The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-08-02

face the villain gave him a shove and
threw him head first over the footstool.
where ne lay all in a heap on the floor.
Buckingham grabbed his hat and hurried
GOWN 'he stairway. two steps at a time.
In tie hallway he mel with an unex-
pected obstruction. Something glistsned
~ominously in the dim light, and some
thlng cold. touching the tip OF his nose,
sent a shlVer down his spinal column.
The ever faithful Clancy was back of the
SHINING barrel. and when he spoke it was
through his closed teeth:
"If you dare TO move I'll shoot. and if
l do you'll be sorry"
Ihere was a convincing earnestness
about these words. While Buckingham
was thinking them over Barnes, deeply
mortified at having been caught unawares,
slipped downstairs and deity fastened q
pair or handcutfs upon the wrists of his
late antagonist.
1t did not take long to prove the guilt
of Mr.. John Buckingham. y. nen he first
prompted the charges of the Consolidated
company against Lane he was actuated
solely by business motives; but when he
discovered that the young consul gem
eral was engaged to his ward his aim
became Nindictive as we'll as mercenary.
He had gone to the wharf to get a CLAN
destine look at the man who was his
personal and business rival. He noticed
the Jealousy with which Lane guarded his
suit case, shrewdly guessed its contents.
and when the young man rushed over to
greet Helen. Buckingham, on the spun of
the moment, conceived the idea of stealing
ne bag. 1t was a bold act, but he was
q bold man and succeeded. He jumped
into q waiting cab, and for want of a
better direction ordered the man to drive
to the Grand Trunk railway station. on
the way there he broke the lock of the
suit case and distracted the letter book.
Swapping the bag up again he deposited
it in the package room of the station.
His first idea on reaching home was to
destroy the book, but he became deeply
interested In the letters and thus, fatally
for himself, postponed it's destruction. II
possession of the brass check suggested
some sport at the expense of his victim.
He put it in a typed envelope and, just
as Barnes had surnlised. noting the John
Smith visiting card on his desk, slipped
that in the envelope also.
B"uckinGham's arrest proved to be a for
tunate thing for Helen Thomson i'm more
ways than one. While publicly pretend
ing to lead the life of q retired merchant,
ne was secretly a confirmed stock mar
ket gambler. He became heavily involved.
and in order to tide himself over a crisis
began to use the money he held in trust
for the girl. His proposal of marriage
had been made TO Helen purely for the
purpose of covering up his financial trans
acllonS. lAe failure TO ruin young Lane
and his own detection uncovered all of
his other delinquencies. The guardianship,
foolishly arranged by her father with a
man he had only known in a business
way, was terminated just in time to save
the remainder of Helen's little fortune.
Three weeks later, while Barnes sat in
his office indulsing in day dreams. the
doorway was darkened by a very attrac-
tive young woman end a stylishly dressed
young
Let me speak to nim," said the girl, two
pink spots glowing on her smooth cheeks.
mo, Helen" protested the young man,
laughingly. II think | should do it,"
Barnes greeted his visitors warmly and
then raised his hand to silence.
tie spoke like a man who has made a
momentous decision,
You needn't speak. know what you're
going to say. / haven't done it for forty
years, but I'll make an exception in this
case. IN promise TO dance at your we'd
ding
And he did.