The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-07-14

~" flatlron building, FIN
IGA ney Valentine was there
| S\ alone, finishing up some
n vs. details demanding per-
80 sonal attention. Sudden
ty the desk phone at his elbow tinkled
lnsistently. An agitated male voice
at the other end of the line began to
speak the instant connection was es-
tablished.
Inspector Valentine-this is Daw-
lish-Steve Dawlish-you remember?
Say, inspector, I'm in a devil of a
hole-just killed a man-said he was
Miss Williston's first acknowledgements
Der that case? Well, he tried to
blackmail me-our wedding comes off
In three days-yes-I hit him-only
once. but that was enough. Say, in
spector, can't you come out here right
away? Why, I'm at Locust Valley
you know my place-there's a late
train at nine-thirty, get you here by
eleven-you can? That's good-Ill
have a motor at the station to meet
you. Don't fail me. I'm in an awful
mess! Thanks-good-by."
Valentines face was grave as he
hung up the receiver and looked at
his watch; there would just be time
to run uptown and pack bag before
catching the $3.50 North Shore train
over the Long Island railroad. Ste
phen Dawlish he remembered as one
of an unusually bright bunch of news
paper boys who had sometimes pes
tered the life out of him in that grim
stone pile in Mulberry street. But for
some years they had not met-partly
on account of the inspectors retire
ment, and also because Dawlish had
come into property and was now a
man of leisure, spending some months
of every year at his country place in
Locust Valley.
And now that the broken thread OF
acquaintanceship had been reunited
by this urgent call for help, Finney
Valentine recalled an exceedingly
tragic episode in which Stephen DaW'
lish had been an unwilling actor.
Half a decade earlier, dating from
this October night, certain fashionable
and financial circles of uptown and
downtown Manhattan had been agog
over the rather meteoric rise OF a
young southerner, Yancey Daubeny,
who in a breezy and masterful man
ner had stormed the city.
While more or less of plunger on
the street." he was believed to have
made considerable money. His bro
kers, were Mortimer Williston & Co.
q very conservative and wealthy con-
cern--and it was through the senior
member Of the firm that he met Grace
Williston, an only daughter, heiress
to her widowed fathers millions.
With the same insouciant and dash
ing ways that had heralded his adj
vent in Wall street the young south
erner laid siege to the heart of Grace
Williston. In person he was most at
tractive-emphatically a woman's
man; tall, blond, wide-shouldered
rather burly in voice and build, both
of which traits one forgot wnen that
one happened to be beautiful woman
whom Daubeny was anxious to please
Then his tones became caressing, and
his strength somehow seemed to as
sumo a protecting, almost chiyalrous
character
Yancey Daubeny became a social
favorite everywhere; he was a lavish
spender, yet not a spendthrift, since
he knew how to get dollar for dollar.
His ancestry was supposed to be OF
the bluest blood south of Mason and
Dixon's line-that is, by his own &C.
count-and he claimed relationship
with half dozen families of Illus
trious. name. In short, Yancey Dau-
beny became distinguished and pop
ular member Of the southern colony in
New York.
Grace Williston was admired as
much for her beauty as for her sweet
girlishness; that she would one day
be extremely wealthy was also no
drawback. OF admirers she had "a
score, of whom Stephen Dawfish
seemed to be the most favored until
the advent of Yancey Daubeny. But
the southerner soon usurped the place
of first favorite; Dawlish proposed and
and was gently rejected; three months
later the betrothal of Grace Williston
and Daubeny was announced; every
body said it was love match-fn
which for once everybody was right
20 far as the girl was concerned.
On a rare June morning they were
married at Grace church. and imme.
diately after the wedding breakfast
the couple planned to sail for Europe
on a six months bridal trip. But at
the foot of the gang-plank, while Nor
. timer Williston was in the act Of say.
ing farewell, a brace of secret service
men tapped Daubeny on the shoulder.
znapped the handouts on his wrists
and arrested him for forgery!
At the subsequent trial it TRANSFERRED
that "Yancey Daubeny'' was none
other than William or bill" Dabney,
an old jallbird and an accomplished
crook wanted" by the police OF Chi
caso and San Francisco. He was tried
and convicted: In view of his previous
record the Judge imposed the full PEN
atty. twenty years in Sing Sing.
Imagine the shock and mortifica.