The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1911-04-13
Bp CHARLES KLEIN.

II
Copyright. 1906 by q. W. Dilling-
ham Company.
cf6di6le! W1at would his daughter
say-his Shirley? All. the thought of
the expression Of incredulity and Won
der on her face when she heard the
Jews cut him to the heart like knife
thrust. Yet, he mused. her very un-
willingness to believe it should really
be his consolation. All. his wife and
his child-they knew he had been in
nocent Of wrongdoing. The very idea
was ridiculous. At most he had been
careless. Yet be was certainly to
blame. He ought to have seen the
trap 90 carefully prepared and into
which he had walked as II blindfolded.
That extra $4,000 worth Of stock. on
which he had never received a cent in
terest, had been the decoy in a care
fully thought out plot. They. the plot
ters, we'll knew how ignorant he was
Of financial matters. and he had been
an easy victim. Who would believe
his story that the stock had been sent
to him with plausibly worded letter
to the effect that It represented q bonus
on his own Investment? Now he came
to think of 1t, calmly and reasonably,
he would not believe it himself. As
usual. he had mislaid or destroyed the
secretary's letter. and there was only
his word against the company's books
to substantiate what would appear
most improbable If not impossible oc.
currence.
1t was his conviction Of his own good
faith that made his present dilemma
all the more cruel. Had he really been
- CRATER, had he really taken the
1tock as bribe, he would not care 50
much, for then he would have fore
seen and discounted the chances of ex.
p0sure. Yes, there was no doubt pos
sible. He was the victim of a con-
spiracy; there was an organized plot
to ruin him, to get him out Of the way.
The Interests" feared him, resented
his judicial decisions, and they had
halted at nothing to accomplish their
purpose. How could he fight them
back, what could he do to protect him.
self? He had no proofs of a con-
spiracy; his enemies worked In the
dark; there was no way in which he
could reach them or know who they
were.
He thought of John Burkett Ryder
Ah, he remembered now! Ryder was
the man who had recommended the
IN, c1>
course. Why did he not think of it be.
fore? He recollected that at the time
he had been puzzled at receiving so
much stock, and he had mentioned it
to Ryder, adding that the secretary had
told him it was customary. Oh, why
had he not kept the secretary's letter?
J But Ryder would certainly remember
1t. He probably still had his two let
ters in which he spoke of making the
investment. If those letters could be
produced at the congressional inquiry
they would clear him at once, so, losing
no time and filed with renewed hope,
he wrote to the Colossus strong, man.
ly letter, which would have melted an
iceberg, urging Mr.. Ryder to come for
ward now at this critical time and
clear him Of this abominable charge,
or in any case to kindly return the
two letters he must have in his pos
session, as they would 60 far to help
him at the trial. Three days passed
and no reply from Ryder. On the
fourth came polite but frigid note
from Mr.. Ryder's private secretary.
ud ho1
more's letter and in reply begged to
state that he had vague recollection
of some conversation with the judge
in regard to investments. but he did
not think he had advised thu purchase
of any particular stock, as that was
something he never did Oh principle
even with his most intimaI. friends,
He had no Wish to be held accountable
IN case Of loss. etc. AS to the letter
(which Judge Rossmore mentioned as
having written to Mr.. Ryder III regard
to having received more stock than lie
had bought, of that Mr. Ryder had no
recollection whatever. Judge Ross
more was probably mistaken as to the
identity of his correspondent IIc re-
GREETED he could not be of more service
to Judge Rossmore and remained his
very obedient servant.
1t was very evident that no help was
to be looked for in that quarter. There
was even decided hostility in Ryder's
reply. Could it be true that the finan-
cier was really behind these attacks
upon his character? Was itpossible that
one man, merely to make more money,
would deliberately ruin his fellow man
whose hand he had grasped in friend
ship7 He had been unwilling to be-
iieve 1t when his friend ex-Judge stott |
had pointed to Ryder 40 the author Of |
all his misfortunes, but this unsym-
pathetic letter, with its falsehoods. it's |
lies. plainly written oil over Its face,
was proof enough. Yes, there was
now no doubt possible. John Burkett |
Ryder was his enemy. and what an