The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1906-06-29


tion OF his death, his estate is admins
tered, the excitement has all died
down, and to-day find his body"
"Where?"
wait bit. I'll come to that find
his body. Now, knew him well. The
last time he went out of town he went
to see my governor l saw him the
very week before he disappeared, and
talked to him for few minutes in the
Strand. That's nearly seven years
ago. To be accurate, it's six years,
eight months and five days. Now
here's the amazement. When l saw
him to-day he was wearing the identi-
cal suit of clothes in which met him
last The body is very slightly decom-
posed and could see that he hadn't
changed hair. He doesn't look an
hour older. He was covered in half
liquid mud in the cellar of a RAM
shackle old house which had been de-
serted and locked UP for years. A
fortnight ago there was an unusually
high tide, and the row Of which this
deserted old house was one was under
water. They had been pumped dry
by the fire engines When the fire.
men found the body they turned the
hose on it and washed all the mud
away, and / give you my word of hon
or that there was not sign of wear
about his clothes-not whitened
seam, not an inch of nap worn away
at the elbows. There's positively moth
ing changed about him. He's just ex-
actly as he was when I last talked
with him."
What brought you on the spot?"
! asked Truscott
| II was just prowling round" said
Billery, "as l do every day, in one
quarter of the town or another l saw
crowd and went for it. They told
me that dead body had been found,
and thought there might be half
sovereign to be made. It's worth more
than that, fancy"
'Yes," Truscott assented. 1T should
be worth more than that. Take this
chair Here are pen, ink, paper. Get
to work at once and make the most Of
It, I'll telephone to the Office to have
all the evening papers sent down here.
II your information Is exclusive it will
be valuable to you. I'll look after that.
Meantime If you want to consult me,
I'm going back to the punt"
Billery worked steadily for an hour
or thereabOuts, and then arose and
with somewhat furtive air opened
the study door. He stood listening
there for moment A subdued mur-
muir of voices rose from below stairs.
He Strengthened himself and walked
| to the breakfast room, whence he
looked across the lawn to the river.
When he had quite satisfied himself
that no one was in sight. he said, half
| aloud:
II don't think need bother Trus-
colt about a little thing like that
| Thou shalt not muzzle the OK that
| treadeth out the corn. Old Rags can
afford himself the best of everything.
And his whisky Is really super-excel-
lent. Guaranteed twenty years old
| by the excise, and matured in sherry
casks. believe there Is no better
treatment known. It is an admirable
stimulus to mental exertion, when
taken In moderation" He approached
| the buffet with q guilty look and dis
covered that the tantalus was locked.
rags did that" he said, in tone Of
chagrin. 'It's hard-it's very hard
when one old pal can't repose trust in
another. Rags, my boy, Think this
want OF confidence was unworthy Of
you"
He stifled his regret and, consoling
himself with cigar, went back to his
! work and wrote. somewhat less stead
lily than at first, for another hour.
Then he laid down his pen. "Since no
| liquid nutriment is here available
apart from the consent Of the occupy
ing tenant. I must even ask for it.
And. after all, perhaps it Is the nobler
| and the manlier plan."
| He took his sheaf of manuscript In
his hand and strolled through the
lengthening shadows across the lawn,
| and at the river side he sat down In
an attitude of exaggerated fatigue.
| Truscott held out hand.
"Finished?" he asked.
"All but finished said Billery. per
haps you can suggest q trot for the
avenue. Reginald, do you observe
that you are growing absent-minded"
Am II" asked Truscott. "How?"
Billery waggled his head in an odd
compound Of humor and confusion.
''You forgot to leave the tantalus
open. am parched with mental ef-
fort.
"One," said Truscott, holding out
bunch Of keys toward him. Only one
NOW on your word OF honor"
.Only one, upon my word Of honor"
Billery answered.
Truscott settled himself to read.
ana vas left undiaturbed until the end.
sHamilton, my child" he said, as
he walked toward the house, III you
-~. s,x,A <1xa h1u0onf foil alive Won