The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-07-12


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rt.s n.er8De,s t4i1 Aye- WIN a hearth
n*ss ,h., made the eiasses on the table
yibfate.
Send for he ca;efer.. saia Potter 10 d
coiored waiter who vas st2 nding near his
chair.
Say. boys" OK iostuiated Bo,, feebiy
as the coior.d man .e:,. this hardly seems
The right thing LIS Ike giving Z fellows
luck away. don't YOU know
A battery of ~scowl.nR faces was fol-
lowed by a chorus of Hes a Jolly good
fellow" to drown out any suggestion OF
that sort.
Bot 50, down squeched.
Augustine Smith entered the room soon
after and was formally presented with the
thirteen opals. He was overwhelmed with
delight II seemed like sarcasm that he
should be given the stones he had tried
to pilfer. but he accepted them gladly
enough and ten minutes afterward had
left the house and was on 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 "Auld 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 cup the receiver.
Yes. this is Potter. What is it?'
A pause for a momen 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 AVE been assuring, for
he said:
"All 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 We're stolen from
him. Smith is in the hospital, but will re-
cover. The 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 1t. While they
were talking the telephone rang again,
Potter listened with a grim smile on his
face.
The highway robbers nave been arrest
ed" he said, "and identified by Smith.
There were two of EN-, and it means ten
years apiece In the penitentfary."
"What about the opals?" asked Bot.
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 and nonsense!." retorted Barnes.
But" respectfully ventured Forward,
think OF the customs examine down with
appendicitis? the confidential clerk with
the broken leg; the servant girl breaking
the family heirloom, and the caterer sand
bagged!"
The old mans clear, ringing laugh
echoed against the stiffness Of the night
air.
1T wager that fifty persons were oper-
ated on for appendicitis in this town yes
terday: I'm sure that many had their
limbs broken. AS for careless servant
girls-that's too frivolous to discuss. Fin
ally. for seven consecutive nights citizens
have been held up and sandbagged at the
very spot where the caterer was robbed
this morning. 1t may be the means of
compelling the authorities to police hat
place. If it does, it's clear gain to So
ciety. Don't worry smiled the old man
as he babe them good morning. but go
home and read my essay on The Theory
of Cotnc.dences.'