Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-08-31
CHAPTER XIX

MR.. SHELLS LITTLE SURPRISE
Mr. Theodore Shelf had reached the
snd of his tether, and like shrewd
business man he knew it.
There Is certain mad excitement
IN standing ON high ledge of an ice
oerg when the steps which you have
.lambered up by have splintered away
and the hundred foot cliffs above are
threatening every instant to descend
n crashing avalanche. You know you
aave TO jump into the cold greet wa
4 .ers below or be crushed out Of cxist-
enco and lingering TO the very last
second is not without its fierce uleas-
ure. The dive is chilly, the waters
beneath unknown, final escape most
hazardous. But it IS not these things
which stay you. II is the nearness OF
l he crash behind and that is fascinat-
ing beyond all words
Mr. Shelf was I'm similar position
he knew that his commercial ledge
was growing more and more dangerous
very minute by reason Of the law OF
he land which loomed above him, and
get for the life Of him he could not
iear himself away He had waiting for
him that snug hacienda on the hanks
II the Rio Paraguay which he had
! line before made ready against a pos
sible cataclysm, but ii was left 70 wait
The excitement of lingering on in Lon
| ion was meat and drink TO him Ills
| daring would be spoken about &fter-
ward, and though he might not be
| blessed. * Is true, still he would not
be forgotten. That last was perhaps
he chief reason which made nim stay
gn The vanity Of the man was colos-
sal He had been tickled by the inn
proving young men, he had been tie
kied in his tabernacle, ne hac been
tickled by a parliamentary constit-
dency but these did not glut him. He
wanted more, far more, and if ne could
not distinguish himself in the way mis-
wife had hoped he would at least be
famous in his fall.
lie had scheme, too i'm his waiting
of taking vengeance on this same
wife who had made il necessary for
him 10 fall at all. without her wild
extravaganza he would have been able
TO weather the commercial depression
which had weighed him down. but she
had sconed at warnings and Increased
the muster roll Of her guests and fed
them on bank notes What this scheme
was he conhded to no one but George
and George did not split. George hated
Mrs Shelf TO the extent of showing
ivory whenever she was near him
George" said Mr. Shelf at TIE con-
clusion Of one of these grim conf
dences, Il shall be a lonely man You
must come out there with me" And
George poked a cold black nose into
Mr.. Shells hand and said taat he
should be vastly disappointed If he
was left behind
Now, Mr.. Theodore Shelf intanded "a
have his vengeance on the night of a
ball which his wife was going 20 give
and which for sheer gorgeousness and
distinguished assembly was to rival by
far all her previous efforts, ana lie was
quite satisfied in his own mind thai
the action would be entirely iuGtifable
Still he was a man not withou: natural
affections. He was extremely fond OF
his ward. Amy Rivers. even though
through the old fashioned wooder
headedness Of his cotrustee he did not
have the actual handling of penny
of her money. The cotrusteo was j
lawyer with an admiration for 4 pei
cent. corporation stocks. ano he in
sisted on Miss Rivers fortune staying
IN these and showed cause why the
script should remain IN his own office
safe The money tempted Theodore
Shelf TO the sin Of coveteousness con-
tinually-hc could have made such ex.
cellent use of it-but to the mans
credit be II said he never visited his
irritation on his ward Indeed he was
only known to b. disagreeable TO hei
once. and that once was the last timt
he and she had speech together, anc
what he had said was entirely to hel
interest and without any profit 90 him
self. 1t was on the morning OF ths
great BAH, and he called hes to hin
In his room and asked II Fairfax would
be there that evening.
"Of course" she said, why
After what has passed between
use"
You mean in the city?"
II do, my dear Mr.. Fairfax has dis
pleased me much. FIRST OF ali, he re.
signed from the directorate Of my new
company the Brothers Steamship as
sociation on which | had placed him, 1
very nattering position for so young {