Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1907-07-12

investment of the money"
You'll live to be hanged. Martin"
said the Colonel, with evident admiration
Not by you, Ell, Colonel? Whatever
might have happened If I'd been obsti-
nste Hope / shall survive to dance at
your wedding anyhow. Less than week
now "
YES" said he, next Saturdays the
dayI"
He really looked quite the happy BRIDE
groom as he said this, and eft him to |
contemplate his bliss.
II would bet ten to one that day never |
comes," l thought, as 1 walked away. !
Even II 1 don't win I'll back the Presi- |
dent to be back before that"
The Colonels greed had triumphed over
his wits. and he had fallen into my snare
with greater readiness than could have
hoped The question remained, What
would the President do when he got the
Signorina's letter. 1t may conduce to
better understanding of the position If 1
tell what that letter was. She gave it
me to read over, after we had compiled
it together, and 1 still have my copy. 1t
ran as follows:
II can hardly hope you will trust me
again, but II I betrayed you, you drove
me to it. l have given them your money
1t is in the bank now. NJ. refuses to give
1t up, and the G. means to take 1t to-
night. He will have only few men, the
rest not near. He will be at the bank at
two, with about twenty men Take your
own measures. All here favor you. He
threatens me with violence unless 1 marry
him at once. BE watches The Songstress,
but II you can leave her at anchor and
land In boat there will be no suspicion.
| Do not punish me more by disbelieving
| me. CHRISTINA.
''P. S.-M. and the O. are on bad
terms, and M. will not be active against
you"
Upon the whole 1 thought this would
bring him. 1 doubted whether he would
believe very much in it, but it looked
probable. Again, he was 80 fond of a
bold stroke, and 30 devoid of fear that
| it was very likely he would come and
see If it were true. If, as we suspected,
he already had a considerable body of adj
herents on shore, he could land and re-
connoiter without very great danger of
falling into the Colonel's hands. Finally,
even II he didn't come, we hoped the let
ter would be enough to divert his atten-
ton from any thought Of fugitive boats
and runaway lovers.
To my mind 1t is nearly as difficult
to be consistently selfsh as to be abso-
lutely unselfsh. had, at this crisis, ev-
cry inducement to concentrate all my
efforts on myself, but 1 could not get
Jones out of my head. 1t was certainly
improbable that Jones would try to resist
the marauding party; but neither the
Colonel nor his chosen band was likely to
be scrupulous, and 1t was impossible not
to see that Jones might get a bullet
through his head; indeed, 1 fancied such
a step would rather commend itself to the
Colonel. as giving a bona fde look to
the affair. Jones had often been the canse
of great inconvenience to me, but didn't
wish to have his death on my conscience
80 I was very glad when I happened to
meet him on my way back from the Gold
en- House, and seized the opportunity OF
giving him friendly hint.
1 took him and sat him down beside me
on bench in the Piazza. was in nc
way disturbed by the curious glances OF
the three soldiers who were evidently
charged to keep an eye on the bank and
my dealings with it.
l began by pledging Jones to absolute
secrecy, and then l intimated to him, In
roundabout way, that the Colonel anC
l were both very apprehensive of an at
tack on the bank.
1.-THE town." said 1, "is In a most un
settled condition, and many dangerou
characters are about. Under these cir
cumstances l have felt compelled to leav,
the defense Of our property In the hand
, Of the government. l have formally in
timated to the authorities that we shall
, hold them responsible for any loss occa
stoned to IN by public disorder. TIL
Colonel, in the name Of tho government
has accepted that responsibility. l there
: fore desire to tell You, Mr.. Jones, that il
} the lamentable event of any attack on tn
bank 1t will not be expected of you t
. expose your life by resistance. Such
sacrifice would be both uncalled for an
useless; and / must instruct You that tn
government insists that their measure
: shall not be put in danger of Illustration
by any rash conduct ON our part | ar
unable to be at the bank this evening
! but in the event of any trouble you wi
oblige me by not attempting to meet fore
, by force. You will yield, and we sha
rely on our remedy against the govern
ment In case of loss"
These instructions so fully agreed wit
the natural bent Of Jones' mind that h
- readily acquiesced In them and espresso
high appreciation Of my foresight.
o Take care of yourself and Mrs. Jone
! my dear fellow" 1 concluded that
v all you have to do, and I shall be sati
fed"
t l parted from him affectionately, VOL
It dering If my path In life would ever Gro.
e the honest, stupid old fellows again, an
II heartily hoping that his fortune woul
soon take him out of the rogue's nest
s which he had been dwelling.