The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-05-14

( the Peterson gang had ever been engag-
ed In, and the Petersons had been en-
gagged, under various aliases. in innumer-
able shady transactions. They had come
to fresh fields and pastures new" by
adopting the fair county of Worcester as
a sphere for their operations they had
| rented a tumbledown old edifce In q
| wild part Of the country, and put on the
door the name of Jackson, button maker;
they had even made few acQuaintances
| In distant villages, and bore respecta-
| BILE name among honest, unsuspicious folk
t who believed in them and their buttons.
| No one visited them certainy-it was an
out-Of- the-way place. to which nobody
was invited, and where only button max
| ing was the order of the day.
No one COMPOUNDED the name Of Jack
son with Peterson--and it was possibly
| good policy In the Captain adopting his
| own name when he went with Thomas
East bell to SedSe Hill. 1t kept matters
clear and distinct, though he had not bar
gained for Sarah Eastbells good mem
DRY, or imagined that he was known to
her by sight.
1t was he who unlocked the door Of
Sarah's extempore cell Mt seven in the
morning, and stood before her, the avow
ed agent of her captivity.
II have come to apologize for my
friends rough treatment of last night
he said. reclining languidly against the
wall. and crossing his gloved hands one
with a very glossy hat In 1t. "and tn cx-
press hope that you have suffered no
Inconvenience from your temporary with
drawal from home which you are ac-
customed to adorn. I, for one" he add
Cd with n low bow, SHOULD regret very
much to hear one word of complaint"
This Is your work them" said Sarah
bitterly; t is as ! suspected. Tell me
what my brother wantsY'
II would say fair redress for the
injury which you have done him. Your
grandmother is rich, and will leave you
oil her money. And your only brother
man of many admirable qualities
will be left to drag on his life in indi-
gence, and to die in utter abjectness of
spirit, without you assist him as fairly
and literally as fond sister should do.
Thomas, who is in difficulties. wants IF
teen thousand pounds"
Sarah drew a sudden and deep breath,
but did not reply. The thin face of the
woman STOPPING over the fire peered
round at her horrible in its eagerness
and greed.
Fifteen thousand pounds only from
hat immense fortune which must come
to you when old Mrs. Eastbell dies. the
simple conditions being that tho sum
must be paid Mt once, rs your brother is
very poor. and there is a balance of six
teen thousand three hundred and twenty
eight pounds lodged at your bankers. in
your name, for the convenience Of q cur
rent account"
"IIow do you know what money Ia
lodged in my name at the bank p
Thomas tells me-that is all. He
sent me here with your check book--he
found that in your desk, too, he tells me.
You have only to draw a draft for the
amount, and you are free. Miss Eastbell.
promised friend of yours that you
should be at Sedge Hill this evening
Miss Holland will tell you everything to-
night" he said as he drew the check
hook from his pocket and pitched 1t care
'cssly upon the deal table that was there.
Il have left everything for that young
lady to explain. 1t is a story apart from
yours, and suits not my style of narra-
tive"
This money is held In trust for an
other" she said sit belongs neither to
me nor to my grandmother"
''If to Mr.. Culwick, vel should say.
your brother Thomas objects to the title"
LET him. cried Sarah with a sudden
outburst of anger.
"Am to understand them"
THAT l will not sign one Of those
checks. Yes, understand that for your
friend. You may kill me-" she cried
''but you shall not touch penny of Reu-
ben Culwick's money"