The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-14

for q moment the current or freezer
ick's thoughts. Stopping with the gate
in his hand, he considered with him.
self and then with freer countenance
and lighter step was about to pro-
coed inward when he heard the sound
of a heavy breather coming I'D the
hill and paused, why he hardly knew,
except that every advancing step oc-
casioned him more or less apprehen-
sion.
The person. whoever it was stopped
before reaching the brow of the hill
ard painting heavily muttered an oath
which Frederick :-eard. Though it
was 70 more prsfane than those which
had just escaped his own lips in the
forest, it produced an effect upon Fred
erick which was only second in inten-
sity to the terror of the discovery that
the money he had SO safely hidden was
gone.
Trembling in every limb, he dashed
down the hill and confronted the per-
son standing there.
Your he cried. You" And for Il
moment he looked as if he would like
to fell to the ground the man before
him.
But this man was heavyweight of
no ordinary physical strength and
adroitness and only smiled at Fred
erick's heat and threatening attitude.
"I thought 1 would be made well
COME he smiled, with just the hint of
sinister meaning in his tone. Then.
before Frederick could speak, he said:
Il have merely saved you trip to Bos-
ton. Why SO much anger, friend
You have the money. OF that l am
positive"
Hush, We can't talk here" whis-
pered Frederick. Come into the
grounds, or. what would be better, into
the woods over there"
81 don't go into the woods with you"
laughed the other. Not after last
night. my friend. But l will talk low
That's no more than fair. l don't want
to put you into any other mans pow
er. especially if you have the money"
..Wattles''- Frederick's tone was
broken, almost unintelligible. What
do you mean by your allusion to last
night? Have you dared to connect
me-
Pooh. poohw interrupted the other
good humoredIy. Don't let us waste
words over a mischance word l may
have let drop"
'T don't care anything about last
nights work or who was concerned in
it. That's nothing to me. All / want.
my boy, is the money, and that I want
deviIish bad or / would not have run
up here from Boston, when l might
have made half hundred off coun-
tryman Lewis brought in from the
Canada wilds this morning"
''Wattles, l swear
But the hand he had raised was
quickly drawn down to the other.
"Don't," said the older man shortly.
''It won't pay, Sutherland. Stage talk
never passed for anything with me.
Besides, your white face tells a truer
story than your lips. and time is pre-
cious. l want to take the II o'clock
train back. So down with the cash.
Nine hundred and fifty-six it is, but.
being friends, we will let the odd six
CO."
"Wattles, was to bring it to you to-
morrow, or was it the next day? l do
not want to give it to you tonight. In
deed i cannot, but-Wattles, wait,
stop! Where are you going|
''To see your father. want to tell
him that his son owes me debt; that
this debt was incurred in a way that
lays him liable for arrest for forgery;
that, bad as he thinks you, there are
facts which can be picked up in Bos-
ton which would make Frederick Suth-
erland's continued residence under the
parental roof impossible; that in fact
you are a scamp of the first water and
that only my friendship for you has
kept you out Of prison so long. Won't
it make nice story for the old gentle
mans ears|
'Wattles-I-oh, my God, Wattles,
stop minute and listen to me. have
not got the money. / had enough this
morning to pay you, had it legitimate
~, Wattles, but it has been stolen from
me, and
81 will also tell him." the other broke
in as quietly and calmly as if Freder-
lex had not uttered a word, that in a
certain visit to Boston you lost $500 on
one hand; that you lost it unfairly,
not having dollar to pay with; that
to prevent a scandal l became your
security, with the understanding that
was to be paid at the end of ten days
from that night: that you thereupon
played again and lost $500 and odd