Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-04-06
ABLACK HAND LETTER
BY NJ. QUAD.
copyright. 1910. by Associated Literary
Press


Press.l
Major Cleveland, retired, was in the
wrong Of it. He had permitted and
tacitly encouraged young Mr.. Herbert
to visit the house and listen to his war
stories and fall in love with his daugh-
ter Janet, and then when he asked for
her hand he had drawn himself stittly
up and replied.
1T cannot be. sir! am Of the army.
sir, and, though retired on half pay by
q grateful country, once of the army
always of the army. My dearest hope
is for Janet to marry colonel in ac-
tive service. l shall speak to her at
once. sir-at once"
Janet" the majo said the next day
to his daughter, there must be no
more Of this nonsense between you
and young Herbert
That was all. The major congratu-
lated himself that his order would be
obeyed, and Miss Janet put on look
and assumed the attitude of broken
hearted girl not long for this world.
tested, and the major became Il little
bit anxious and talked about spring
tonics, though he had no idea of coun-
demanding his order. All might have
gone well if the grocer who supplied
the house hadn't called his delivery
boy SLOUGH and lazybones and If
the said boy hadn't fired up and quit
his job. Another took his place just as
Miss Janet wanted T. send note to
her lover real bad. The change OF
boys perpleXed her for moment, and
she hadn't time to go into explanations
further than to hand him the missive
and 10 cents and mention Mr.. Herbert
The boy grinned and nodded. and the
wagon ratified away. and ten minutes
later he was perusing the letter. His
name happened to be Herbert, and he
happened to be vain boy. and he fur
Their happened to believe that Miss
Janet had got struck on him. 1t was
a proud moment for him, for he al
ready had another girl on the string.
She worked in a shirt factory, and
she wasn't a tony girl, but he loved
her. He was also jealous of her, and
now was his chance to get even.
Mr.. Herbert did not get the note in
tended for him; Miss Janet did not get
q reply as expected; the mother saw
new cause to believe that her daughter
was not long for this world, and the
major sighed and wished that some
one would come in and listen to his
war STORIES That grocers boy had
brought butter, eggs and potatoes. but
he had left load OF carking care be-
hind him. Next morning brought
something like a sudden thunderclap
Miss Janet received a letter mailed at
the village postottice the night previ'
GUS. 1t was ill spelled and was not
capitalized or punctuated at all. 1t
was signed .'Black Ham," and it con
tanned some dire and awful threats
II she did not change her course she
would be shot, stabbed, dubbed, boiled
In oil and die many other ways. II
was to be first and last warning. an(
there were many ''beWares' in it
Janet was frightened, her mother was
more so, and the major swore by the
bloody sword he had used at Gettys
burg that he would get at the bottom
Of the mystery if he had to call ou
the entire army of the United States.
The village marshal was consulted
and he struck a clew. That clew lee
to a tin peddler. who tainted away
whom arrested Other cleWS Were
struck and followed. and before nigh
of the first day five persons had beer
hauled to the lookup. The Black Hant