The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1920-11-15
An O.HenryStory
Bexar Scrip No. 1862



widow and her son of property soon
10 be of great value. which, IL not
legally theirs. was theirs certainty
-by every claim OF Justice.
But he had gone too far to hes
itate.
His own survey WAS in the patent
room for patenting. His own title
was about to be perfected by the
States own hand
The certificate must be destroyed.
He leaned his head on his hands
for a moment, and as he did so
sound behind him caused his heart
10 leap with guilty fear, but be-
fore he could rise, hand came
over his shoulder and srasped the
file.
s He rose quickly, as white as pa
per. rafting his chair loudly on
the stone floor.
p The boy who had spoken to him
earlier stood contemplating him
with contemptuous and flashing
Z eyes. and quietly placed the ME
in the left breast pocket Of his coat.
so. Mr.. Sharp. by nature as well
"a by name" he said. "it seems that
was right in waiting behind the
door in order 10 see you safely out
You VII appreciate the pleasure l
feel in having done so when L ten
YOU my name is Harris Ny mother
owns the land on which you have
filed, and il there is any Justice IN
Texas she will hold il. j am not
certain. but I think ! saw you place
a paper in this file this afternoon
and it is barely possible that II may
be OF value To me. Anyway, shaii
keep it until tomorrow and let the
commissioner decide.
Far back among Mr.. Sharp's an
cestors there have have been some
OF tho old berscrker blood, Tor MS
caution. his presence OF mlnd leiI
him.. and left him possessed OF
blind. dcveIish unreasoning rage that
showed itself in a moment IN the
white glitter OF his eye.
Give me that file boy, he SAID
thickly. holding out his hand. =,
81 am no such fool, Mr.. SHARP
said the youth. This file shall De
laid before the commissioners to-
morrow for examination. II he finds
-Helpi Help
SharD was upon him like tiger
and bore him to the floor. The boy
was strong and vigorous. but the
audiences of the attack gave MIN
40 chance to resist. He struggled
nm again TO his feet. but ii was an
animal. with blazing eyes and cruel
looking teeth that fought him, IN
stead of a man.
Mr. Sharp, a man Of high stand
ing and good report, was batting
for his reputation.
Presently there was 4 dull SOUND.
and another. and still one more ana
4 blade flashing white and then RED
h. and Edward Harris dropped down
ike some stuffed effigy of a man
hat boys make for sport, with MS
limbs all crunrpled and lax, on the
stone floor Of the Land ONCE.
The old Waterman was deaf, and
heard nothing.
The little dog barked at the foot
If the stairs until his master made
aim come into his room.
r sharp stood there for several min
ates holding in his hand his bloody
clasp knife. listening to the cooling
uSf the pigeons on the roof, and the
.oud ticking of the clock above the
-eceiyer's desk.
A map rustled on the wall and his
blood turned to ice: a rat ran across
some strewn papers, and his scalr
.orickIed. and he could scarcely
noisten his dry lips with his tongue
Between the file room and the
e. iraftsman's room there Is a door
hat opens on a small dark spiral
stairway that winds from the lower
loor to the ceiling at the top Of the
louse
- This stairway was not used then
nor is it now.
II Is unnecessary. inconvenient
Iusty. and dark as night, and was &
5lunder of the architect who de-
iigned the building.
This stairway ends above at the
ent-shaped space between the ROOT
ind the jo:sts.
- That space is dark and forbidding
md being useless is rarely visited.
Sharp opened this door and gazeS
or a moment up this narrow cob
Febbed stairway.
After dark that night a mai