The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-03-09

Walker NItlltOlt put wv
20 MIR. David Cartwright. even as ne h''
nron,lsca tho lattcr's daughter that n"
would. and now he waited. looking stsaisht
OF the stern. busincss-liko face OF lhe a.
s,stant superintendent of the lhe iot H's
reply. but already reading a declaea nNe
alive therein.
"See here. MIR. MERTON" he said pres
entity, "some men in my posll'oh "cu'r
have been highly offended at INNS hI.
don't want to treat you In that way On.
derstand that l am not in the icase ahs's
with YOU for asking for the hand OF my
daughter, though l must confess you hiNe
taken me by surprise. but my answer
must be no, and 1T is absolutely iihat SO i"r
as the present is concerned he said. am
unless you progress up tho ladder ~ WIZ
be final In the future. The fact OF VI
being what is called a gentleman makes no
difference. The question is. how do You
stand with us from a business point OK
view? Your chief merit is your ktowl-
edge of German. There you are usetGl 10
us In our correspondence. But do some
thing smart on tho line. my lad" he Went
on kindly. do something smart! that's
the way to get on"
"I,u try. sir-for Ev!e-Miss Cartwrights
sake"
Very likely. But understand ne that
from this moment you must not say an
other word to her on the subject. She
must be left free. Can l trust YOU"
Certainly"
"And now to work. l want YOU 10 run
down to Saxhaven tomorrow and make
thorough Investigation as to the working
of the staff there"
He went through a bundle of documents
with the young man. n finally dismissed
him with the injunction to take the $50
express the next morning.
Then he lay back in his chair q minute or
two and pondered. II like the fellow" he
admitted, land 1 know Ewes fond of him.
But I haven't seen real grit In HIM yet.
Well, time will prove"
There was q resolute look In Walter
Meriton's face when he arose next morn
Ing. He noticed 1t himself in the glass. He
mean business. did this young man. He
had sat up half the night going deeply
into the question of he aXhaven station
staff. for he intended this report of his to
be the first little ung up the ladder before
him.
Just as the train began to move. he made
a dash at a first class compartment. 1t
was locked, but the guard hastily produced
his key and opened 1t. and Merton swung
himself in. AS he looked out of the win
dow to say a last word to the official. he
heard a deep voice behind him IN German:
"Ach, Colt! Curse him, l thought Wa
had the compartment to ourselves, ! "a
the guard five shiilines to lock US in"
He was on the point of turning to apo!-
ogize whom he beard another voice say in
the same language:
Bad luck, But We must settle with him
if he is Troublesome"
Now Walter Merton was a Thorough
German scholar. He had spent three years
in a school in Germany and could speak
the language fuently.
He looked for a mcGlcE. care,ess,y at his
companions. They Were two e,i!-look;Eg
men-one short and sandy barred. with
little gray eyes that never kept still: the
other big and slnewy, Il Very powerful
looking fellow.
spoke to him in German, asking whether
he objected to smoking. BY no hint did
he betray himself. He simply shook his
head and remarked in Eng .ish that he Gil
not understand.
I'VE want to schmoke," said the Ger
MAJ in English.
"Oh, certainly"
Then the short man explained. after Il
pause: Mine friend. shpeake not English.
He ask you for matches!"
Merton gave him a box with a laugh,
and then took out his pocketbook and
busted himself with his papers pretending
to take no notice. But he kept his ears
open. The others began to talk in Ger
man.
w ma speak," SAID the short man:
"he does not understand"
mo, but he will be in the way"
What shall we do?"
Don't worry, my friend. We are a
match for him. and we can easily tie him
up and put him under tho seat
And now to busipcss,'' said the bigger
man. You nave brought them?"
Two of them in the Dag" and he jerked
his thumb toward the rack.
Good! here is the PLAN"
He called 1t Eisenbahn Fahrplan in Ger
man, and he pulled a printed paper from
his pocket. Merton gave one little glance
toward 1t, and set himself with d mighty
effort to keep his countenancc. For he had
instantly recognized 1t as the paper of
special Instructions for a train that was
to run that morning from Saxhaven to
London. and which was to carry no less a
parsonage than the prince Of Starkenburg,
heir apparent. as all the world knows.
to a mighty European throne and now on
his way to v.si. his august relative. the
king of England.
He might well recognize it, for he had
helped to draw 1t up himself, and had
dispatched copies of 1t to all the principal
officials along the line some days before.
to get hold of a copy. and he guessed 1t
meant mischief.
Now. then" sad the bigger man. 1--WE
must find out the exact time when our
train is likely to pass this one" indicating
the special. you see. 1t is timed to run
through Westfeld at 1855. Now, we don't
stop at Westield, but l have found out
from the Working Time Table that We
are due there at 1875. So, you sec, 1t will
be about ten minutes or so the other side
of Westfield. There's a signal cabin called
Pine Tree Box that the special passes at
1882. That will be about the point where
We hall cross It,"
w must keep the time carefully"
"Of course. And one of US must be look
ing out Of the window down the line. The
prince travels in the third saloon from the
engine. We must nave the bombs ready
in our hands and throw them m as near.
as we can guess. 1t will have to be done
in a second. I'll throw from the center
window. and you must throw from the
side one at the same time. Well have TO
break 1T first"
1t vas a clever scheme. They knew tho
especial" would be we'll guarded and
watched, that platelayers all along the
line would be stationed at bridges and all
likely points Of danger, but that no one
would suspect an attack from the Say
haven express.
How could he stop these men:
Suddenly an inspiration struck him. 1t