Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-11-01

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Now here's an odd lump of a desl
I got off that git rich quick fellow
Knevals when he lit out lively betun'
two DAYS, and has never been heard o
since, which you can have spot cheap
Lawyer Homes" said Joel FaXon. /
was put togedder with such a don
twist I've often fought Of breaking i
I'D for kindlings, but it will be fine fol
your briefs"
The janitor liked the looks of th'
young attorney who had just rented
the least desirable room in the Aeria
building. Besides he was sorry 10
him. What possible chance was there
for an up the state lad who hat
brought nothing but brains to tow
with him to find any demand for suci
commodities in that black back hol'
under the stairs?
So presently when his offer wa
gratefully accepted he threw in cou
pie of chairs and insisted on helpins
to shunt the furniture around to th'
new quarters, which were not far from
his storeroom.
"A penny saved in moving is as gooc
as a dollar earned, according to m!
experience" he said.
With such ready aid Herbert Home:
was soon settled and ready for bust
ness The outlook was not extensive
consisting of a blank wall not three
feet from the window, while the inlool
was equally bare and forlorn. How
ever, ne arranged the stationery he hac
brought with him and then took up the
mail that had awaited his arrival.
The young lawyers face fell as ht
ran through the advertisements anc
looked over the frayed promissory
notes and ancient transcripts of judg-
ments from which pay could only come
after collection. But it lightened agair
when at the very bottom he found
letter from Agatha Beams. postmis-
tress of his native village, to whom ht
was engaged.
Agatha was as practical as she was
affectionate and this letter showed it
The practical part ran as follows:
OF course you are going to have bu
little work a first, dear Herbert, bu
you must keep busy in order to keeT
from being discouraged. Therefore
want you to take up the Slavenk cast
again. You know what it means to me
but you do not know what it may NEAR
to you.
The P. o. inspector, who was here
only yesterday, said that he was su1'
that department would pay liberal.N
any one who solved the mystery o.
poor fathers death; and that the fac
they consented to my appointment il
his place proved that they no longer
blamed him for the loss. You remem
ber my theory from fathers last frag
mentary words? Well, am more con
vinced than ever that l am right:
Do strive with all your might to finC
and catch that wretch of a Toombs
who, l feel sure in my soul, not onl!
killed my father, mistaking him for hi
accomplice, Slavenk, but afterwarC
managed to kill Slavenk.
Homes threw down the letter anC
mentally reviewed the tragedy tina
had Mortified the village about three
wears before. Peter Beams, the post
dead from blows on the head on tn
floor of the front room of his hous
which he used as the pOstOffice. Tn
safe had been rifled of its contents.
Agatha, returning from a visit owe
night to a school friend, was the onl!
one able to affect the dying mans leth
argy. His broken phrases seemed in
coherent and meaningless to the other
present. though all agreed that h
mentioned more than once the tw
names Slavenk and Toombs; but Aga
tha believed that she understood wha
her father said.
His story as translated by her wa
this: When about to lock up for tn
night Slavenk in a rough gray over
coat had rushed into the front room
imploring to be hidden from Toombs
Beams had blown out the light. but tn
door burst open before he could loc
it. He had felt a terrible shock an
pain, and that was all.
The next spring the body of a mar
too swollen and laCerated for identif
cation, but which bore signs Of fou
play. was found in the river. 1t wa
because the body had on a rough gra
OvercOat that Agatha insisted that
must be the body of the unknowI
stranger Slavenk, and that he too mus
have been killed by the unknow
stranger Toombs.
Homes shook his head dubiousl
over the scant facts and broad deduc
tions as he had often shaken it before
His hunting case watch lay open %
the desk in front of him for lack of
clock. and his eyes rested first invol
unfairly and then curiously ON tn
shining interior surface of the uppe
cover.
There were letters reflected from tn
sheet he had Just thrown down. letter
forming a name, forming the nam
"Wnevals." Where had he heard tina
name before? Surely Agatha did nc
use it in her letter. His eyes, turnin
from the reflection to the written pag'
lighted on the word "Slavenk." Al
yes; that was it, of course; the ret
was inverted by the reflection. an
"Knevals" was "Slavenk" write
backward.
II.
Cla,-anl-