Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-09-21

There were still no signs of guilt in
Collins face.
II was just going to make sure that
1t was the same package" he said in
%nocently. handing it over at once.
With the packet in an inside pocket
Of his coat, Blount put on his hat, had
himself shot down the elevator and a
few minutes afterward was renting a
private box in the deposit vaults of a
bank in the next street. When he re-
turned to his Office another touch Of
the electric button resummoned Col
Inns.
"Sit down." said Blount, indicating
a chair. II have been reasonably kind
to you, haven't 1, Fred"
Eyes, sir; very kind indeed" was
the clerks admission.
"Yet you have let some one bride
you to be disloyal to me- was the di-
rect charge. who was it, Collins"
II don't know anything about it, Mr..
Blount. If l was going to die the next
minute l couldn't say anything differ
| ent."
you've got to say something differ
ent If you want to stay with me" said
the master decisively. did you know
what was in that package you put in
the safe?'
mo"
yet you said you were untying it
to see if it were the same package 1
gave you last Monday. You are lying
to me. Collins. You opened my desk
to hunt for the key Of the cash box.
Sit tight in the boat. Pm not going to
fire you. 1 merely want to know who
hired you to do this"
"1f I did it 1 must have done it in
my Sleep" was all the reply the young
man would make, and after trying a
threat or two Blount dismissed him.
This was the first of a series of Incl
dents all pointing toward the same
conclusion-that some one was evident
~ determined to let him have no pri-
vacy in his correspondence. Unless he
happened to be present when the mail
was brought in it was pretty sure to
show signs plainly indicating that it
had been tempered with.
Blount could think Of only one ex-
PLANTATION, and he accepted it without
question. The machine Of which his
father was the dictator had no con-
science.
Some of its spies, doubtless working
under instructions given by his father,
were keeping tab on him. and the pur-
pose Of the espial was easily guessed.
His statement made to his father
across the dinner table in the Inter
Mountain cafe had not been an empty
boast. The packet safely put away in
the banks deposit vault contained aft
davits. sworn statements, evidences Of
fraud, and there were enough of them
fully to s%ubstantiate everything he had
said.
That evening there was a reception
given by Mrs. Irving Gordon, wife Of
the reform candidate for governor, and
Blount went, hoping that Patricia
would be there. She was there, and
the young man, in need of a confidant,
wasted two good hours trying to get
private speech with her. When his
chance came 1t was only a half chance,
since there vas little privacy to be had
in the crowded rooms.
1T is a question Of conscience this
time" he told her when she had agreed
to sit out a dance with him in one cor
ner of the canva carpeted assembly
room. II have discovered positive evil
dence Of frauds to be perpetrated in
the election next Tuesday. How far
am I justified in s~uppressing this evil
dencey
"Mercy!" she exclaimed. "How you
a bring a thunderbolt down upon
one out Of a perfectly clear sky! Is it
ever right to shield criminals or Grim.
inality?
'.That Is just what I should like to
know" he persisted. "At the present
moment I am shielding not one GRIM
inal. but q good many"