Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Lexington wheatfield. (Lexington, Or.) 1905-19?? | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 1906)
Between Two fires By ANTHONY HOPE "A wise man will make more opportunities than he findt." Francis Bacon. CHAPTER XX. (Continued.) We had no time to waste in abusing the Colonel; the question was how to outwit him. I unfolded my plan to the Slgnorina, not at all disguising from her the difficulties, and even dangers, attend ant upon it. Whatever may have been her mind before and after, she was at this moment either so overcome with hor fear of the Colonel, or so carried, away by her feeling for me, that she made noth ing of difficulties and laughed at dangers, pointing out that though failure; would be Ignominious, it could not substantially aggravate our present position. "Are you going to take any of the money away with you?" she asked. "No," said I, "I don't think so. It would considerably increase the risk if I were seen hanging about the bank; you know he's got spies all over the place. Besides, what good would it do? I couldn't stick to it, and I'm not inclined to run any more risks merely to save the bank's pocket. The bank hasn't treated me so well as all that. I propose to rely on your bounty till I've time to turn round. Now, shall I come for you?" I asked her when we had arranged the other details. "I think not," she said. "I believe the Colonel has one of my servants In his pay. I can slip out by myself, but I couldn't manage so well if you were with me. The sight of you would excite cu riosity. I will meet you at the bottom of Liberty street." . "At two o'clock In the morning exactly, please. Don't come through the Piazza and Liberty street. Come round by the drive." . (This was a sort of boulevard encircling the town, where the aristocracy was wont to ride and drive.) "Things ought to be pretty bus yabout the bank by then, and no one will notice you. You have a revolver?" "Yes." "All right. Don't hurt anyone if you can help it; but if you do, don't leave him to linger in agony. Now I'm' off," I continued. "I suppose I'd better not come and see you again?" "I'm afraid you mustn't, Jack. You've been here two hours already." "I shall be in my rooms in the after noon. If anything goes wrong, send your carriage down the street and have it stopped at the grocer's. I shall take that for a sign." The Signorina agreed, and we parted tenderly. My last words were : ' . "You'll send that message to Whitting ham at once?" "This moment," she said, as she waved me a kiss from the door of the room. CHAPTER XXI. I was evidently in for another day as nnpleasantly exciting as the one I had spent before the revolution, and I reflect ed sadly that if a man once goes In for things of that kind, it's none so easy to pull up. Luckily, however, I had several things to occupy me, and was not left to fret the day away in Idleness. First I turned my steps to the harbor. As I vent I examined my pockets and found a sum total of nine hundred and fifty dol lars. This was my all, for of late I had mort It wine to carry my fortune on my person. Well, this was enough for the present ; the future must take care of lisclf. So I thought to myself as I went .inns with a light heart, my triumph in love easily outweighing all the troubles mid dangers that beset me. Only land me safe out of Aureataland with the Sig tmrlna hv mv side, and I asked nothing more of fortune ! Let the dead bury their fiend, and the bank look after its dollars ! Thus musing, I came to the boat house where mv launch lay. ?he was a tidy little boat, nnd had the advantage of be ing workable by one man without any difficulty. All I had to arrange was how to embark on her unperceived. I sum- moned the boatman in charge and ones-" tioned him closely about the probable state of the weather. Ho confidently assured me it would be fine but dark. "Very well," said I, "I shall go fishing; start overnight and have a shy at them at sunrise." The man was rather astonished at my unwonted energy, but of course made no object ion. "What time do you start, sir?" he asked. "I want her ready by two," said I. "Leave her at the end of your jetty, ready for me. She'll be all safe there, won't she?" "Oh, yes, sir. Nobody'll be about, ex cept the sentries, and they won't touch her." I privately hoped that not even the sen tries would bo about, but I didn't say so. "Of course, sir, I shall lock the gate. Tou've got your key?" "Yes, all right, anil here you are and much obliged for your trouble." Highly astonished and grateful at re ceiving a large tip for no obvious reason (rather a mistake on my part), the man was profuse In promising to make every arrangement for my comfort. Even when I asked for a few cushions, he dissem bled his scorn and agreed to put them in. "And mind you don't sit up," I said as I left him. . . "I'm not likely to sit up If I'm not obliged," he answered. "Hope you'll have good sport, sir." From the harbor I made my way straight to the Golden House. The Colo nel was rather surprised to see me again so soon, but when I told hlra I came on business, he put his occupations on ene ids and listened to me. I began with some anxiety, for If he suspected my good faith all would be lost. However, I was always a good hand at a He, and the Colonel was not the President. "I've come about that money question," I said. "Well, have you come to your senses?" he asked, with his habitual rudoness. "I can't give you the money," I went : 'I "You sit there and tell mo that? Do you know that If the soldiers don't have money in a few hours, they'll upset me? They're ready to' do It any minute. I don't know now when I give an' order ' whether I shall be obeyed or get a bullet through my head." "Pray be calm," said I. "You didn't let me finish I" "Let you finish t" he cried. "You seem to think jabber does everything. The end of it all is, that either you give me the money, or I take it and if you Interfere, look out !" That Is just what I was going to pro pose, if you hadn't interrupted me," I said quietly, but with Inward exultation, for I saw he was just In the state of mind to walk eagerly Into the trap I was prepar ing for him. "What do you mean?" he asked. I explained to hlin that it was Impossi ble for me to give up the money. My reputation was at stake ; It was my duty to die in defense of that money a duty wnich, I hastened to add, I entertained no Intention of performing. .But, I went on, "although I am bound not to surrender the money, I am not bound to anticipate a forcible seizure of it. In times of disturbance Dartles of ruffians often turn to plunder. Not even the most rigorous precautions can guard against It. Now It would be very possi ble that even to-night a band of such marauders might make an attack on the bank, and carry off all the money In the safe." "Oh!" said the Colonel, "that's the game, Is It ' "That," I replied, "Is the game ; and a very neat game, too, if you play It prop erly." "And what will they say in Europe, when they hear the Provisional govern ment is looting private property?" My dear Colonel, you force me to much explanation. You Will, of course, not appear in the matter." "I should like to be there," he remark ed. "If I weren't, the men mightn't catch the exact drift of the thing." You will be there, of course, but In cognito. Look here, Colonel, It's as plain as two peas. Give out that you're going to reeonnolter the coast and keep an eye on The Songstress. Draw off your com panies from the Piazza on that pretense. Then take fifteen or twenty men you can trust not more, for it's no use asking tnore than you can help, and resistance is out of the question. About two, when ev' erythlng Is quiet, surround the bank. Jones will open when you knock. Don't hurt him, but take him outside and keep him quiet. Go In and take the money Here's the key to the safe. Then, If you like, set fire to the place. "Bravo, my boy !" said the Colonel. "There's stuff in you after all And what are you going to get out of it? I sup pose that's coming next?" As the reader knows, I wasn't going to get anything out of It, except myself and the Signorina. But It wouldn't do to tell the Colonel that ; he would not be lieve In disinterested conduct. So I bar gained with hlra for thirty thousand dol lars, which ho promised so readily that I strongly doubted whether he ever meant to pay It. "Do you think there's any danger of Whlttlnzham making an attack while we're engaged on the job?" The Colonel was, In common parlance eottinir rather warmer than I liked. It was necessary to mislead him. "I don't think so," I replied. "He can't possibly have organized much of a party here yet. There s some diseon tent, no doubt, but not enough for him to rely on." "There's plenty of discontent," said the Colonel. "There won't be In a couple of hours." "Why not?" "Why, because you're going down to the barracks to announce a fresh Install ment of nay to the troops to-morrow morning a handsome installment." "Yes," said he thoughtfully, "that ought to keep them quiet for one night. Fact is, they don't care twopence either for me or Whittingham ; and If they think they'll get more out of me they'll stick to me." "Of course," I assented. Indeed, it wa true enough as long as the President was not on the Rpot; but I thought privately, that the Colonel did not allow enough for his rival's personal Influence and . pres tige, If he once got face to face with the troops. "Yes," the Colonel went on, "I'll do that, and what s more, 1 11 put the peopl in good -humor by sending down orders for a free social In the Piazza to-night. "Delightfully old-fashioned and bare nial," 1 remarked. "I think It's a good Idea. Have a bonfire and make It com plete. I don't suppose Whittingham dreams of any attempt, but It will make the riot even more plausible." "At any rate, they'll all be too Jolly to make trouble," said he. "Well, that's about all, Isn't It?" said I. "I shall be off. I've jot to writs to my directors and ask instructions for the investment of the money." "You'll live to be hanged. Martin," said the Colonel, with evident admiration. "Not by 'you, eh, Colonel? Whatever might have happened If I'd been obsti nate! Hope I shall survive to dance at your wedding anyhow. Less than a week now I" . ,, "Yes," said he, "next Saturday's the day!"' ' ' He really looked quite the happy bride groom as he said, this, and I left him to I contemplate his' bliss. "I would bet ten to one that day never comes," I thought, as I walked away. "Even If I don't will I'll back .the Presi dent to be back before that." I The Colonel's greed had triumphed over his wits, and he had fallen Into my snare , with greater readiness than I could have oped.' The question remained, What ould the . President do. when he got the Signorlna's letter? It may conduce to better understanding of the position If I tell. what that letter was. She gave It me to read over, after we had compiled it together, and I Btlll have my copy. It ran as follows: "I can hardly hope you will trust me again, but if I betrayed you, you drove me to it. I have given them your money; It is in the bank now. M. refuses to give It up, and the C. means to take it to- ight. He will have only a few men, the rest not near. He will be at the bank at two, with about twenty men. Take your own measures. All here favor you. He threatens me with violence unless I marry him at once. He watches The Songstress, but if you can leave her at anchor and land in a boat there will be no suspicion. Do not punish me more by disbelieving me. CHRISTINA. "P. S. M. and the 0. are on bad terms, and M. will not be active against you." Upon the whole I thought this would bring him. I doubted whether he would believe very much in it. but it looked probable. Again, he was so fond of a bold stroke, and so devoid of fear, that it was very l.kely he would come and see if it were true. If, as we suspected, he already had a considerable body of ad herents on shore, he could land and re- connoiter without very great danger of falling into the Colonel's hands. Finally, even If he didn't come, we hoped the let ter would be enough to divert his atten tlon from any thought of fugitive boats and runaway lovers. To my mind It is nearly as difficult to bo consistently solfish as to be abso lutely unselfish. I had, at this crisis, ev ery inducement to concentrate all my efforts on myself, but I could not get Jones out of my head. It was certainly improbable that Jones would try to resist the marauding party; but neither the Colonel nor his chosen band was likely to be scrupulous, and it was Impossible not to see that Jones might got a bullet through his head; Indeed, I fancied such a step would rather commend itself to the Colonel, as giving a bona fide look to the affair. Jones had often been the cause of great Inconvenience to me, but I didn't wish to have his death on my conscience, so I was very glad when I happened to meet him on my way back from the Gold en House, and seized the opportunity of giving him a friendly hint. I took him and sat him down beside me on a bench In the Piazza. I was In no way disturbed by the curious glances of the three soldiers who were evidently charged to keep an eye on the bank and my dealings with It. I began by pledging Jones to absolute secrecy, and then I intimated to him, In roundabout way, that the Colonel nd I were both very apprehensive of an at tack on the bank. "The town," said-1, "is In a most un settled condition, and many dangerous characters are about. Under these cir cumstances I have felt compelled to leave the defense of our property in the hands of the government. I have formally in timated to the authorities that we shall hold them responsible for any loss occa sioned to us by public disorder. The Colonel, In the name of the government, has accepted that responsibility. I there fore desire to tell you, Mr,. Jones, that in the lamentable event of any attack on the bank it will not be expected of you to expose your life by resistance. Such sacrifice would be both uncalled for and useless ; and I must Instruct you that the government insists that their measures shall not be put In danger of frustration by any rash conduct on our part. I am unable to be at the bank this evening bnt in tho event of any trouble yon will oblige me by not attempting to meet force by force. You will yield, and we shall rely on our remedy against the govern ment in case of loss." These Instructions so fully agreed .with the natural bent of Jones' mind that he readily acquiesced in them and expressed high appreciation of my foresight. "Take care of yourself and Mrs. Jones, my dear fellow," I concluded; "that Is all you have to do, and I shall be satis fied." I parted from him affectionately, won dering if my path in life would ever cross the honest, stupid old fellow's again, and heartily hoping that his fortune would soon take him out of the rogue's nest in which he had been dwelling. (To be continued.) Asked and Anawered. "Oh, what do you call those things you hang clothes on?" said Dumley, who was trying to think of "clothes tree." "What things?" asked JIgglns. "Why, they have arms that stick out like this and " "Oh, dudes!" Philadelphia Ledger. A Man of Doubt. "Do you think that municipal own ership wonld eliminate graft?" 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