Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-09-12
THE DIAMOND RIVER
MURRAY
CHAPTER xyu.-fContinued1
5r DAVID MURRAY


he laughed a senile laugh and winked
bot heyes together. you were not the
only one" he said, looking mighty fool
ish, but as if he thought he were looking
mighty wise.
Indeed, sir" said the stranger.
Before we have finished a converse
ton which promises to be interestin', 4"
said Monboddo, you must favor me with
your name"
Il beg your pardon" said the stranger,
for Monboddo had chosen to be incompre-
hensible. The doctor repeated his re-
quest, and the stranger bowed, and said:
Smith, sir-plain Smith"
"Plainsmith?" said the doctor. THANK
you. My names Bonborrow. Tom Mon
borrow, medical prac' toner. Everybody
knows me. Look here, Plainsmith. If
you knew our deceased friend intimately,
you know how fond he was of a little
game of chess, ehT'
This was said with an infinite look of
fatuous cunning The listeners heart
fairly rocked within him, and Monbod-
dos demonstrating eye saw how the
question had hit him.
Now. look here" said the doctor,
when l trust a man, l trust him. When
i don't, l don't Now, l trust you,
Plainsmith. There has beer something
queer about our deceased friend ever
since he returned to England. There
have been people after him-dangerous
people"
The stranger leaned forward to listen,
and the willy Monboddo made his speech
at times scarcely understandable, the bet
ter to assure himself of the others eager
ness
Now" with a flourish that almost
lurched him from his chair, what did
those people want? What does this Jeth-
roe Jones want? What does Harvey
Jethroe want? Harvey Jethroe's got
million, hasn't he? Isn't a million good
enough for anybody? Now they're both
bowling abOut-what dye think? Come,
what dye think p
"Why, l suppose" said plain Mr..
Smith. cts something they attach a
value to, if they're making a noise about
it,"
Yes" returned Monboddo, with a sud
den apparent want of interest in the
whole business II suppose it is"
Here" said his friend, arousing him
with the crook of the walking stick.
Don't you go off to sleep just as you're
getting to be such capital company.
Seemed cut up, did they" said Mr..
Smith. "Any notion what they'd lost?'
That's tellings," returned Monboddo.
But l know where something is, and if
anybody knew the use of it, I'd pay to
be taught. You bet l should make a
scholar"
''Why?" asked Mr.. Smith whats it
worth?"
Worth? ~ cried Monboddo. Harvey
Jethroe wasn't a liar. He said it was
worth millions and millions-hundreds of
millions. Here's JethrOe Jones has got
wind of it. l don't know how. He says
the same. Here's Harvey Jethroe, heir
to his uncles million, and he's weeping
mad, because" MonboddO paused
in full harangue. "Ha, ha! You thought
| was going to let the cat out of the bag
that time, didn't you? Well, something S
lost. That's enough for you and me,
isn't it? They're a mean-spirited pair,
or they'd offer reward. Why, ten thou
sand dollars wouldn't be anything to
them It'd be a lot to me-"
You know where to look for it, p
said Mr. Smith. "Ah, you're a canning
fellow, you are, and no mistake. You
don't let anybody walk around you, do
your
"No, SIR rturned Monboddo, with a
superb gravity, Il do not"
Your jolly good health" said Mr..
Smith. 81 hope l can appreciate a gen
tleman when l meet one, and l meet one
here A bright and shining ornament,
sir"
We'll" said Monboddo, "Tn trust you.
No, won't"
The appreciator of Mr.. Monboddo's
gentility glared as if he could have
wrung his friends neck with pleasure,
but he controlled himself
We'll, Doctor" he contrived to say,
with some pretense of suavity, Il hap
pen to know what poor old Jethroe's
wishes were You mentioned game just
now. If what you know about has got
anything to do with a game, l might
tell you what to do with it. l might
even like to buy it."
Hundred millions worth" said Mon
ooddo nodding like a sleepy owl. Heap
. money, that"
do you know what to do with what
you've got? Look here! don't you go to
sleep. you know, just as you're getting so
nterestin'. Do you know what to do
with it?'
Sell it. Jethroe," said Monboddo-
..Jethroe junior. He was crying about
It last night Blush for him. Crying
like a child"
POOH said Mr.. Smith, she won't
give you anything like value for it. You
rade with me now. You let me know
what it is, and I'll do trade with you"
"All right" said Monboddo, "Tll show
you. You wait here"
He walked from the room with a
slightly unsteady gait, but once out of
view he became very much more sober
than he commonly was at that hour of
the day. He visited his bedroom and re-
turned. carrying a revolver and the
satchel Jethroe had given him the day
before. with the labOrs of the skilled lith-
osraphic artist within it.