Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-06-07

win frightened eyes Then he laid tns
oand!e-end upon the table. and disap-
pcarc1 from our view into one Of tbs
corners. He returned with a large book
one OF the lopboDks which formed a l!ne
upon ,he shcivos. Leaning on the table. hs
rapidly turned over the lcavos of this vol
urae nutll he cam" to tho entry which he
sought Then, with al angry gesture 0:
his clenchod hand. he closed the book, re-
placed II In the corner. and put out the
light. lie had hardly turned to leave the
hut when Hopkins hand WAS on the fell
low collar. and | heard his loud gasp ot
terror as h. understood that he was taken.
The candle "as relit. and there was our
wrctchcG captiye, shivoring and COVER
Ing in thc grasp Of The detective. lie sank
down upon The sea chest. and looked help
irssiy from ono oi Us to the other.
SOW. my fin" fellow" said Stanley
Hopiars .. who arc YOU. and what do you
want here"
The man pulled himself together. and
faced US with an effort at s-clf-composIre.
you are detectives. | %supposc?' said he
you imagine ! am connected with the
death OF Captain Peter Carey. | assure
You that l am Innocent"
wen sec about that" said Hopkins.
First Of all. what IS you name"
1T IS John Iiopioy Noligan."
I saw Iiolmcs and Hopkins exchange a
quick glance.
ia dtt YOU GDlIIp mere
"Can l speak c~oniidenciully?"
no. certainly not"
why should / tell YOU"
IF you have no answer. 1t may go bad
~ with you at the trial"
The young man WINGED.
We'll, 1 will tell you" he said. Why
should ! not? And yet ] hate to think
OF this old scandal gaining a new lease
OF life. Did you ever hear OF Dawson and
Nc.gan?'
i could see. from Hopkins face. that he
never had, but Holmes was kecnly In
tcrestcd.
You mean the Wcst-country bankers"
said he. They failed for a million.
ruined half the county families of Corn
wall. and Neligan disappeared"
Exactly. Ncligan was my father"
At last VIC were getting something posi-
tive. and yet 1t seemed "A long gap be-
tween an absconding banker and Captain
Peter Care, pinned against the wall with
one OF his own harpoons. We all listened
intcntly to the young mans words.
1T was my father who was really con
ccrned. Dawson had retired. 1 was only
ten years OF age at the time. but ! was
old enough"to feel the shame and horror
OF 1t all. II has always been said that
my father stole all the securities and
fled. 1t Is not true. IT was his belief
that II he were given time I'm which to
realize them. all would hs well and every
creditor paid in full. He started In his
little yacht for Norway Just before the
warrant was issued for his arrest. / can
remember that last night. when he bade
farewell TO my mother. He left us a list
OF the securities he was taking, and he
swore hat he would come back with his
honor cleared. and that none who bad
trusted him would suffer. Well. no word
was ever heard from him again. Both the
V1clf and hn vanished ufrnr1v Wn no.
licvcd. my mother and !. shat he and 1t,
with the securities that he Mad taken with
him. were ut the bottom % the sea. We
had a faithful friend, however. who IS a
business man, and 1t was hGw no discovered
some time ago that some OF the securities
which my father had With him had reap
peared on the London market. You can
imagine our amazement. I spent months
in trying to trace them. and at last, after
many doubtings and difficulties. 1 dis
covered that the original seller had been
Captain Peter Carey. tito owner OF this
hut.
Naturally. I made sosse inquiries about
the man. I found THAI nc had been In
command OF "A whaler which was due to
return from the Arctic seas at the very
time when my father was crossing to
Norway. The autumn of that year was u
stormy one. and there was a long success
sion OF %southerly gales. My fathers yacht
may we'll have been blow to the north,
and there met by Captain Peter Carey's
ship. II that were 40. what had become
Of my father? In any case. II l could
prove from Peter Carey's evidence how
these securities came on the market 1t
would be q proof that my father had not
sold them. and that he had no view to
personal prort when ne took them.
II came down to Sussex with the In
tention OF seeing the captain. but 1t was
at this moment that his terrible death
occurred. I read at the inquest y dcscrip-
ton of his cabin, III which 1t stated that
tho old logbooks OF his vessel were pre-
served in 1t. 1t struck me that " l could
see what occurred in the month of August.
1888. on board the Sea Unicorn. 1 might
settle tho mystery Of my fathers fate. ]
tried last night to get at these logbOoks
but was unable to opcn the door. Tonight
tried again and succeeded. but l find thai
the pages which deal with that month
have been torn from the book. 1t was al
that moment 1 found myself a prisoner
In your hands"
"Is that all?" asked Hopkins.
Eyes. that is ALL" His eyes shifted nl
he said II.
..You have nothing else to tell u.s."
lie hesitated.
mo, there is nothing"
"You nave not been here before las
night"
NO."
Their how do you account for that?'
cried Hopkins. as he held up the damninf
! Notebook, with the initials OF our pr,s
omer on the first leaf and the blood-stai,
I! on the cover.
Tho wrctchcd man collapsed. He sanl
hiS face in his hands, and trembled al
over. .s-,.sSs-E. =
Where did you get it?" he groaned. :"
did not know. l thought l had lost It .
tho hotel"
That IL enough" said Hopkins, sternly
Whatever else o have to say. you mus
say In court. You will walk down with m,
to the police station. Well. Mr.. Holmes
I am very much obliged to you and t
), 49,