The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1913-05-08

SAn4&n-
pe- IN Instant the Body swaysd.
come ont. BY some miracle NOBODY
seems to have heard. II the luck holds
We may be able to keep It quiet" Hv
looked at Murchel
But great change seemed to have
come over the politician during the
ncking hour. His face was ashen; he
locked old as be never had before.
An the frm self reliance. the habit Of
domination. Justified through 30 many
crises. seemed to have broken down In
the presence Of sudden. violent death.
He shook his head In a hopeless mega
I've.
There's no use trying" he said wea
riIy. III you 20 ahead With this investi
cation" He turned to John Its for
you to decide. II this Is kept quiet and
you don't go on can save the bank
msybe But II you do 80 on there'll be
Q great scandal and | can do nothing
And-you've got to understand the sit
uation you'll have to prosecute Hamp
den here
John did not answer He was star
ing at the face of Warren Blake
Haig morpeti his forehead again.
Lets get ont of here" he muttered
nervously. III | stay much longer with
-that-rll Ike a gibiering idiot"
He took the dead cashiers keys
from the desk. turned out the light
and went to the door. The others
followed
They forgot to close the vault But
It was well guarded.
New Chelsea had been long asleep.
the streets emwied. when Haig and
Aurchell.. accompanied ~ the doctor
and undertaken stockholders In the
bank and frightened into secrecy
drove a roundabout course BY side
streets and alleys to the rear door
of the bank. Like thieves. they entered
and carried what lay there out to the
carriage. Then they drove away. pray
ing that no nntimeiy passerby had
CHANGED 10 observe them.
But the luck held.
Later still. with another picture-a
little. faded old woman become In an
instant fooIishly smiling child burnt
into their memories. Haig and Muir
chell emerged from the home Of War.
ren Blake. Hnig stopped. looking up.
II wonder what John Dunmende In
going through just now? can see
the end. The good have no lnck
There's curse on the man responsible
for this night. Old man. do you say
amen? You and will have to discuss
the matter Of payment"
He caught the other by the sIloul.
ders, peered closely into his face and,
laughing hnrshly. turned away.
Through night that seemed endless
Q man fought battle old as sin itself
He had sought the solitude Of the fields
In blind. vain wish to escape the
issue and the thing TINT fllled his eyes.
He had come 50 near to greatness
And now. mt an hour when he seemed
most to need Stimuiu. and support, ne
was brought face tn face with the
temptation to desert II was one thing
II q moment Of disbursement to cry.
a. be had cried to himself. II have
come to the end" II was far different
when opportunity had come to revive
q sinking cause to stay his hand. He
knew he had but to reach out to dis.
close. not an Excaibur rising out Of
tho waters to lend iDvincibility to
him who would WELD It. but 4 new
prod for calloused people, one fact
the more to add to the knowledge.
whose cumulative power In the end
would-mustLcarry the people for
ward, upward.
1t was Hampden. katherine and
John Dunmeade against the people.
And what did he owe the people, the
calloused fools whose knowledge, if
not complete. was yet full enough to
show them whittier they were going
and whittier they mus, turn, but who
Hudged contentedly on. Indifferent to
oil but the present profit, thinking
only Of self. repudinting and steering
ut those who offered honest service
and counsel? The balance was all
against them and in his favor. Lei
some one else now take up the task
% which John Dunmeade had been
unequal!
He saw Stephen Hampden covering.
suddenly broken. fear palsied man.
before the death agony. looking with
Q kind Of wistfulness on the dying
mans face. as though In Warren
Blake's example he saw way out Of
the tangle. A troop Of miserable, pitt
able figures marched before him-Slay.
ton. Brown. Parsons. Sheehan. Blake
men whom he had punished. whose
lives he had shnttered or taken ID his
crusade-to what end? Their places