The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-08-29
CHAPTER XIX.

MR.. SHELLS LITTLE SURPRISE.
Mr.. Theodore Shelf had reached the
end OF his tether, and like a shrewd
business man he knew it.
There is a certain mad excitement
In standing on a high ledge of an ice
berg when h steps which you have
clambered up by have splintered away
and the hundred-foot cliffs above are
threatening every instant to descend
In crashing avalanche. You know YOU
have to jump into the cold green wa
tiers below or be crushed out Of exist
ence, and lingering to the very last
second is not without it's fierce pleas
ure. The dive is chilly, the waters
beneath unknown, final escape most
hazardous. But it is not these things
which stay you. 1t is the nearness of
the crash behind, and that is fascinat-
ing beyond all words.
Mr.. Shelf was in a similar position.
He knew that his commercial ledge
was growing more n more dangerous
every minute by reason Of the law OF
the land which loomed above him, and
yet for the life of him he could not
tear himself away. He had waiting for
him that snug hacienda on.the banks
Of the Rio Paraguay which he had
time before made ready against a pos
sible cataclysm, but it was left to wait.
The excitement Of lingering on in Lon
don. was meat and drink to him. His
daring would be spoken about after
ward, and though he might not be
blessed, 1t is true, still he would not
be forgotten. That last was perhaps
the chief reason which made him stay
on. The vanity Of the man was colos-
sal. He had been tickled by the i'm
proving young men. he had been tic
kled In his tabernacle, he had beer
uckled by a parliamentary cons.it-
uency, but these did not glut him. He
wanted more, FAR more.t and II he could
not distinguish himself in the way his
wife had hoped he would at least he
famous in his fall.
He had a scheme, too. in his waiting
Of taking a vengeance on Sth4s same
wife who had made 1t necessary Cor
him to 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 scofred at warnings and increased
the muster roll OF her guests and fed
them on bank notes. What this scheme
was he 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 the con-
clusion Of one Of these grim conf
dences, I shall be a lonely man. You
must come out there with me-" And
George poked a colo black nose into
MT. Shelfs hand n said that he
hould be vastly disappointed IL he
was left behind.
Now, Mr.. Theodore Shelf intended n
have his vengeance on the night Of a
ball which his wife wan going to give
and. which for sheer gorgeousness and
distinguished assembly was to rival by
far all her previous Efforts, and he was
quite satisfied in his own mind that
the action would be entirely t%ustihahie
Still he was q mar not without natural
affections. He was extremely fond of
his ward, Amy Rivers, ever though
through the old fashioned woodsn
headedness OF his cotrustee he did not
have the actual handling of a penny
of her money. The %cotrustee was q
lawyer with an admiration for 4 per
cent. corporation stocks, and he iu-
sisted on Miss Rivers fortune staying
ia these and showed cause why t
script should remain In his own office
safe. The money tempted Theodore
Shelf to III sin OF coveteousness con-
tinually-he could have made such en-
cellent use of it-but to the mans
credit be 1t said he never visited his
SHrHra T@IrE~I 49,.