The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-01-13

tner6.- just as the time tnat lrWln
! 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 It 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 seniog part
ner was more than usually cordial to
Stone, was in fact almost feverishly
eloquent in his anxiety to make
good impression.
Lets see IL we can find a 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 1t 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.
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"
''Well and weren't you?" Clay re-
turned with all the solemn gravity of
| man well III MS cups.
"I 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've
got you right-confessio yop know. "
Stone started as If struck. And as
he gazed at the swaying, pitiful figure
before hims he realized that his worst
fears had been well founded.
He made another effort to question
the drunken man but was only an.
swered by foolish laugh. He had
done his work too well. In an effort
to loosen Clay's tongue he had urged
too much wine upon him and the eff.
feet was as unsatisfactory as If 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. I hid
1t in little wife's jewel safe. Clay's NO
fool-Clay's no foo" The sentence
died away into deep long snore
Clay was asleep, standing up.
Stone stared searchingly at the va
cant features Of the man before him
for 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, haC
come upon them in the lonely den.
"You thief" Irwin repeated. "First
you fill man with drink and ther
you rob him"
"You know better than anybody
that Clay requires no help when i
comes to drinking" sneered the at
torney.
Irwin answered with an oath ant
there was struggle as the youngel
man broke away from him. Leapint
, back with. an agility remarkable il
, a man who had so little outdoor train
ing, Stone seized one of the empt!
, bottles and raising it, rushed at irwin
as If to brain him. Quick as his op
{ ponent had been, Irwin was quickeI
and his silver-plated revolver spok'
/ before Stone had covered half the dis
/ tance between them. With crasl
? the upraised bottle thundered to tht
floor and Stone, smothering an oath
, grasped his wounded right hand will
: his left. Clay slowly sank, an iner
: mass across, the table. And then
e was that the curtain was violentl.
pulled aside, and then 1t was that tn
3 Mortified and startled dancers at Mrs
: Van Lind's ball gazed in spellbount
l wonder at the unfinished tragedy tina
5 was to mean ruin to so many lives
1t was the beginning of the end.
: v.
? Twas the day after the Van Linds
/ ball.
r Stone had left this dance immediate
1 ly after the startling scene In the der
8 and had spent the time until dayligh
a with a party of his gay companions
l. And now, looking fit and debonnaire
despite his revels of the night before
he was calling on Mrs Blake
She could not hide the infatuatio
d she felt for him, and solicitously sh
d examined his bandaged hand.
2 "It's a mere scratch" he lightly as
!. sured her, and adroitly he turned tn
f conversation to Mrs. Clay and he
l. losses.
e "You still have the I. o. U. she CAV
e you?" he asked. 4
She showed it to him.
J. "You must go to her," he said, "an
d demand payment"
S "But this is Sunday, Horace. Ant
S besides, she has no money"
n | CnliniAn,1rl,r hn lnnnnd tnnr,a r.dn hn