Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-09
CHAPTER II.
Mr.. Ellington o'Keefe, the Kloncike
King

Constitutional Smith had frequently found
In his experience that the very best time
10 turn clever trick was when he was
attempting to escape the consequences of
another clever trick. There excitement
III 1t, too. To rob bank, for instance, and
then, with the sleuths hot on your trail to
knock some prosperous-looking individual
down in the public highway and rob him
of his money and dress yourself in his
clothes effective disguiSe-this was
worth while. At present Constitutional felt
the ever present certainty that behind him
the police were on his track. There was
but one thing to do.
Il see my duty. and I'll do It," soliloquzed
Mr.. Constitutional Smith
Ellington O'Keefe, now one of the prom
inent citizens of Monroe, chiefly by reason
OF his reputed wealth, had had a varied
career. He had ever lived in the city of
Monroe; he was born and brought up there.
He was rough, good natured sort of man,
VINO up to certain period In his career
had been rolling stone. Up to that time
If he ever had a dollar the people of Mon
roe never knew 1t. Ellington O'Keefe had
been jack of all trades and master of none.
But he hit 1t when he hit the Klondike
trail. He was one of the few who did.
There were many men who sought the
klondke from Monroe; many of them
dropped avery dollar that they had. If
Ellington O'Keefe had gone with eX-
pensive outfit he would have come back
without dollar; if he had had anything to
lose he would have lost It, AS 1t was, he
went without dollar; tramped half the
way, with nothing but his clothes upon his
back; without the suspicion of an outfit
and he came back rich as Croesus.
1t is the barefooted boy who goes out
with a couple of angleworms and a bent pin
it is he who catches the fish; 1t was Bil-
lington O'Keefe who came back from the
I flyn % q
gold.
Immediately he did two things First. he
assumed a place of prominence among the
people of Monroe: and he was looked up to
and admired. People forgot about poor Bill
lirgton O'keefe They bowed low to Bill
lington Okeefe, the wealthy. And from
the first all that he touched seemed to turn
to geld. He made some real estate invest
ments and sold out at a considerable ad-
vance; he bought stocks the rise and
sold them on the decline, and he always
came out on top. He was all right, all the
time, was Ellington Okeefe. At least so
thought the people of Monroe.
He did another thing. He had manufac
tured for himself out of the first few ounces
of gold that he had dug and washed the
heavy watch chain which he wore about
his neck. 1t was curious chain, fashioned
not in the conventional links. 1t had "a
snaky, scaly appearance, caused by the fact
that each so-called link was made like an
infinitesmal peach basket and fitted Into
its neighbor as one peach basket fits into
another. Its manufacture had been quite
as expensive, If not more so, than the ma
terial of which 1t was made. And it weigh
ed, as has been said, one pound and one
ounce.
THE one ounce" remarked Ellington
O'Keefe to his friends, ''if for good meas
ure. And besides, the gold is soft and the
ounce will wear off before die"
But there was more about the chain than
it's fine material and It's superb manufac-
ture-it was the distinguishing feature Of
Mr.. Ellington O'Keefe. Strangers were adj
vsed to watch out for the man with the big
watch chain about his neck.
For that's Ellington O'Keefe," the citi-
gems would say.
Now, Constitutional Smith treasured all
these things in his heart-and d good many