Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-03-23
CHAPTER xvI1.-fcontinued.)

IdtucC DuShiiy
Thought I'd give you a pleasant
little surprise. Sir Jordan" said Law
arick. Don't know that / should
have dropped in this evening, but
happened to be passing, and saw TIE
light up In tie here, and l fcli
rather curious to see what was going
on in the room that Sir Jordan keeps
shut up so closely. 1t was rather awk-
ward getting up, but 1 learned to
climb when l was a boy, and the ivy Is
pretty thick, and here l am. And
what were you doing. Sir Jordan:
Cleaning the furniture, ehT'
Jordan had been thinking rapidly
while the MAJ had been talking, and
he moved toward the bell as he re-
piled: >. 49,
II give you two minutes to go back
by b way you came. IF you remain
at the end of that time / will call the
servants and hand you over to the
police"
Bravo, Sir Jordan! Not a bad bit
Of bluff that. But don't o waste
your time waiting the two minutes;
ring up the slaveys at once; they'd be
interested in the little chat you and l
are going to have"
Jordan's hand dropped from the bell,
which indicated weakness Oh his part.
Say what you have to say quickly
and 60" he said, biting his lip. "Of
course you have come to extort
money"
Right, the first time" retorted
Layarick. 'And OF course you don't
mean to give it; quite right, don'tsyou
be bullied," and he laughed with i'm
pudent mockery.
You think you possess some
knowledge concerning me which will
enable you to levy blackmail on me,
and do so with insolent %impunity."
well, perhaps I have. I'm hard
up, Sir Jordan, and I want money.
But that's not my only reason. I've
come to 10 you n service. OF course
you don't believe it. 1t don't seem
possible that such as I am can be Of
any service to the great Sir Jordan
Lynne. but It's true, all the same"
go on" said Jordan, coldly. Don't
exhaust my patience"
"Oh, you'll be ready, presently, to
listen long enough" said Lavarick
confidently. "Now then, Sir Jordan.
you remember the last time I was
herein this room? I was running
away from the police; they'd pressed
me rather hard, and 1t occurred to me
that IL / could get into the house and
hide, the sfmple-headed idiots would
never think of looking for me here.
and l could get away when the night
was darker. / knew that I could get
into this room by the steps and ran up
them, intending to come in by the win
dow here"
"Ai this doesn't interest me- said
Jordan, impatiently, but keeping a
watchful Y on the face Of the
speaker.
ooh, but it will presently" said
Lavarick, as drying as before. "Well,
I crept up to the window. and heard
voices. They We're yours and your
fathers, Sir Greville's. The shutters
weren't closed and I managed to look
in through a chink in the curtains.
The old gentleman was dying, and you
We're standing beside him. He was
talking, and you were listening, and I
could see by your face that what he
was saying wasn't particularly pleas
ant for you to hear. You looked ugly,
Sir Jordan. I heard every word the
old man said, and this is pretty nearly
the sense of it He was telling you
about his will
Jordan started slightly and shifted
his position so that the light should
not fall on him, but Lavarick, with a
turn OF the lantern, brought Jordan
into focus again, and watched his face
~ closely as Jordan watched his.
The old man was telling you about
his will and what he'd done. There
were two Wills, one in which he'd left
all to- o This 1rst one was at the
lawyers, SO the old gentleman said.
The other he'd made himself, and be-
ing the latest, 1t vas the will. And
what was in this last and real will?
Lavartck continued, leaning forward
and dropping his voice to a whisper.
mo such win ever existed, except
ting as a concoction Of an escaped con-
Wet"
"Didn't 1t? Wen see presently. I'll
tell You what was In 1t, as I heard the
old man tell you. First, he'd left you
IA third Of the property. Then there
was another third for Mr.. Neville. and
lastly there was the last third for the
daughter OF the couple Sir Greville
had bounded to ruin and death, and
not only that. but all the pictures and
the Jewels, another fortune, as I hap
pen to know, Sir Jordan
Jordan rose and leaned against the
mantleshelf, Lavarlck causing the light
to fall on him as before, and sneered
down at Lavarick.
And on this feeble story, this tissue
of lies, you hope to levy blackmail, on
me. do you3" he said, contemptuously.
Hold on a little longer, Sir Jor-
dan. Where is the. will, father?' says
you in a soft voice. The old man
raised his hand and pointed to the
bureau-that u there And
I.avarick nodded to the piece or furni-
t,,re. S. In that second drawer, said
Sir Greville. Take my keys, they're
under tiie pillow You TOOK the keys
ana opened the drawer, and got the
will
CHAPTER XVIII.
Jordan put his hand to his forehead
s.ralti,sly. and wiped off the big drops