The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-05-22
THE =
RICH MANS
ANSWER.

You see," said the blackmailer de-
idedly, Il have you in my power"
The rich man shifted uneasily IN
is seat, so that his face was thrown
nto deeper shadow, but he made no
eply.
"Yes," continued the b!ackmailer,
it just amounts to this. You come
bere, as if you had never seen the
place before, figuring as Mr.. Robert
". Harrison, the great American mil
ionaire; you buy livingstone park,
md think you're a country gentle
nan. and your girl comes over from
Ter Paris school and appears as Miss
Harrison, of the park, the great
American millionaire's daughter"
"Who says I am not a millionaire"
nterposed the rich man. His face
was. still in the shade.
"Oh, no, Mr-er-Harrison! No
bne says you are not that. I took
hare to make sure of that before l
Eame here"
Then what do you want?"
Merely a little share of your prop
erty, Mr.. Bob Wilde"
\ He who was known as Robert Har-
zfison started violently; for a moment
bis face came into the bright glare
bf the reading lamp on his study
table, and there was on it a look OF
-~;t;rotad establishment
You know that" he cried. Then
n another voice: well, what Of it?
ID took Harrison for business pur-
bosses, and it is legally my own now"
Well" pursued the blackmailer
LIN smooth tones, helping himself
from a box of cigars on the table as
he spoke, ."call it business purposes
.if you like. For the present we can
drop 'Mr. Bob Wilde, but"-drawing
his chair nearer and speaking in an
Impressive whisper-"what about
that robbery in the bank at CARRIER
ton, on November Is, some thirty
years ago."
You know that, too? You know
Il know you are the man who abb
seconded with $500 of the bank funds
that night, and that it's not too late
now to tell the whole story to the
apoaice, or for you to be arrested for
it."
"Don't-don't be hard on me-"
pleaded the rich man in a faltering
voice.
Hard on ,you!"-with a confident
flaugh-"I like that. Now, I look
you as my little bank, and l
Intend you to help me-"
And if I ~refuse?"
"Then good-by to Mr.. Robert Har-
of the park, and enter Mr.. Bob
wilde, the bank thief"
Have you no mercy?". pleaded Mr..
Harrison pathetically. "Who are you?
How did you find all this out? I
have never seen you before"
You'd have Eel me dozens Of
times before if you had kept your
Eeyes open. You see, I work at Will
Jams, the saddler's, in the High
Carberton. I've been there a
good many years now, Shaving away
TAT a miserable 81 a week; but, natur-
ally. I've always been on the lookout
for something better. Well, in the
attic at the top of the house there's
a lot Of old boxes; been there good
ness knows how many years. I soon
found keys to fit, and after going
through a lot of musty old clothes
and books, l came on a bundle Of
ancient letters from old Williams
brother in America. Well, Of course,
] sat down to read them"
@Of course" murmured the mil
1ionaire family.
In the very first letter 1 opened I
read, I do believe I saw Bob Wilde,
who robbed the Carberton bank, in
the streets here last week. Further
in another letter-but here, l
needn't tell you how I ferreted it all
out; but in the end I made out that
Bob Wilde and Robert Harrison are
the same person, and you've owned
it now"
We'll, If I give you $500"
The mar burst into a loud, rough
laugh, which he instantly smothered.
Five hundred" he said scorn-
fully, Il want five thousand"
impossible"
ooh, is it? Just think it over, Bob,
my friend. What about your daugh-
ter"
Ali" burst from behind Robert
.Harrison's hands, in a sudden groan.
"Ah! I thought that would rouse
you. Here's Miss Molly, you see, en-
gagged to the son of Sir John Bran
don. What about that engagement
if I go and tell Sir John who Mr..
Robert Harrison is?"
Enough" cried the millionaire.
Enough! I give in. But 1 can't
give you the money now. Come to-
morrow night, or, stay-I've a dinner
party to-morrow-say the night
after"
No, I won't, I'll say to-mQrrow, it
suits me better"
-. II.
People were always willing to come
to n Of MI. Robert Harrison's din
ners. This evenings party had been
no exception to the rule. No one
was anxious to shorten the evening,
but at last one or two prepared to
say good-by.
Il want to beg you all to stay d
little longer" said the host. Il have
a little surprise, a-a-kind Of en-
tertainment. Will you all follow
ma2o