning him again"
Certainly" in a low voice, "and
yet you ought to have certain feel
ing for him, since you have adopted
one of his blood"
"Time has changed all that; she
would never be taken, after these
years of culture, as one of the VOLTS
breed"