The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-01-06

She could not fOrbear q smile.
every well, sir" she replied.
Neddy Jerome produced a pencil and
card. please write your name on this
card" he pleaded, land I'll telegraph
what | want to say to you. There'l
be a man coming through this car In
a minute, and | don't want him to see
me here. Please trust me, young
lady"
The young lady did not trust him,
however, although she wrote on the
card. Jerome thanked her and fled
as fast as his fat Old legs could car
ry him. Under the station arc he
read the card.
"Ienrietta wilkins he murmured.
by the gods, one would never sus-
pect a name like that belonged to a
face like that. BY lingo, it would be
strange if that mailman persuaded her
to marry him. | hope he does. If
I'm any judge # character, Jack Web
ster won't be cruel enough to chain
that vision 70 Sobrante; and besides,
she's liable TO make him decide who's
most popular with him-Henrietta or
Billy Geary. IF she does, I'll play
Geary to lose. Wen! Needs must
when the devil drives" And he en-
tered the station telegraph Office and
commenced To write.
An hour later Miss Dolores Ruey,
alias Henrietta Wilkins, was handed
this remarkably verbose and truly
candid telegram:
Miss Henrietta wilkins, Lower 8,
Car Q, on board train a.
"Do YOU recall the bewhiskered,
ragged individual YOU met on the S.
r.. L. A. & S. l.. train in Death val
ley ten days ago? He lifted his hat
to you tonight, and you almost killed
him with a look. II did not occur to
him that you would uOt recognize him
disguised as a gentleman, ana he lift
ed his hat on impulse. DO not hold 1t
against him. The sight of you again
set his reason lettering on its throne,
and he told me his sad story.
This man, John Stuart Webster, is
wealthy, single, forty, fine and crazy
as a March hare. He is in love with
YOU. You might do worse tina fall in
love with him. He is the best mining
engineer in the world, and he is now
aboard the same train with you, en-
route TO New Orleans, thence to take
the steamer to Buenaventura, Sobran-
te, c. A., where he is to meet another
lunatic and finance a hole in the
ground. ! do not want him to go to
S~Obrante. If you marry him, he will
not. If you do not marry him, you
still might arrange to make him listen
to reason. IF you can induce him to
come to work for me within the next
90 days, whether you marry him or
not, | will give you $1,000 the day he
reports on the job. Please bear In
mind that he does not know | am do
ing this. If he did. he would kill me,
but business is business, and his is q
plain business proposition. I am put
ting you wise, so you will know your
power and can exercise It if you care
to earn the money. If not, please for
get about it. At any rate, please do
me the favor to communicate with me
on the subject. if at all interested.
Edward p. Jerome, President Colo
RADIO Consolidated Mines, Ltd, Care
Engineers Club"
The girl read and reread this tele-
gram several times, and presently a
slow little smile commenced to creep
around the corners of her adorable
mouth.
81 believe that amazing old gentle
man is absolutely dependable" was
the decision at which she ultimately
arrived, and calling for a telegraph
blank, she wired the old schemer:
Five thousand not enough money.
Make it $4,000 and I will guarantee
to deliver the man within 90 days. I
stay on this train to New Orleans.
"HENRIETTA."
That telegram arrived at the Engi-
neers' club about midnight. and pur-
suant to instructions, the night bar
keeper read it and 'phoned the CON
tents to Neddy Jerome, who prompt
ly t%elephoned his reply to the tele-
graph Office, and then sat on the edge
Of his bed, scratching his toes and
meditating.
That's a remarkable young WON
an" he decided, land business to her
finger tips. Well, I've done my part,
and it's now up to Jack Webster to
protect himself in the clinches and
breakawayS.'
About daylight a black hand passed
Neddy Jerome's reply through the
berth curtains to Dolores Ruey. She
read:
accept. When you deliver the
goods, communicate with me and get
your money.
"JEROME."
She Snuggled back among the pill
lows and considered the various as
poets of this amazing contract which
she had undertaken with n perfect
stranger. Hour after hour she lay
there, thinking over this prepoSterous
situation, and the more she weighed
- tbN p,Drn inFarn=tinn opJ at-r,.-iy-n