The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 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 1t.
There is a certain mad excitement
In standing on q high ledge of an ice
berg when the steps which you have
clambered np by have spIintered away
and the hnndred-foot cliffs above are
threatening every instant to descend
In crashing avalanche. You know you
have to jump into the cold green wa
ters below or be crushed ont 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 il 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 and 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
Rible cataclysm, but 1t 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
lkled In his tabernacle, he had been
ltickled by a parliamentary constit-
iuency. but these did not glut him. lie
wanted more, far more, 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 hls waiting
OF taking vengeance on this same
wife who had made 1t necessary for
him to fall at all. Without her wild
extravaganza he would nave been able
to weather the commercial depression
which had weighed him down, but she
had scoffod at warnings and increased
the muster roll Of her guests and fed
them on bank notes. What this scheme
was he conflded 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, Il shall be lonely man. You
must come out there with me-" And
George poked a cold black nose into
Mr.. Shells hand and said that he
should be vastly disappointed II hG
was left behind. ~" .T.-
Now, Mr.. Theodore Shelf Intended to
have his vengeance on the night OF a
bah which his wife was 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 justihable,
Still he was man not without natural
affections. He was extremely fond OF
his ward, Amy Rivers, even though
through the old fashioned wooden
,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 in
sisted on Miss Rivers fortune staying
IN these and showed cause why the
script should remain In his own office
lsafe. The money tempted Theodore
Shelf to the sin OF coyeteousness con-
tinually--he could have made such ex-
cellent use OF it--but to the mans
rreGtt be II said he never visited his