Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1905-11-18
CHAPTER XVIII

InlS was truly an suspicious evening
for me to present myself with my newly
recovered bag. However, ignorant of
the morning storm, l walked along.
thinking how l would give the old man
an agreeable surprise. His room, when
l called, about eight o'clock, was gloomy
and dark. Mr.. Leighan was sitting
still and rigid, brooding, l suppose, over
David's terrible threats
What do you want?" he cried. sharp
ly. What do you come here for? l
am in no mood for idle prating."
Il am come on your business, Mr..
Leighan, if you call that idle prating."
TEL it, then, and leave me. Young
man." he said, pitifully, II am old now,
and l am in grievous trouble, and 1
cannot see my way out of it. Don't
mind if l am a little impatient"
Il won't mind, Mr.. Leighan. Mean
time, 1 have come to please you"
You can't. Nothing can please me
now, unless you can make me young and
strong, and able to throttle a villain
that would please me-"
Then l began, with the solemnity with
which one leads up to a dramatic situa-
ton.
six years ago, Mr.. Leighan, you said
that you had been robbed of a bag with
twenty pounds in it,"
"A bundle of papers and bag with
twenty sovereigns. l did. Good heav-
ems. one man comes in the morning about
the papers, and another in the evening
about the money. Go on, go on can
bear it ALL
There is nothing to bear, 1 assure
you, Mr.. Leighan," 1 said, little net,
tied WAS that bag of yours a brown
canvas bag with your initials d. l.. on
it?'
Il thought So" he replied, strangely.
so you, too, are in the plot, are you?
And you are come to tell me that | shall
have the bag back without the money,
are you? George, l suppose, will appear
next with another piece of his conspir-
acy. You are all in tale"
Il think l had better finish what 1
have to say as quickly as possible. You
are in a strange mood tonight, Mr..
Leighan, with your plots and conspira-
cies-a very strange mood Is this your
bag?"
l produced it and gave it to him.
Yes, it is the bag | lost. l never lost
but one bag, so that this must be the
one. As l said-the bag without the
money. Well, don't care l have had
greater misfortunes-much greater. You
have come to tell me that the bag was
put into your hands,
Not at all. l found the bag; found
it on the top of Hamil Down, hidden
beside the Gray Wether Stone"
VERY likely" He tossed the bag
aside. why not there as well as any
other place, when the money was once
out of it?'
Mr.. Leighan, the money was not tax
en- out of the bag. 1t was hidden away
at the foot of the Gray Wether Stone.
where 1 found it by accident, and here,
Mr.. Leighan, are your twenty sover-
eigns."
l took them from my pocket and laid
them on the table in a little pile His
long lean fingers closed over them, and
he transferred them swiftly to his pocket
without taking his eyes off my face as
if he feared that l might pounce upon
the money.
'And what, young man, do you ask
for your honesty in bringing me back
my money!
Nothing"
you might have kept it. I should
have been none the wiser You are
rich, / suppose, or you would have kept
it. Many young men would have kept
it. Can | offer you a pound-yes, a
pound.-for your honestyw
mo, thank you, Mr.. Leighan; do not
want a reward for common honesty. Be
sides, you must thank George Sidcote,
not me. 1t was George who discovered
that it was your money"
"As you please-as you please. In
London you are so rich, 1 suppose, with
your writing, that you can afford to
throw away a pound well earned"
(To be continued)
Only One.