The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-02-07
XIII
A HoUsEWARMING.

" . uhuShtCI "a lll6 VII dltu VII OF
Dawn Hill, was chief lieutenant, if not
principal. in my conspiracy to drift
Anita day by day further and further
into the routine of the new life. Yet
neither of us had shown by word or
look that a thorough understanding ex-
listed between us. My part was to be
unobtrusive. friendly, neither indiffer-
ent nor eager, and | held to 1t by tax
ing care never to be left alone with
Anita; Alva's part was to be herself
simple and natural and sensible, full of
life and laughter. knocking at those
moods that betray us into the absurd
ity of taking ourselves TO seriously.
/ was getting ready a new house in
town as a surprise to Anita, and / took
Alva into my plot. Il wish Anita's
part of the house to be exactly to her
liking" said 1. Can you set her to
dreaming aloud what kind of place she
would like to live in. what she would
like to open her eyes on in the morn
Ing. what surroundings she'd Ike to
dress IN and read in, and ali that"
Alva had no difficulty in carrying out
the suggestions. And by harassing
Westlake necessarily, l succeeded in
realizing her report of Anita's dream to
the exact shade of the draperies and
the silk that covered the walls. BY
pushing the work, / got the house one
Just as Alva was warning me that she
could not remain longer at Dawn Hill,
but must go home and get ready for
her wedding. When l went down to
arrange with her the last details Of
the surprise, who should meet me at
the station but Anita herself? 1 took
one glance at her serious face and,
much dlsquieted. seated myself beside
he's in the little trap. Instead Of fol-
lowing the usual route to the house,
she turned her horse into the bay shore
read.
Several days ago." she began, as the
bend hid the station, Il got a letter
from some lawyers saying that an
uncie OF mine had given me q large
sum OF money-a very large sum. l
have Eeen inquiring about it, and find
1t is mine absolutely
l braced myself against the worst.
She is about to tell me that she is
leaving thought /. But managed
to ay: I'm glad to hear of your luck"
though l fear my tone was not espe-
cially joyous.
so, she went Oh, Il am In C. position
to pay back to you. l think, what my
father and Sam took from you. 1t
won't be enough I'm afraid to pay what
you lost Indirectly. But 1 have told
The lawyers to make it all over to
you
could nave laughed aloud. 1t was
too ridiculous. this situation into which
I had got myself. / did not know what
to say
Anita I said unsteadily. "Anita!v'
h color famed In her cheeks; we
Were silent for a long time.
"You-your people owe me nothing"
I at length ound voice to say. Even
II they did, / couldn't and Wouldn't take
your money. But. believe me, they owe
me nothing"
You cannot mislead me-" she an
ewered. When they asked me to be-
4 M an orc Crnf1 ~
about it."
l mad forgotten. The whole repulsive.
rotten business came back to me And.
Ehanged III that i had become in
the last six months. I saw myself as
had been. l felt that she was looking
at me, was reading the degrading con-
fession in my telltale features,
But with all my love making and
trouble at home. my financial plans
matured. In fact, they were rspened to
riotsenness by the urgency OF my enem-
les. open and hidden. However skill
FULLY they plotted. my plans outran
.heirs. The suspicious that had been
n secret springs in currency, led to
q great financial catac,ysm.
There was a week of stress and
Storm, 3 Y with my sails reefed I ran
before the wind. my assets all secure
ind clewed down like the sails of the
/ 60oo ohAp " III WHICH i WAS running.
The millions of others melted before
their eyes. absorbing all that lay about,
but nothing of mine run down.
However, 1t seemed advisable that l
should leave New York. 1t was told
to he chief Of police that my presence
might cause a riot. Personally. / had
no feeling OF fear. I was serene with
my conscience. But as the storm beat
about there was nothing for me to dc,
und / Went off on my yacht to rest and
think and give the skies time to clear.
My enemfes caused 1t to be widely
believed that Wild Week" was my de-
liberate eontrivanee for the sole pur-
pose of enriching myself. Thus they
got me a reputation for almost super
human daring. for satanic astuteness
at cold-blooded calculation. LIDO not
deserve the admiration and respect that
my success-worshipping fellow country
men lay at my feet. True. I did greatly
1, enrich myself: but not until the Mon
day after Wild Week.
Nots until had rendered en- men ana
events with the assistance OF the news
papers n my detective protectors and
jailers permitted to be brought aboard
mot until the last hope OF turning
Wild Week to immediate public aa.
vantage had sputtered out like a los
fitting myself, Of seizing the nsnestsln
ity to strengthen myself FOR the future
ON Monday morning 1 said I Sergeant
4 Mvlhollands IT want to go ashore al
Ennee ans send =. sent ei.eesfaIfss .SaN ~
The sergeant lis OF the detective
bureaus ss'dress-sutts men, He is BIZ
nature phiegfnatic and cynical. His ex-
perience has put yer that a veneer b
weary politepess. w had become
great friends during our enforced In
separate conspanionship. For Joe. VIII,
looked on me somewhat as n mother
looks on q brilliant but erra.ic son, had
as I soc discovered. elaborated a won
derful program for nue.. 1t included {
watch OF me day and night, lest
through rage or de~spondency. I shouit
try TO do violence To myself. Al fin,
character. that Joe. Hut, TO return
Mulholland answered my request 70
shore leave With q soothing smile
Cant do II. Mr.. Blackioak, : he said
Our order nre positive. But wlne,
we put in at New london ii sen,
ashore for further Instructions. and 70
the papers, 3 can send In your mes
81 kares.
AS you p,ease.ss said 1. And T CAV
him n cipher Telegram TO Joe-an crde
to- invest ms store OF cash. which mean
practicnlly my whole fortune, In tn
gilt edged Eeeurities thai we're to b
nAs1 f6Tscash AZ " small fraction of thel
xHlues
F.7zEEl