Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-01-12

who knew Oh thi0 ..,,lor
amount being there at TINS pa 49,
! timer" oxcent
mo one as far as I know eAoeps
Uncle Abner, of course, my cousin
Bruce Halliday. and mysen. ~
Abner saws he did not tell MRS. !0o
bots she denies all knowledge Oh !.
and | am inclined to believe tha' '''
settles that. ,,,-d
..Tt would so seem. And what KIM
of a man does Bruce happen 10 De.
| T hesitated. endeavoring to choose my
words with circumspection before an
swering a question which empraceu
so many qualifying and modllyins
| phases. go
well, that is hard questlon 70
answer off-hand. He is a compieA
proposition. you know-a sort OF
paradox. You should know him THOR
oughly before passing judgment. But
| comprehensively I should say that ne
is genial. generous, outspoken ana IN
| clined to be reckless along certain
lines But | never knew him to even
contemplate doing dishonest thlh5
and | don't believe that he ever ala.
| The only two things that | ever knew
| him to do that might be CRITICIZED
from a high moral standpoint are TO
| occasionally take few hlghballs OF
cocktails and to habitually speculate
on Change He is a broker, you
know, and plays the game himself
like most of the rest of them.
| 1sol
| days." pursued my companion con-
| templatively. l shifted uneasily. lie
was plain that LeDuc was going TO
| dig deep and ask me questions that
would make it necessary for me TO
put Bruce in an unfavorable light, ana
it is not a pleasant task for one to
be compelled to cast suspicion, even
| by inference, upon a lifelong friend,
especially when the friend is OF his
own blood Yet serious crime had
been committed against both society
at large and another Of my kinsmen
! in particular and should | conceal
any essential fact that ] knew and
| LeDuc discover that | had done so, 1t
would put me in the miserable plight
!
to shield some one and thus acted
against him in the recovery of at least
a portion of what had been pilfered
from him. | did not for an instant
believe that Bruce would even con-
| template such an act, even though
standing blindfold against the wall OF
! financial despair yet certainly there
were things which in justice to every
body concerned he should explain;
and while | did not doubt but that he
could do so without difficulty, | dis
liked exceedingly to speak against
him.
LeDuc sat quietly throughout my
mental colloquy, cycling me keenly.
That my hesitancy in answering was
unnOticed / did not for a moment
flatter myself for as well might one
expect the fox to miss a movement OF
he cornered hare. There seems to
be something disagreeable in your
mind Perhaps you had better out
with it" he suggested at length. Re
member that | am asking you, as
| good citizen, to help me in this matter
and am taking you into my confidence.
| therefore expect you to assist me
to the fullest extent of your powers
regardless of whom it may help or
hurt; always bearing in mind that no
innocent man need be afraid. Further
more, you may trust me not to give
any information you may convey to
me any more publicity than the ext
gencies of the case demand. What is
it you are keeping from me now?"
You have asked me as to my
cousins financial condition, and under
my protest and your promise | will
say this" / returned slowly. "He
was in miserable fix through losses
on the exchange and came to Uncle
Abner yesterday for loan. Uncle
Abner only grinned at him, as Bruce
should have had sense enough before
hand to know he would. When l saw
Bruce afterward he was way down on
his luck and fairly desperate. He
knew that uncle had the money in the
house, because he was the one who
called my attention to that fact say
ing to me: My God, | must get hold
of $4,000 some way He then left
me. When / saw him again he APP
peared to have been drinking. | put
him in a carriage to get him out OF
sight and he was driven away, where
don't know, for I have not seen
him since. That is all l know about
that phase of the matter" My com
panion was following my every word
and action with the intentness of a
watching lynx and when | had fin
s:ahed bounced upon my last and quail
flying words instantly.
(TO BE CONTINUED)