Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-01-19

there. Just as the time that Irwin
and Clay determined that they would
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. SO that he could
attend and pump Clay.
And thus 1t was that they met in
surroundings so foreign to business
and intrigue and crime-thus it was
that they met beneath the entwined
flags of many nations, and mumbled
commonplaces to the tune of modern
dance music.
"A partner claimed Irwin and laugh.
ingly carried him of. Clay, true to
his arrangement with his senior part
ner, was more than usually cordial to
Stone, was In fact almost feverishly
eloquent in his anxiety to make .
good impression
Lets see If we can find 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
insly assented They found den and
sent servant for wine.
And now perhaps It would be best
to draw the curtain over the scene
that followed: would be best If 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 nostrils OF the
hungry tiger. And in Stone he had a
companion who played upon that
weakness. " 49,
"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" 'E"''. g.
well and weren't you" Clay re.
turned with all the solemn gravity Of
4 man we'll In his cups
II never robbed a man in my life"
This latter from Stone, quick and
sharp like the crack Of whip.
"Shorry old man. shorty to doubt
what you shay. but we got you--we
got you right-confession you know"
Stone started as II struck. And as
he gazed at the swaying. pitifu' figure
before him. he realized that lis worst
fears had been we'll founded.
He made another effort to question
the drunken man but was only an.
swered by 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 II 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. hid
it In little wifes 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.
cant features OF the man before him
for a moment and then started to re.
place the papers in his pocket. !.
you thief" a.sr ..... S."
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
you fill a man with drink and then
you rob him.
"You know better than anybody
that Clay requires no help when 1t
comes to drinking" sneered the at.
torney. 90,
Irwin answered with All oath and
there was struggle as the younger
man broke away from him. Leaping
back with an agility remarkable in
man who had 90 little outdoor train.
ing. Stone seized one Of the empty
bottles and raising It, rushed at Irwin
as II to brain him. Quick as his op.
ponent had been. Irwin was quicker
and his silver-plated revolver. spoke
before Stone had covered half the dis
lance between them. With crash
the appraised bottle Numbered to the
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 Il
was that the curtain was violently
pulled aside. and then It was that the
Mortified and startled dancers at Mrs.
Van Lind's ball gazed in spellbound
wonder at the unfinished tragedy that
was to mean ruin to 40 many lives.
II was the beginning Of the end.
.r.. v.
Twas the day after the Van Linds'
ball.
Stone had left this dance immediate.
~ after the startling scene In the den.
and had spent the time until daylight
with . party of his gay companions.
And now. looking At and debonnaire.
despite his revels Of the night before,
he was calling on Mrs. Blake.
| She could not hide the infatuation
she felt for him. and solicitously she
examined his bandaged hand.
"lt's . mere scratch he lightly 40.
s~,>d hay and airojtJv he turned the