The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-03-22

Haze you any business to set FOOT upon
my property?n he demanded.
about him nervously as though he fear
ed that his wife or Mamie might hear.
my accounts with her estate are
closed" he said harshly. IF she wants
anything, let her come here"
Joe shook his head. mo; you must
be there at o'clock"
The judges choler got the better of
his uneasiness. You're a pretty one
to come ordering me around he broke
out. you slanderer! Do you suppose
I haven't heard how you're going about
traducing me, undermining my charac-
ter in this community, spreading scan
dals that am the real owner of Beav-
er Beach
1T can easily be proved, Judge" Joe
interrupted quietly, though you're
wrong; I haven't been telling people,
/ haven't needed to-even if I'd wish
ed. Once a thing like that gets out
you can't stop it-ever. That isn't ALL
To my knowledge you own other prop
erty worse than the Beach. l know
the town-protitable investments too.
You bought them very gradually and
craftily, only showing the deeds to
those in chargers you did to Mike
Sheehan-and not recording them.
Sheehan's betrayal of you gave me the
key. 1 know most Of the poor crea-
lures who are your tenants, too, you
nd RhaR
because they have some confidence in
me. My Investigations have been al
most as quiet and careful as your pur-
chases"
you blackmailer!' The judge bent
upon him a fierce, inquiring scrutiny,
in which, oddly enough, there was
kind of haggard hopefulness. And
out of such stories," he sneered, you
are going to try to make political cap
ital against the Tocsin, are your"
NO." said Joe. "It was necessary
in the interests of my client for me to
know pretty thoroughly just what
property you own, and 1 think I do
These pieces I've mentioned are about
all you have not mortgaged. You
couldn't do that without exposure, and
you've kept a controlling interest in
the Tocsin clear, too-for the sake of
its influence, 1 suppose. Now, do you
want to hear any more, or will you
| agree to meet me at Miss Tabors this
EVENING""
Whatever the look Of hopefulness
had signifed, it fed from Pixies face
during this speech but he asked with
some show of contempt, do you think
it likely?'
Every WELL" said Joe, eff you want
me to speak here" And he came a lit
tie closer to him. "You bought big
block of Granger Gas for Roger Ia
Dor" he began in low voice. Before
his death you sold everything he had
except the old house, put it all into
cash for him and bought that stock.
You signed the check as his attorney
| In fact, and it came back to you
through the Washington National,
where Norbert Flitcroft handled it. He
has good memory, and when he told
me what he knew l had him to do some
| tracing. Did q little myself also.
Judge Pike, / must tell you that you
stand in danger of the law You We're
| the custodian of that stock for Roger
! Tabor 1t was transferred in blank,
though / think you meant to be legal
at that time, and that was merely for
convenience in case Roger had wished
you to sell it for him. But just after
his death you found yourself saddled
with distillery stock, which was going
bad on your hands. Other speculations
of yours were falling at the same time.
You had to have money. You filed
your report as administrator, creditins
Miss Tabor with your own stock which
you knew was going to the wall, and
transferred hers to yourself. Then you
sold it because you needed ready mon
ey. You used her fortune to save your
self. but you were horribly afraid Nc
matter how rotten your transactions
had been, you had always kept inside
the law, and now that you had gone
outside Of it you were frightened. You
didn't dare come fat out to Miss Tabor
with the statement that her fortune
had gone. 1t had been in your charge
all the time. and things might looL