Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-07-11

nsrs.it;ous Won bo,s can all voucn Tor
tnat: can't YOU"
sure" chorlsed The members. Won
slpring what was coming.
Well" resumed Hazard. his manner
singularly disjcintcd, WHAT was ABOUT 10
say was that my wife .s-ah-VeIN ~.
She has certain pronounced averstons. one
of them is "A dislike for opals. IT she
thought for 4 moment hat i had an Opal
she would be most unhappy. Now. WINE
do not take any stock in superstitiots run
b.sh | nave no desire TO make my VIC u"-
happy. i
Il See" said the host. a trifie iron!caiS'
you refuse your opal?'
Not exactly that
Before the confused member could fnish
his sentence there was Il call for fot'er.
His wife. who was in another part of the
house, wished 10 speak to him. lie apollo
gized for leaving his friends and hurried
away. He returned in i few minutes, lcoA-
ing very much p~crplexed.
Boys. I'm In a pickle. Ny wife mas
heard of the opals and SAYS she viii not
sleep a wink tonigh If ] keep one of them
in the house. -
He could say no moro.
One after another of the members. with
an eagerness bordering on the ludicrous,
arose and volunteered to relinquish his
opal. One of the members suggested that
the treasurer keep them for the beneht or
the club: but the mere suggestion OF the
thing almost threw Winchell into a
paroxysm.
All this time the diners were in ignor-
ance of the fact that the caterer was
guilty of the attempted theft of the stones.
1t was William Bott who mention Au-
CUISINE Smith and spoke of his long years
of faithful service to the club. The name
was an Inspiration. Almost simultaneous
ly Matthew and Scarlet, two of the most
active members of the organization. were
on their feet proposing that the opals be
given to the caterer as "a testimonial of
the esteem and regard felt for that gentle
man."
.'Of course" said Matthew. persuasive
~, but with a mischievous twinkle of the
eye. II merely suggest this as a method
of relieving Mr.. Potter and several others
from an unpleasant predicament. And,
needless to say. the idea hinges entirely
upon the unqualified approval of our host
and the donor of the opals."
You nave my unqualified approval"
shouted Potter. Now, what do the mem
bers say?'
The members said "Aye" with a hearth
ness that made the glasses on the table
vibrate.
Send for the caterer" said Potter to a
colored waiter who was standing near his
chair.
Say. boys" expostulated Bott feebly
as the colored man left, this hardly seems
the right thing. It's like giving a fellows
luck away. don't o know
"A battery of scowling faces was fol-
lowed by a chorus of Hes Il Jolly good
fellow" to drown out any suggestion OF
that sort.
Bott sat down sGuclched.
Augustine Smith entered tho room soon
after and was formally presented with the
thirteen oDals. He was overwhelmed with
delight. 1t seemed like sarcasm that he
should be given the stones he had tried
to pllfer. but he accepted them gladly
enough and ten minutes afterward had
left the house and was or his way home.
AT 2 in the morning Potter pounded on
the table and declared the dinner closed.
The members drank a final toast and
joined in singing Aud Lang Syne." The
voices were still raised high when the
telephone bell rang. There was silence as
Potter walked over to a corner of the room
and picked up the receiver.
Yes. this is Potter. What is it,"
A pause for a moment. and the hosts
face clouded.
The Samaritan hospital? What do YOU
want with me? To tell me? To tell me
what?"
There was a mumbling sound over the
wire. Potter clutched the receiver so
tightly that the veins in his hands stood
out like tiny bits of string.
You are sure he is out of danger?'
The reply must have been assuring. for
he said:
A right: I'll be up the first thing in
the morning.
AS he hung up the receiver the members
crowded about the host for Information.
Somehow they felt that the telephone call
concerned them. Potter was terse and to
the point"
augustine Smith was waylaid and sand
bagged at the lower end of Blocker street
on his way home. His watch, pocketbook
and the thirteen opals were stolen from
him. Smith is in the hospital. but will re-
cover. Tho police haven't any clew to the
robbers"
The members gasped for breath and then
heartily congratulated one another upon
their generosity in giving away their
luck" as Bot phrased it. While they
were talking the telephone rang again.
Potter listened with a grim smile on his
face.
THE highway robbers have been arrest
ed" he said. and identified by Smith.
There were two of EN-. and 1t means ten
years apiece in the penitentiary."
What about the opals?' asked Bott.
THE men were caught crossing the
Brooklyn bridge" replied Potter. 'They
had the stones in a bag. and in the strug-
gle that took place the thing slipped out
of their possession, fell through the trestle
work and the opals are now at the bottom
of the river"
Clancy and Forward accompanied the
chief inspector of customs to his lodgings
that morning.
NO opals In mine,'' blithely remarked
Clancy.
STUFF n%onsense." retorted Barnes.
But respectfully ventured Forward,
think of the customs examiner down with
appendicitis? the confidential clerk with
the broken leg: the servant girl breaking
the family heirloom, mi the caterer sand
bagged!'
The Die mans clear. ringing laugh
echoed against the stiffness Of the night
air.