Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-04-20
BASE COIN.
A Counterfeiting Story

10 the lew thousand inhabitants of
Twenty Acre there was hardly any point
] of interest in the world that aroused
Their curiosity more than the mysterious
house standing at the end of their VIII
lage, and known for miles round as Dead
Mans hovei.
But little of the house could be seen
from the road. A high wall enclosed the
garden, and q heavy, reconstructed door
guarded the entrance.
Who lived there was a mystery. An
old woman occasionally visited the viii
lage and purchased provisions, but as she
never spoke it was currently reported
that she was deaf and dumb.
One raw November evening a passen-
ger alighted from the train and bent his
steps towards this house. A short dis
lance behind him, fitting like phantom
from tree to tree, a second man logged
his footsteps.
AT Dead Mans Hovel the first man. a
short, burly, criminal looking individual,
was evidently expected. The heavy door
opened as he approached and banged to
with an ominous eiang as he passed
through.
"Halloa. old Martha! You don't mean
to say that you are above ground yet !?
YOU NOulu nave DGtu hCdu ana
buried long ago"
The old woman took no notice of his
pleasantly, but led the way up the gar
den path as if she had not heard She
pushed open the door of the house, bolted
it top and bottom, put up the chain, and
left him in the darkness. Then a door in
the hall opened and a flood of light
streamed out. On the threshold of the
I room ctpnH a frirl Che oh
10 years of age and strikingly beautiful,
although the expression of sadness upon
her face was unusual in one so young.
What, Isabel! 1t is never Isabel!
Why, what beauty you've grownl Well,
well, what a difference five years does
make! Come, my girl, let's have kiss"
My father is waiting for you, Mr.
Bantam"
| ''Mr. Bantam, Ell? Quite formal. Five
years ago | was Spif. What's the mat
ter with Spif, eli ?"
MY father is impatient, Mr.. Ban
tam"
Impatient, is he? Well, so am l. I'm
patient for the day when / take you to
church and make you Mrs. Bantam; and
you can bet your life it's going to be
soon. So the quicker you drop your
hoity -toity airs and realize that fact the
better it will be for you and Jack Daunt.
| am not one to stand any fools non
sense, as you and your father ought to
know by this time
The girl resented his familiarity with
look of scorn, and without a word led
the way down long passage. Opening
door at the end she motioned Mr. Ban
tam in and retired.
An old man with yellow. wrinkled
face sat by the freside. His huge hands
spread out ON his knees and the deep
breadln of his chest hetokened consider
able strength, but crutch lying on the
table at his side gave evidence of the fact
that he was lame.
We'll, Spit. so you've got back?"
looks like it, don't it? And Jolly
glad am to get back. never spent five
longer years in Jail in my life. Well,
how's the game going?"
Very slowly, Spit I've nobody | can
trust. | get a small parcel off OCCASION
ally, but it's too dangerous. If | could
only get about myself it would be differ
ent. but this COMPOUNDED leg"
All! Seen anything of Farlow late
lyS"
Not for years, but he's still on the
hunt. / get word occasionally that he is
nosing round after me, but am pretty
snugly hidden here"
well, you've paid him out for making
you 'crutchy for life, and that brings
me to Isabel Has she tumbled to the
game YETI"
( NO; she knows nothing, She still i'm
t AGNES that / am deeply interested in
chemistry, and it is more than her life is
worth to come prying around when l am
working down below"
"Ah. that's good! Scientific research,
Ell? Turning the baser metals into gold.
What can man do better2 But Isabel
seems changed-not quite so glad to see
SPIT Bantam as she used to be- You re-
member our compactY"
well, you see, Spit"
mo nonsense, Jack Daunt. To com
plete your revenge on Sir Hamilton Far
low the girl was to marry me. I've been
thinking of nothing else ever since |
started my last sentence and I'm not
going to be put off now What is tf.
Nothing; only since I've had the Girl
TO myself I've-well, I've grown fond of
her, and I think it's hard lines to con.
denim her to that"
oh, you do, do you? Who's the other
fellow? %
"Well. l can't say that there isn't an.
other fellow, and that is Lynn Donovan.
who manages a bank few miles away.
He met her when she was in Spain. and
saw her by accident when we came here
have several times refused him an in
terview; but today he has written insist
ing upon it."
And what have you done?"
Nothing yet. l waited until YOU
came"
Good job for you. Now, look here.
Daunt; you know me. and if that girl
isn't my wife inside of month III cut
up rough. even Ii have to give the
whole show away"
The old man seiezd his eYutch and
started to his feet
What! You threatens I am an old