The Irish standard., 1910-03-12


or mere literary exercise. Letter
writing seemed to him the most
formidable of human undertakings,
but with a pad of telegraph blanks
under his hand his spirit scared free.
All untrammeled by the horror of the
day tariff, whose steep slopes have
wrought SO much confusion and error
among the economical, he gave to the
wires and the wireless what he never
would have confided to stamp. He
wrote and submitted to Miss Jerry
Dangertield the following:
To the Sheriff Of Dilwell County
Kildare NJ c.:
What is this ! hear about your inabil-
ity to catch Appleweight and the rest Of
MS bunch? Your inattention to your du-
ties Is matter Of common scandal, and
II you don't get anxious pretty soon I
snail remove you from your Job and then
some. snail be down soon to see wheth-
er you are pitching quoits at the black
smith shop or fishing for Holsters in Rae
coon creek, instead Of attending to YOUR
knitting. Your conduct has annoyed me
until I am something more than vexed by
your behavior. The eyes of the great
North State are upon you. Wire me at
length just what you propose doing or
not doing in this matter
WILLIAM DANGERF1ELD,
Governor Of North Carolina.
What do you think of that?" he
asked, his pride falling as she
scanned the paper carefully.
isn't it pretty expensive?" Jerry
inquired, counting the words to ten
and then roughly computing the rest.
I'll take care of that, Miss Danger
field. What want to know is wheth.
er you think that will make the sher.
If sit up
We'll, here's what father sent him
only about week ago. 1 found 1t in
his private letter book, and it's marked
confidential in red ink"
She read:
dictment by grand Jury is undoubtedly
faulty and Foster threatens trouble in
case parties are arrested
And there's more like that! Papa
never intended to do anything, that's
as plain as daylight. Mr.. Foster, the
treasurer, comes from that county.
He thought papa was going to have to
DO something, so he's holding back
the payment of the state bonds just to
brighten papa. You see, the state
owes the Bronx Loan and Trust Com
pany that $25O,ooo, and If it isn't
paid June first the state will be ever.
lastingly disgraced."
"Oh, yes; I'd forgotten about that"
Il don't see how you could forget
about it. That must be almost as
much money as there is in the world.
Mr.. Ardmore"
We've got to raise it, anyhow, even
If we 60 to the pawn-shop. l pawned
my watch once when 1 was in col
lege and Billings-he was my guard
ian-had shut me off, Grissy-he's
my friend-Grissy says pawnbroking
Is only more vulgar form of bank
ing"
Il think your telegram to the sher-
III is all right" said Jerry, reading it
again. IF you'll go to the door and
whistle for the messenger we'll get 1t
off,"
Ardmore addressed himself once
more to the map. 1t was clear that
the Appleweight gang was powerful
enough to topple great states upon
their foundations. It had, to Ard
more's own knowledge, driven a gov
ernor into exile, and through the
wretched Foster, who was their friend,
the credit of the state was grayely
menaced.
I'll wait for the sheriff's answer,
and If he shows no signs of life ri
90 down there this afternoon"
Then you will undoubtedly be
shot!" Jerry declared, as though an
nouncing prospect not wholly de.
plOrable.
THAT has its disagreeable side,
but great many people have to be
shot every year to keep up the aver
age, and if the statistics need me I
won't duck. I'll call up my man on
the telephone this forenoon and tell
him to put my forester at Ardsley to
work. He's big fellow who served
in the German army, and IL he's afraid
of anything I haven't heard of it. If
we can drive the gang into South
Carolina, right along here, you see"-
anu NJ l6S DduSSTUe1Q OenL ner pretty
head over the map and saw-"if we
can pass the chief outlaw on to Gov.
Osborne, then 80 much the better, and
that's what we will try to do"
"But you're only the private secre-
tary. and you can't assume too much
authority. shall have to go to Kill
dare to visit my aunt, who is nice
old lady that lives there. The fried
corn mush and syrup at her house il
the best I ever tasted, and If papa
should come when he sees that some
thing is being done quite different
from what he intended, then should
be there to explain. II you should be
killed, Mr.. Ardmore, no one would be
there to identify you, and have al
ways thought it the saddest thing in
the world for any one to die away
from home"
1T would be sad; but hope you
would be sorry"
Il should regret your death and I'd
make them give you a perfectly beau