davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-03-01
HARRY IRVING GREENE

perate plight at the exact time when
you became possessed of the knowl-
edge that your uncle had this large
amount of money in an old. weak safe
the combination of dire extremity
and sudden opportunity. 1t was your
last hope and you went after it as
drowning man goes after floating
oar You got it, and for a time it
buoyed you" l writhed in my help
lessness.
And you supposed l conjured burg
lar tools out of the air by wave of
my hand, together with the skill to
use them" He smiled restrospec-
lively
mo, l still had that difficulty to
overcome. For little while it had
me stumped, and then / CHANGED to
recall that you went for year or
so to technical school and learned a
good deal about the use of tools. Now,
l knew that many young men keep
their kit after leaving such places,
and I wondered if you had. I also re-
membered having noticed a sort of a
tool chest in the basement on the
day ] examined the premises, and
now concluding that it was time for
me to know what was in it, There
fore / burglarized your basement by
forcing the back door, picked the
lock of the chest and examined it's
contents. Among the tools l found
one of exactly the size of the one that
had bored the safe, and upon closer
inspection found that a bit of it had
been broken off in the operation, and
that bit of steel you now see On the
table before you. l found it on the
morning | went over the room. You
will remember what a painfully mi
mute scrutiny l made of everything
even using my magnifying glass" He
gathered UP the card case, the ticket
and the bit of steel and placed them
carefully in an envelope which he
deposited in his pocket. He then
turned to the piece of soiled paper
and the lump Of grayish matter.
Il had now the chain of proof con-
Meeting you with the crime forged
with the exception of one link, which
could I supply would make it prac-
tically unbreakable. On one of the
mortgages which had been blackened
by burnt powder was a fairly good
imprint of a right thumb. l tore off
the fragment of paper containing it,
and by placing it under the micro
scope could distinctly trace the lines.
OF course such lines are not the same
on any two persons in the world; and
could l get an imprint of your thumb
and by comparison find that they cor
responded, there could then be no fur
Their doubt as to your hand being the
one that had rummaged the safe. But
this was a difficult thing to do with
out arousing your suspicious. finally
got around 1t, however, by organizing
our burglary for the double purpose
of getting the print and calling to
your attention the probability Of
your having lost your card case in
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-03-01

siderat1on upon the part of your uncle,
and ought to keep as far away from
him in the future as you reasonably
can. 1t seems to me as II there is
but one thing for you to do, and |
want you to do it. Go away and make
new start somewhere else where
everything you see will not be re-
minder of this period in your life. You
will be able to do better work, and
more hopeful work, among other sur
roundings Your secret will be safe
with me. | will tell your uncle that
l have been unable to recover the
money and will throw up the case.
Will you agree to do as have sug-
gested If release your"
1t was my only way of escape, and
the wisdom of the advice seemed to
beyond doubling With my bosom al
most bursting, and staring straight
ahead through dimmed eyes, assent
ed. Il will go almost Immediately.
But there is one thing which I must
do before leaving. l must first see
Matie-Mrs. Dace, l mean, and have
a long talk with her-perhaps several
of them-and that may delay me for a
few days. l love her better than
all else in the world, and if she really
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-03-01

union when my disaster came. Neiln-
err have any doubt but that MacKay
was infatuated with the woman, saw
that | was winning her and started
out to get rid of me. He proDapiy
learned of my speculations, ana
knowing that if he could wreck them
it would effectively dispose OF me $"
far as she was concerned, ruthlessiy
tore down the fortunes Of many tnat
l might be crushed in the crash. Anu
he succeeded perfectly. Mrs. Dace'
being convinced by him that | was
ruined, and probably having oeeh
wayering somewhat between us; pre-
ferring me, but being tempted by MS
wealth, hesitated no longer when she
became satisfied that / could not give
her what she had made up her MIND
to have. Realizing as l did all along
that we never could have been happy
without considerable money, I would
not have blamed her particularly for
making the choice that she did had
not Mackay been a married man.
Even as it is, bear her no i'll will
and do not believe that she was an
immoral woman. There was a great
deal of good in her, but she was
selfish and cared little for the suffer
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-03-01

ings of others provided she gained
her own pleasures. The only fear l
have of ever again committing a
crime is in case l should happen to
run across that black scoundrel Mac
kay. If l should see him l am afraid |
might run amuck.
Bruce and Glare are married and
are happily spending the money of
dead Uncle Abner, who cut me off
with a shilling. And that brings me
to the reason for writing this confess
sion Uncle Abner having passed
into the great beyond, no longer have
any fear that l will be prosecuted,
and never would be able to feel that
/ had made my fullest reparation I'M
less l cleared Bruce. For. in some
way a few things leaked out, and
while his friends have chung to him
with the greatest loyalty, there are
others who have always looked upon
him with more or less suspicion since
the night of the robbery. And |
know that the consciousness Of this is
a cloud that forever hovers upon the
horizon OF their otherwise bright
lives, and it is, therefore, my moral
duty to dispel it. AS for myself, it
makes little difference if the truth is
now known, as none of my former &C
quaintances know where | am and L
shall never return to my old home.
Nor do l ask forgiveness or make
apology beyond this statement. / was
not thief by nature and am thor
oughly repentant But | was young
and madly enraptured with the most
beautiful woman / have ever seen, and
took desperate chances to gain her.
And my love for her, though passion
filed, was pure. / wanted her for
my wife AS stole for her, so would
have shaved for her; fought for her;
died for her. Therefore l only ask
that you judge me as you would be
judged had you been in my place.
Caught helplessly in the maelstrom OF
love and gaming, went down in the
vortex.
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-03-01
CHAPTER XVII.

There is little more to tell. In the
few following days I managed to
scrape enough together to take me to
the foreign country where / am now
beginning life over, and have prob
ably weathered the storm as we'll as
could reasonably be expected. But Of
course | will never again feel just as
l used to, and l don't believe that |
will ever fall in love with another
woman. In a business way I have
done fairly well, having worked con-
scientiousIy for the last three years,
and being once more on the road to
moderate success. | have never seen
or heard from Mrs. Dace since the
time / left her shopping in the store
upon the day when l stepped from
paradise into hell at a single stride.
She is probably floating down the
Nile or yachting on the Mediterranean
with Richard Mackay; enjoying her
self to a greater or less extent, and
I have no doubt thinking quite often
of me. The thought OF 1t still gnaWs me
r,ost of the time, but of one thing L
am confident to this day. And that
is that she was really very fond OF
me and would, as she herself said.
have preferred to spend her life with
me rather than anybody else had
possessed sufficient money. There
fore she wanted me to succeed and
encouraged me to desperate chances,
knowing as l myself did that 1t was
the only chance of achieving fortune
nrickly: she not being one OF the
kind that is content to wait for what
nossessed sufficient money Had won.
7 have no doubt that she would have
married me and that we would have
been happy had the money lasted. ana
also believe that she was upon the
verge of conserving to cur Immediate
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-03-01
SYNOPSIS.

Abner. Halliday, misery millionaire,
Is found gagged, bound and insensible In
his room his safe rified and $4,000 miss
ing. The thread of the story is taken up
10y his nephew Tom. Living in the same
house are other relatives; reckless Bruce
Hall1dsy and pretty Glare Winton. Bruce.
VINO is a bond broker, has been trying to
raise $4,000 to put through a deal and
save himself from financial ruin. He has
applied to his misery uncle and to others
Tor the loan but has been refused. Tom
sends for William -LeDuc, an old-time
friend connected with detective agency.
In relating the story Tom reverts to his
acquaintance with Mrs. Dace. wealthy
widow, whose business agent Is Richard
tMackay, a boodler and political boss.
Tom is Jealous of Mackay and is deeply
I'm love with Mrs. Dace. Bruce Halliday
Tom sees Mrs Dace and Mackay togeth-
er He afterwards meets the woman at
"a horse race, and, happening to mention
that Bruce had tip on the winner, she
gives him $500 to place on the race. The
tip goes wrong and she loses her money.
Later Tom invests in stocks. He makes
some money, and returns the lost $500 to
Mrs. Dace. 1t is at this juncture that the
theft of the $4,000 from old Abner HALL
day occurs. LIE Due meets Glare and
Bruce.. He learns that the key which
ESay's dealings with Mrs. Dace make Tom
more Jealous. The detective intimates
suspicion against Bruce Halliday as the
thief. This Glare Winton Indignantly re-
pudiates. Mrs. Dace accepts Tom as her
fiance, and encourages him to invest in
certain stocks. Tom has a row with
Mackay and the latter threatens revenge.
The detective announces that he has dis
covered important clews as to the thief
IT looks as If Mackay had got hold of
Toms key to the Halliday home and
Knight have been the burglar. Tom sud-
denly finds himself financially ruined. He
learns that Mackay had so manipulated
the stocks that he lost everything. The
detective calls Tom to a conference and
announces he has discovered the person
pday. Tom asks the name of the culprt.
Sternly and emphatically lie Due declares
that 1t is himself.
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-03-01
THE END.
Extcnuating Circumstance.

Ted was an excitable youngster. and
tc adequately express his feelings had
acquired the use of words forceful. but
improper In fit of temper one day
he used some of his most violent
terms to his mother. She said moth
ing. but Ted knew well the signs of
preparation for a just rebuke. corpor-
eally administered. He said. Il know
you are going to whip me. but before
you begin remember said it in very
pleasant tone of voice"
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-03-01

Jour previous climb. told you at the
time that l expected to get the proof
from one who would not suspect that
he had furnished it until denounced
him, and | guess l was correct.
don't believe it entered your head
that you were making the evidence as
you went along by which could
send you to the penitentiary. Neither
did you suspect that / meant you
when I told you If l ever unraveled
the knot it would be because of the
assistance and clues you had given
me. Incidentally / might say that
the office we burglarized belonged to
a friend of mine who loaned it to me
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-03-01

ton, leaving 1t locked" LeDuc looked
at me with a frown.
THAT was a thing l never did
puzzle out to my own satisfaction:
yet 1t was the simplest thing of all.
When I think how rudimental it is.
it makes me disgcsted with myself
to think that l didn't solve it. All
of which goes to show what blunder-
ers we all are when we think we are
doing something extremely clever.
Another thing along that line which
| should like to know is this. Did
you put that half burned cigarette
where l found it in the hall?"
Il did not; l know nothing about 1t. ("
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-03-01

for the purpose. had you jamb your
thumb against the ball Of soft putty
and got an excellent impression OF It,,
which l have had experts compare
with the faint lines on the blackened
paper. They assure me that they
were both made by the same thumb"
1t was a good thing that LeDuc
had possessed the foresight to render
me helpless and secure my revolver.
In the frenzy of the moment ! certain
ly would have used it upon one or
both of us. / turned upon him des-
perately. ''Do you think any jury
would believe such evidence as that
and convict me?" demanded huskily
He wrinkled his forehead.
81 am sure l don't know. One can
never tell. Do you want to give
jury the chance?" | made no answer
and we sat in silence, the GOODNESS of
death upon me, my companion I'M
moving, but lynx eyed. Then once
more he addressed me, and through
his tones ran the old familiar friend
illness of days long gone by.
II know that you are not a Grim
inal at heart, Tom. l am sorry, very
sorry for all this, and l should regret
very much to see you go to the peni-
tertiary. But If you wish me to as
sist you, you must make a clean
breast of the affair Have you any
of your uncle's money left?" I could
only groan. Despairing and helpless
1 threw myself upon his mercy.
mo. I used it for further specula-
time. l was way ahead of the game
until today, but now l am wiped out
completely. l am penniless and in
debt. 1 can repay absolutely nothing
can offer no compromise. You will
have to do as you please with me-"
LeDuc whistled.
Il wondered If you had got bitten
today for the second time when |
read that Underground had blown up.
So that ends my prospects of getting
any fees for a lot of hard work" He
looked quite dOwncast for a space,
then frightened up and continued
more cheerfully.
But really that does not matter
so much after all, for I can worry
along without it. If I could only have
friend had done this thing I would
not be dissatisfied with my job. But
there is a thing or two which | don't
understand. l don't believe you had
a duplicate key, for l don't believe
you ever contemplated such an act
until you were driven desperate by
the calamity. / have gone upon the
assumption that you quarreled with
your uncle the day before the robbery
on purpose that you might have an
excuse for throwing down the key and
absenting yourself from the house
during the night. That being the
case, how did you enter?"
when l left the house after the
quarrel I threw the catch which pre-
vents the door from locking. Of
course it would snap shut as usual,
but could then be opened from the
outside by the knob. I had no idea
that any one would think of looking
to see that the door locked itself
when it was shut on that day any
more than any other, and of course
no one did l was therefore enabled to
come in without a key, and when 1
went out after replacing the tools,
and with the money in my pockets,
restored the door to it's usual condi-
Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-03-01
Wisdom of Father.

Pretty Daughter-But / can't under.
stand why you object to Clarence.
father Isn't it better to dwell In a
cottage with the man l love than to
dwell in a palace with one / hate?
Wise Father-Certainly. my dear;
but Clarence hasn't the cottage.
Charlevoix county herald., 1912-01-06
CHAPTER V.-Continued.

Galorey nodded. THAT is just why
| toddled in TO see you!"
Ruggles' caller had been shown to
the sitting room, where he and Dan
hobnobbed and smoked during the
Westerner's visit There was a pile
Of papers on the table, in one corner
a typewriter covered by black cloth.
Galorey took a chair and, refusing a
cigarette, lit his pipe.
Il didn't have the pleasure of meet
Ing you in the West when | was out
there with Blair. | knew Dams ia
Their rather we'll"
Ruggles responded: II knew him
rather well, too, for thirty years. If"
he went on, blair hadn't known you
pretty we'll he wouldn't have sent the
boy out to you as he has done. He
was keen on every trail. l might
say that he had been over every one
Of 'em like hound before he set the
boy loose"
Galorey answered. quite So" grave
ly. Il know it. | knew 1t when Dan
turned up at Osdene-" Holding his
pipe bowl in the palm of his slender
hand, he smoked meditatively. He
hadn't thought about things, as he
had been doing lately, for many years.
His sense of honor was the strongest
thing in Gordon Galorey, the only
thing in him. perhaps, that had been
left unsmirched by the touch of the
world. He was unquestionably gen.
tleman.
blair, however" he said, wasn't
as keen on this scent as you'd expect.
His intuition was wrong"
Ruggles raised his eyebrows slight
iy.
II mean to say" Lord Galorey went
on, that he knew me in the West
when | had cut loose for few blessed
months from just these things into
which he has sent his boy-from
what, If | had a son, God knows I'D
throw him as far as | could"
Blair wanted Dan to see the
world"
"Of course, that is right enough
We all have to see 1t, fancy, but this
boy isn't ready to look at it."
He is twenty-five" Ruggles re-
turned. when / was his age | was
supporting four people"
Galorey went on: "Osdene Park at
present isn't the window for Blairs
boy to see life through, and that is
what | have come up to London to
talk to you about, Mr.. Ruggles.
should like to have you take him
away"
Whats Dan been up to down
there?"
Nothing as yet, but he is in the
Charlevoix county herald., 1912-01-06

tween his great fingers. He was .
slow thinker. He had none OF old
Blairs keenness. but ne had other
qualities. Galorey saw that he had
not been quite understood. and ne
waited and then said:
Lady Galorey is like the rest OF
modern wives. and am like lot OF
modern husbands. We each go our
own way My way is worthless one.
God knows | don't stand up for 1t. but
it is not my wife's way in any sense
of the word"
Does she want Dan TO go along on
her road?" Ruggles asked. And how
far?"
I'VE are financially strapped just
now." said Galorey calmly, land she
has got money from the boy" He
didn't remove his pipe from his
mouth; still holding it between his
teeth he put his hand in his pocket,
took out his wallet. drew forth four
checks and laid them down before
Ruggles. 1T is quite a sum-" Gal
ORGY noted, sufficient to do lot to
Osdene Park in the way of needed re-
pairs" Ruggles had never seen a
smile such as curved his companion's
lips. "But Osdene Park will have to
be repaired by money from some 9th,
er source"
Ruggles wondered how the hus-
band had got hold OF the checks, but
l. Ix~tk L h. Il l. ~
the papers.
when Dan came to the Park" said
Galorey, II stopped bridge playing
but this more than takes it's place!"
Ruggles' big hand went slowly to-
ward the checks; he touched them
with his fingers and said: rs Dan
in love with your wife?"
And Lord Galorey laughed and said:
Lord no. my dear man. not even
Charlevoix county herald., 1912-01-06

that boy-I don't know where you've
kept him or how you kept him as be
is, but he is as--clear as water.
have talked to him and know"
Nothing in Ruggles expression had
changed until now. His eyes glowed.
Dams all right" he said softly.
Don't you worry! He's all right.
guess his father knew what he was
doing. and I'll bet the whole thing was
just what he sent him over here for!
Old Dan Blair wasn't worth a cop
per when the boy was born. and yet
he had ideas about everything and he
seemed to know more in that old gray
head of his than whole library OF
books. Dams all right"
MY dear man." said the noble
man. that is just where you Ameri-
cans are wrong. You comfort your
self with your eternal Dams all right.
and you won't see the truth. You
won't breathe the word scandal and
yet you are thick enough in them. God
knows You won't admit them, but
they are there. Now be honest and
look at the truth, VIII you! YOU are d
man of common sense. Dan Blair is
not all right. He is in an Internally
dangerous position. The Duchess OF
Breakwater will marry him. 1t is
what she has wanted to do for years.
but she has not found a man rich
enough, and she will marry this boy
offhand."
We'll" said the Westerner slowly.
"if he loves her and IL he marries
her"
"Marries her!" exclaimed the noble
man. There you are again! Do you
think marriage makes 1t any better!
Why, If she went off to the Continent
with him for six weeks and then set
him free, that would be preferable
to marrying her. My dear man." he
Charlevoix county herald., 1912-01-06
agautIlsasIls| 8 s5sa 5ss t5E a7Es
GOT THE LETTERS MIXED
clergyman's Mistake Resulted in Civ.
ing Decided Surprise to Dieni-
fled Archbishop.

One of the most amusing stories
which the Hon. Lionel A. Tollemache
tells in Nuts and Chestnuts," is that
entitled, "The Wrong Envelope" Mr..
M, a missionary, shortly before
leaving England, received two letters
one from Archbishop TAFT asking him
to dine, and the other from the secre-
tary of religious society, very old
friend, asking him to preach. He ac-
cepted the archbishop's invitation,
and at the same time wrote to the
secretary, but put the letters into the
wrong envelopes.
After the dinner at Lambeth tae
archbishop said to him: "Mr. M.
do you always answer your dinner in
vitations in the same way?"
81 do not understand, your grace"
The letter, which was then shown to
the missionary, ran thus: "You old
rascal. Why did you not ask me be-
fore? You know perfectly well that
| shall be on the high seas on the date
you name."-London Tit-Bits.
Charlevoix county herald., 1912-01-06

said, leaning over the table where
Ruggles sat, "if had a boy would
rather have him marry Lefty Lane OF
the Gaiety. Now you know what |
mean"
Ruggles' face, which had hardened.
relaxed.
Il have seen that lady," he ex-
claimed with satisfaction; II have
seen her several times"
Galorey sank back into his chair
and neither man spoke for few Sec
onds. Turning it all over in his slow
mind, Ruggles remembered Dams alb
sorption in the last few days. 80
there are three women In the nest"
he concluded thoughtfully, and Gordon
Galorey repeated:
mo. not three. What do you
mean?"
Your wife"-Ruggles held up one
finger and Galorey interrupted him to
| murmur:
'I'll take care of Edith"
The Duchess of Breakwater you
| think won't talk of money!"
mo, don't count on it. She Is aim
ing at ten million pounds"
Ruggles was holding up his second
| finger.
well, guess Dan has gone out to
take care of her today"
Dan and Ruggles had seen "Manda-
lay from a box. from the pit and from
the stalls. On the table lay book
of the opera. While talking with
Galorey, Ruggles had uncorsciously
arranged the checks on top of the IL
bretto of "Mandalay."
III take care of Miss Lane" Rug
giles said at length.
His lordship echoed. Miss Lane?"
and looked UP in surprise. What Miss
Lane, for Gods sake"
Miss Letty Lane at the Gaiety,"
Ruggles answered.
why, she isn't in the question, my
dear man."
"You put her there just now your
SELF"
"Bosh!" Galorey exclaimed impa-
tiently, II spoke of her as being the
limit, the last thing on the line"
mo-" corrected the other, you put
the Duchess of Breakwater as the
limit"
Galorey smiled frankly. you are
right, my dear chap" he accepted,
"and stand by It,"
CTo BE coNTINUEDJ
Charlevoix county herald., 1912-01-06
Mot for Earthly Ears.

Doctor Reed, minister, was OPEN
ing the Sunday morning service at
his church with the usual prayer.
While he was in the midst of it a
stranger entered the church and took
a seat far back.
Doctor Reed was praying in low
note, and the man in the rear. after
straining his ears for while. called
out: Pray louder Doctor Reed. I
can't hear you"
Doctor Reed paused, opened his
eyes and turned them around until
they rested on the man in the rear.
Then he said: 81 was not addressing
you, sir; was speaking to Cod
London Watchdog.