The Snowflake herald., 1922-01-27
CHAPTER xx-continued.

young speculatOr demanded.
''The daughter of my old friend,
Jack Kelso, owes you some money and
want to pay it." said Samson.
"Oh, that is a matter between Miss
Kelso and me-" Mr.. Davis spoke pO-
litely and with smile.
mot exactly-since / knew about
it." Samson answered.
II refuse to discuss her affairs with
you," Davis declared.
81 suppose you mistrust me-" said
Samson. "Well, I've offered to pay
you and I'm going to make it plain to
them that they don't have to worry
any more about the money you loaned
them"
"Very well, l bid you good Dlorn-
ing"
''Don't be in a hurry" Samson an
swered. 81 have a note of five thou
sand dollars against you. 1t is in
dOrsed to me by Henry Brimstead and
! want to collect it."
81 refuse to pay It," Davis promptly
answered.
"Then I shall have to put 1t In the
hands Of a lawyer" said Samson.
"Put it where you like but don't
consume any more of my time"
"But you'll have to hear me say that
/ don't think you're honest"
ST have heard you," Davis answered
calmly.
Samson withdrew and went to the
home of Mrs Kelso. He found her
with Bins boy in her lap-a hand
some little lad, then bit over two
years old-at the house on La Sale
street. Samson told Of the failure Of
Bins letter to reach him and Of his
offer to return the money which Da-
Wis had paid for their relief.
'T don't like the man and l don't
want you to be under obligation to
him." said Samson. '"The story Of
Harry's death was false and think
that he is responsible for 1t. He
wanted her to marry him right away
after that-of course. And she went
to the plague settlement to avoid mar
riage. l know her better than you do.
She has read him right. Her soul has
looked into his soul and it keeps her
away from him."
But Mrs. Kelso could believe no
evil of her benefactor, nor would she
promise to cease depending on his
bounty.
Samson was little disheartened by
the visit. He went to see John Went
worth, The editor of the Democrat, of
whose extreme length Mr.. Lincoln had
huD10rously spoken in his presence
The young New Englander was seven
feet tall. He welcomed the broad
shouldered man from Sangamon coun-
ty and began at once to question him
about Honest Abe and "Steve" Doug
las and o. II. Browning and e. d. Ba-
ker and all the able men of the middle
counties. At the first opportunity
Samson came to the business of his
call-the mischievous lie regarding
Harry's death which had appeared in
the Democrat. Mr.. Wentworth went
to the proofroom and found the manu-
script of the article.
Samson told of the evil 1t had
wrought and conveyed his suspicious
to the editor.
"Davis is rather INSCRIPTIONS" said
Wentworth. "We know a lot about
him in this office"
presently said: "Here Is note that
he gave to a friend of mine. It looks
to me as if the note and the article
were written by the same hand"
Mr.. Wentworth compared the two
and said. "You are right. The same
person wrote them. But 1t was not
Davis"
When Samson left the Office of the
Democrat he had accomplished little
save the confirmation Of his sus-
picions. There was nothing he could
do about 1t.
He went to Eli Fredenberg. "What
has Davis done to you" Samson
asked, recalling where he had met Eli
that morning.
Ell explained that he had borrowed
money from Davis to tide him over the
hard times and was paying II per
cent Tor IL.
"Dis morning get dot letter from
his secretary" he said as he passed
O letter to Samson.
1t was a demand for payment in
the handwriting of the Brimstead note
and had some effect on this little his
tory. 1t conveyed definite knowledge
of the authorship of malicious false
hood. 1t aroused the anger and SYM
patty of Samson Traylor. In the con-
dItions then prevailing Eli was un-
able to get the money. He was in
danger of losing his business. Sam
son spent the day investigating the
affairs of the merchant. His banker
and others spoke well of him. He was
said to be a man of character and
credit embarrassed by the unexpected
scarcity of good money. So it came
about that, before he left the news
city, Samson bought fourth interest
in the business of Eli Fredenberg. The