Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-05-13

INC, SIT, Sdlu the man, ana the Clus.
ter Of uniformed men at the door Of the
inner hall confirmed this.
II sent orders this afternoon" said
SPEEDING between his teeth.
INC orders have been received, sir"
and the lawyer saw the scrutinizins
eye of the soldierly sentry pass over
his confederates.
rs this the relief?" asked the guard
not attempting to conceal the contempt
in his tone.
YES" said the lawyer.
AS the sentry saluted and disap-
peared into the hall SPEEDING drew
Conner aside.
This is ruin" he said quickly. The,
safe must be cleared tonight. Tomor-
row London will not hold me-"
The sentry reappeared at the door
way and beckoned them in They
shuffled into the great hall, where in
the half darkness the safe doomed up.
from it's rocky pedestal, an eerie, mys-
terious thing. He saw Bat Sands
~glancing uncomfortably around the dim.
spaces of the building, and felt the i'm
preston Of the loneliness.
A man who wore the stripes Of a SER
geant came up.
Are we to withdraw, sir" he asked.
Yes" said Speeding shortly.
will you give us a written order%'
asked the man.
SpGuulllS hSSiLdlSd, LllSii uIS" Out a.
pocket book and wrote a few hasty
words on a sheet, tore 1t out and hand
ed it to the a
The sergeant looked at it carefully.
You haven't signed it or dated it.
either" he said respectfully, and hand
ed it back.
Speeding cursed him under his breath.
and rectifed the omissions.
Now you may 60"
In the half light, for only one soli-
tary electrolier illuminated the vast
hall. he thought the nan was smiling.
1t might have been a trick of the shad.A
ows, for he could not see his face. y
And am l to leave you alone?" said
the sergeant.
Yes"
Us il safe?" the non-commissioned.
officer asked quietly.
Curse you, what do you mean %
cried the lawyer.
Well" said the other easily, Il see
you have Connor with you, a notorious
thief and blackmailer."
The lawyer was dumb.
And Bat Sands How dye do, Bat?
How did they treat you in Borstal, or.
was it Farkhurst? ?" drawled the ser
geant. And there's the gentle Lamby
trying hard to look military in an over
coat too large for him. That's not the,
uniform you're used to wearing, Lam
by, eh?"
From the group Of men at the door
came a genuinely amused laugh.
Guard the outer door, one OF you
chaps" said the sergeant, and turning
again to S~pedding's men, Here we,
nave our respected friend Curt Goyle."
He stopped and picked up a bag that
Bat had placed gingerly or the floor.
What a bag of tricks" the sergeant
cooed, diamond bits and dynamite
cartridges and-what's this little thing,
Bat-an ark? 1t is. BY Jove, l con-
graduate you on the swag."
SPEEDING had recovered his nerve.
and STROBE forward. He was playing
for the greatest stake in the world.
You shall be punished for this inso-
~lence," he stormed.
Not at ALL" said the imperturbablet
sergeant.
Somebody at the door spoke.
Here's another one, sergeant" and,
pushed a queer old figure into the hall J
a figure that blinked and peered from
face to face.
He espied Speeding, and ran up to
him almost fawning.
THE Safe Deposit-in Lombard.
Street" he Cackled jOyously. You see,
/ remembered, dear friend; and I've
come to tell you about the book-my
book, you know. Ny munifcent patron
who desired a puzzle word"
The sergeant started forward.
MY. God" he cried, the professor
Yes, yes chuckled the old man,
that's what he called me. He bought
a o of my bOok-two sovereigns,
four sovereigns he rave me. The book
what was 1t called?"
The old man paused and clasped both
hands TO his head.
"A Study-a Study" he said pain
fully, ION the Origin of-the Alphabet.
All"
Another Of the commissionaires had
come forward as the old man began
speGsing, and to him the sergeant
turned.
Make a note of that, Jimmy the
~ergeant said.
SPEEDING reeled back as though he
had been struck.
Angel he gasped.
That's me-" was the ungrammatical
reply.
Crushed, cowed, beaten and power
less, SPEEDING awaited judgment.
What form it would take he could not
guess, that 1t would effectively ruin
him he did not doubt. The trusted law
yer stood self-condemned; there was no,
explaining away his companions, there
could be no MISLEADING the meaning of
their presence. i
send your men away" said Angel.
A wild hope seized the lawyer. The
men were not to be arrested, there was
a chance for him.
The Borough Lot" needed no second
ordering; they trooped through the
doorway, anxious to reach the open air
before Angel changed his mind.
you may CO." said Angel to Conner,
who still fingered.
IF the safe is to be opened, I'm in
it," was the sullen reply.
CONTINUED Next week.)