White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1915-08-01

ana Clay determined tnat tney Wouiu
have to be pleasant to Stone until
Monday morning, and not let him sus-
pect their knowledge. lest he skip
town. Stone had decided that Mrs.
Blake would have to. get him an In
vitation to the ball. 20 that he could
attend and pump Clay.
And thus It was that they met In
surroundings 30 foreign to business
and intrigue and crime-thus It was
that they met beneath the entwined
nagu Of many nations. and mumbled
commonplaces to the tune Of modern
dance music.
A partner claimed Irwin and laugh
fngly carried him Oh. Clay. true to
his arrangement with his senior part
ner. was moro than usually cordial to
Stone. was in fact almost feverishly
eloquent In his anxiety to make .
good Impression.
Lets see II we can ind . drink"
he ventured more from force Of habit
than because he cared to Join the oily
attorney in the cup that cheers.
A momentary CLEAN of satisfaction
showed In Stones eyes As he laugh
ingly assented. They found a den and
sent a servant for wine.
And now perhaps It would be best
to draw the curtain over the scene
that followed: would be best II It
were possible to hide from the reader
the undoing of young Clay-spend-
thrift. bankrupt and disciple of folly.
Wine was to his inherited weakness
much as blood to the n~ostrils of the
hungry tiger. And In Stone he had a
companion who played upon that
weakness.
Too bad about old West" ven
tured Stone.
"Yesh. he'sh dead, poor fellow" hic-
coughed Clay.
Had some peculiar notions" con
tinued Stone. He always thought I
was robbing someone"
We'll and weren't your" Clay re-
turned with all the solemn gravity of
a mar we'll in his cups.
Il never robbed a man in my life"
This latter from Stone. quick and
sharp. like the crack of a whip.
Shorty old man, shorty to doubt
what you shay. but we got you've
got o right-confession you know"
Stone started as IL struck. And as
he gazed at the swaying. pitiful figure
before him. he realized that his worst
fears had been well founded.
He made another effort to question
the drunken mar but was only An
swered by a foolish laugh. He had
done his work too we'll. In an effort
to loosen Clay's tongue he had urged
too much wine upon him and the ef-
feet was as unsatisfactory as IL he
had not had enough. Unable to get
anything further from him he
searched his pockets thinking he
might find the confession.
April fool. 'Fession's home. 1 hid
1t In little wife's jewel safe. Clay's no
fool-Clay's no foo" The sentence
died away into a deep long snore.
Clay was asleep. standing up.
Stone stared ~searchingly at the va
ant features of the man before him
for a moment and then started to re-
place the papers In his pocket.
You thief"
He heard the words and felt the
firm grip on his collar before he
realized that Irwin. anxious about his
partner and searching for him. had
come upon them in the lonely den.
you thief" Irwin repeated. First
x4,. All xutth 1~;-A n-A &h.-
you rob him"
you know better than anybody
that Clay requires no help when it
comes to drinking" sneered the at
torney.
Irwin answered with an oath and
mar broke away from him. Leaping
back with IN agility remarkable in
a man who had so little outdoor train
ing. Stone seized one of the empty
bottles and raising 1t. rushed at Irwin
Is II to brain him. Quick a. his op-
ponent had been. Irwin was quicker
and his s~iiver-plated revolver spoke
before Stone had covered half the dis
lance between them. with q crash
the appraised bottle Numbered to tho
floor and Stone. smothering an oath.
grasped his wounded right hand with
his left. Clay slowly sank, an inert
mass across the table. And then It
was that the curtain wal violently
pulled aside. and then It was that the
Mortified and startled dancers at Mrs.
Van Lnd's ball gazed I'm spellbound
wonder at the unfinished tragedy that
was to mean ruin to 70 many lives.
1t was the beginning of the end.
".
Twas the day after the Van Linds'
ball.
Stone had left this dance immediate
ly after the startling scene in the den.
and had spent the time until daylight
with a party of his gay companions.
And now. looking fit and debonnaire,
despite his reveIs of the night before,