Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1917-01-03

pinnacle, he had demonstrated truly
that men might rise from their dead
selves to better things"
There was tap at his office door
and he said: "Come in," and a man
passed through the unlit reception
room and confronted him. Somehow,
a glance at his shrcwd sinister face
caused Morrison to experience a Ger.
tain uneasiness His visitor remind
ed him of some dark forbidding raven.
A nameless chill struck his heart. The
impression deepened as the stranger
extended card. It read: "Abner
Doylan, Attorney at Law, Creston."
Creston! Two thousand miles away,
yet menace. Creston, from which
remote city he had fled as from
pestilence. Creston, the abiding place
of his faith, hope and love, and later
the sepulcher of all his fondest
dreams!
In an instant Waldron Morrison COM
pretended this mans mission. He
Strengthened up, his lips set grim. He
waved the man to a chair.
"You have come long way to see
me?" he observed steadily
"You are familiar with the city, Mr..
Morrison?" insinuated his visitor.
eyes, once lived there"
That admission made, I can treat
with you plainly, observed the other.
There were some discriminating pa
pers left behind by you at Creston."
II know all about them, proceed"
directed Morrison in harsh dry tone.
"They have come into my possess
sion,' went on the unblushing knave.
Published at the present moment
here, they would blast your hopes of
Office and possibly force second
hegira."
"Blackmail, eh?' propounded Nor.
rison with brutal frankness.
Call it that, if you choose" was the
bold response
"You scoundrel!'
II am used to that" scoffed the
lawyer. It's plain, dead-open-and-
shut case. Here are the papers" and
he produced a sealed envelope. IT'S
either you or your political opponent.
He'll pay we'll. My price to you is
five thousand dollars"
Return those papers, which you
have stolen, or will shoot you dead
where you sit!"
Like bolt from blue sky the
words were spoken. An unsupported
intruder stood in the doorway
woman. There was tragedy in her
face, menace deadly and inevitable in
her dainty white hand, which clasped
cleaning revolver directed squarely
at the heart Of the blackmailer.
The lawyer sat like one thunder
struck. He arose to his feet trembling
all over His hand extended the pack
age as he shrank from the CLEAN Of
angry eyes and the threatening
weapon.
Go, you serpent!' spoke the wom-
an and he skunk from the room. The
woman sank to the seat he had aban-
doned, she faced the wondering,
wrought-up Waldron Morrison. She
placed the envelope before him.
His eyes were fixed on the glorious
! ly beautiful face. Innate strength and
| force of character, perchance suffer
ing had lined it about the eyes and
lips, but she was radiant creature
even now.
! II have tracked that scoundrel who
stole those papers from my dead IA
ther,''' she said, her voice steeled to
repress the slightest throb of emotion.
HE was my fathers lawyer. He
found the papers. Oh, cruel! cruel!
Never, until my father was dying, did
he tell me that you assumed the
J place Of my dead brother as a Grim
lnal, and"
She broke down. He arose and
placed loving tender hand upon her
bowed head.
"And now?" he softly intimated.
ooh, take me back! take me back!'
she pleaded, and his arms and his
heart were open for a resting place
for that poor. bruised spirit.