Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-09-23

r0r period Of several weeks Chris.
anphsr Poe had enjoyed the let.down
u routine desk work He had resumed
III usual workaday life after rounding
~ . band OF counterfeiters at Coney.
md classifying their histories In vol
zms H" for future reference.
Ono Monday morning as he sat at
hts desk opening mail, chance visit
q dropped In with the alarming news
that mutual friend, Boudinot Riggs.
was dead.
-Boudinot dead?" cried Poe, Jumping
up 70 throw light outer coat over his
thin Office suit, cut Oxford style. Il
mast so there directly"
Poisoned, too, Doctor Robinson
aays- Just met him on the way home to
mako = test OF Boudinot's equity
blood" said the informant, q fellow.
banker.
Christopher Poe waited for nothing
else. Old Boudinot Riggs was distant
relation. = temperamental diiettante,
sort Of fat, grown-up bad boy, who
had inherited fondness for beauty
aMd Incidence. together with some
thing between three and four million
beautiful but not too indolent dollars
which yielded money interest that
B0udinot managed to keep very active,
hemmed In as he was by household
q women, including kindly old de-
S0ndent who nursed him, somewhat
shr0wish sister who despised him, a
young lady secretary who took the
place Of business mans stenograph-
ar. and raft OF interested outsiders.
po0r relations. lady barber. lady
shirtmaker, girl who sold him Gig
arcttes. and q petite French manicure.
Three Of these dependents were
mOst important In his life--Mrs.
Groves. the nurse, because she moth
srcd him, Miss Riggs. his sister. be-
cause she bothered him, and Miss Mig
nan MoQuin, because she manicured
the squat pink nails OF which he was
v0ry proud In consideration of the
varying degrees OF his interest In these
estisnable ladies' Boudinot had made a
VIII, more or less publicly. In which he
laft three million to Miss Mignon Mo-
Quin. q half million to his faithful old
nGrsc. and a thousand dollars each to
Hin cxpectant sister, who had no pri-
waite fortune. his secretary, his cook.
and little scullery maid who pol
ishsd his boots each night and left
thsm before his door each morning.
aftsr the English fashion.
It was this second maid who opened
The door to Christopher Poo that az.
teFnOon Of Boudinot's death. 1t was
Mn. Groves. line nurse. red.eyed and
trembling. who pressed Poe's hand
,nith sincere emotion and led him to
Miss Riggs, who had just been called
hack by the news OF her brothers.
death from Yonkers, where she had
4une on visit that morning.
Poo took the cold hand Miss Riggs
thrust out to him mechanically.
liant there something can dog"
- asked.
mo. everything Is quite all right"
-Rut being Boudinot's friend and
1anksr. I thought"
-As for your being his banker" she
said. throwing up her head abruptly,
~I'U attend to that after this. Perhaps
yOa don't know that Boudinot came to
his sAnsas last night. and changed my
aams for Miss MoQuins In that silly
win OF hist"
MOI. cried Poe In surprise. glanc-
ing at Mrs Groves, whose eyes were
20 big and somber and sad, as though
with concealed story. that Poe asked
sharply, did you know OF this?'
Tho nervous. birdlike little woman
t0oksd straight at Miss Riggs. and said
q . direct. level tone:
N you hadn't slandered Miss Mo-
9utn and--and driven him to 1t, he
wouldn't have done it. This morning
when yeu said YOU wished he was
dead, and slammed the door In his
fAca. ne asked me to take him In his
whcsichair to Miss Moquin, so be
could see II you told the truth last
aAghS!"
Miss Riggs drew up her thin, cordy
mech. and swallowed hard as Mrs
Groves paused before continuing In .
higher key: ~
-Oh, I'm going to speak out now
fvo kept quiet In this hell Of u house
Iuag enough" She trembled with emo
ta0n- Il was the only one that evel
Anok care OF him; saw that his egg.
ware poached, just SO. nursed hin
uh1A his foot was so bad he swore y
everybody: r."
And you're well paid for it," snap
- Miss Riggs in voice that sound
- like slap In the face. He left yo,
Ank > million"
Mrs- Groves face had punched t.
1nkhar In an agonized knit. How cal
y0a talk like that. with him lying Il
tharsl. she cried. 1T isn't money In
1paakiAg Of. though God knows b.
vonl6n't have left me cent X he
lI1lAnsA 50 the things you said. agains
-
Yen iis!" screamed Miss Riggs i
eYamnlOus rage.
41lim Riggs,' put in Poe calml,
tcncAing her softly on the shouldel
~Yoar brother he indicated the a,
3oaning room. This win rest till /;
49,