Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-09-05
The Plunderers|
BY C. ). cUTLiFFE HYNE.
By c. J. cUTLiFFE HYNE

Auu SD, ne SAID Dltterly, aIIeE an
that l have gone through and al! I'VE
done. you wan me to give this fortune
up. My God. Elsie. you know THAT "A
nateful thing poverty Is as we'll as l do.
mink what this money would buy.
Love for n another we have already,
and we a get besides every pleasure
n heart can wish for. l know as we'll
as you do 1t vas dirtily earned. and l
mated the work of getting it. and I'll
never dabble in anything so foul again.
My instincts bid me live as an upright
gentleman. and with the Income I'd
do that and forget l was ever anything
else. When l cease to be poor. l cease
to be In the way OF temptation. Don't
you see? And. besides. there Is no
chance OF being found out. The money
Is supposed to be blotted out of exist
ence. and Its there now in the Glades as
q private min to dig at as we choose.
Besides I'm bound in honor to go on
after getting thus far. 1t isn't as If l
were working for my own hand alone.
his interests Tor a sentiment"
Mr.. Shelf may do as he chooses. Pat.
You yourself may 10 as you choose,
Gar. but l can't alter what I've said.
1 o money, heaven knows. but 1
couldn't use money of that sort. You
might forget how 1t came. 1 couldn't.
l can't forget some things. I've a ter
rible memory when 1 don't want 1t to
act. l tried to forget you. Pat, ever
since you left us In England till the
day l saw you here. but 1 couldn't. I
used to pray for forgetfulness all those
years. and 1T wouldn't come, and IL l
were to marry you now. dear, with that
In the Same way"
What is the use of carrying thumb
screws in you pocket?" he asked half
angrily.
She smiled a little panied smile. Can't
help 1t. Pat. l suppose it's the way
I'm built. But I'm only telling you
facts"
Il thought" he said %brusquely, you
wanted to so back into society and
nave a steam yacht and do things COM
fortably. Now. without this quarter of
a million. which is lying ready to be
picked UP. you have goo a year. and
v $500. which makes $500 in all.
NOW l might point out to you that one
can't do much continuous splashing
mons smart people on that. in Lon
don or anywhere else. unless, of course.
you married some one else"
She flushed painfully. "Oh. Pat." she
said, Il don't think l deserved that
from you"
He dropped his arms round her and
drew her to him tenderly. NO, dear,
you didn't. l was d brute. But it's
hard for n man to speak soberly when
he's just had all his plans smashed to
the smallest kind of fragments and
stamped upon by the only person in The
world whose opinion he cares a rap
about. OF course I know all this bust
ness was u theft, a piece of piracy pure
and simple. But circumstances ell
bowed me into 1t, and l bowed my
head to them. Circumstances-you
that Is. and you entirely-now drag me
out Of It,. and I'm going to bow again
and say 'kismet.' Only I wonder what
Will become of the money. 1 swear
shelf shan have the whole half mil
~. no a.u the steamer too. But 1 don't
see how we are to give my share back
to the rightful owners. One can't yery.
well draw a check on the Everglades
n send It to them anonymously by