The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-07-29

shal placed him under arrest. The old
man turned to Budd, his face flushed, and
excitedly demanded the reason for their
action.
BE quiet now We can do this quietly
Just as well as not, said the marshal.
They took the keys away from Mr..
Blake, and opened the store, pushing him
in with them. Then the marshal placed
handouts on him, locked the door and
placed his prisoner against it. Budd led
the strangers to the rear room. Mr.. Blake
heard Budd's voice say:
''You will notice a worn place in that
linoleum under the bench. suspect there
a trapdoor or something under it, -
Mr.. Blake breathed hard He heard
the bench moved. The linoleum came up
The trap was opened. He listened for the
next move He saw States Prison open
ing before him. Oh, if he could reach his
revolver He would end it all. And
Ben Budd, the traitor, should 90, too.
Nothing there but hole, said one
of the strangers.
That strange" came the innocently
accented words of Ben Budd. Let 5 look
somewhere else "
For half an hour they hunted They
looked into everything, even the safe.
Then one of the strangers went out, got
boat and searched under the store. He
prodded the mud under every foot of it,
but found nothing. Then he gave it up
Mr. Blake stood through it all, not daring
to believe his senses.
There is absolutely nothing here to
raise suspicion, said the stranger ~
fear We have done him an injustice
lit looks that way, said Budd ''But
must admit that strongly suspected it.
| want to ask Mr.. Blake pardon. -
You are not alone to ask his pardon.
| MIR. Blake the department heard of your
unique cleaning of coins as an advertise
ment aud ordered an investigation. You
will pardon this intrusion hope. Mar
shall release Mr. Blake.
The handouts came off, and the strang-
ers and the marshal departed.
Mr.. Blake sank into chair, and trem-
bled like leaf The ordeal had unnerved
him Ben Budd locked the door on the
inside and remained silent, watching him.
1 The two men were alone. Mr.. Blake
rose. staggered out into the other room,
and looked down through the trap.
The boxr he exclaimed. ''Where
is it?''
Gone, said Budd.
Mr.. Blake whirled on him.
Il eau see that But where They
viii find it yet You did this. You set
them on ne. And I'll do as l said =
The revolver again flashed in Blake's
hand
''Wait minute, said Ben ''If |
had told them. do you think they would
have stopped here? Wouldnt they had
my coins to show 2
You seemed very anxious to show
them around.
.Yes, 1t was better than opposing
him.
Suppose they had found the box
Impossible
"Why impossible, Benz Blake's
voice had softeued, and he looked uneasily
at the sportsman, sliding his revolver onto
the desk
Because | went under there last night
in boat, took the bsx cut into the bay
and dropped it in sixty feet of water
Mr. Blake collapsed into chair, COW
cred his face, and trembled. Ben laid his
hand on the gray hair, and said;
II heard them planning to come here
today. | feared YOU wouldn't have time
to hide things. and couldn' bear to have
Madeline
He stopped, and walked to the window.
He heard Mr.. Blake rise to his feet, but
he did not turn to look at him. Mr..
Blake's trembling voice began:
'.Ben, forgive me- see now the diff
fereuce between sportsman and criminal
You have been fair with me when de-
served State prison. It's all over now,
and | want to ask your pardon.
Ben stood looking out Of the window
The morning sun was striking across Bel
lingham Bay, and turning it into sheet
of blue. He was marking with his eye
the spot where he had dropped the box
overheard the night before. Il solitary
Gull was wheeling over the water, and Ben
imagined the bird to be hunting for the box.
: Mr.. Blake, standing behind him, looked
at the youth, and an expression of hatred
settled on his face,
You and are the only two who know
it. The only two Ben, ii never make
another. There's enough for the girl.
If-if YOU and were to keep silent, she
would never know-would she
The gray head bent over, the voice
sank low, and the tones were eager in the
question. The trembling hand stole across
the desk and closed on the revolver.
.She would never know, replied Ben,
mechanically still looking out of the win
dow.
The revolver shook in the trembling
hand of the crouching man. A film came
over the excited eyes, and Blake fired
blindly at the man 5 figure before him.
Ben collapsed, his nerves momentarily
stunned at the unexpected report He
was conscious of sharp sting under his
arm and along side, There was another
report, and something heavy fell to the
floor with a crash. Then silence.
Ben slowly raised himself to his knees,
and, dreading what he felt he must see,
looked around A smoking revolver, a
wound in the temple, stream Of red stain
ing the gray hair, PROSTATE form, and
the man who had made famous the Little
, Shop of Clean Money lay dead at Ben $
; feet.
Ben rose to his feet.
1.-The jeweler lost the fight on foul,
, said he aloud
Then the crowd rushed up to the door,
f and clamored for admittanee. Ben heard
them. He staggered towards the door to
, admit them. Then he stopped, returned
to the rear room, and, standing with bowed
| head beside the dead body, said:
II m much obliged to you for that dig
under the arm, old friend If it WASH
for that, some people might think that
, did this.
Six Feet of Snow There.