The Argosy, March 1907 — page 28: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

600 came in, who, after acting very pecul- iarly, asked to have Jim Spear pointed out to him.” “Oh, I think you are going out of your way to find a mare’s nest,” inter- rupted Davis, with a smile. “ True, Spear claims to have some sort of a grudge against me; but I am very posi- tive that he had nothing to do with firing this blast. In. fact, I saw him seated safely in the Red Onion when I came back from the tunnel, and it is certain that he could not have gone up over the hill and reached there ahead of me.”’ “Wait a minute; I am not through yet,” persisted Berschwind. “ Very like- ly Spear did not personally touch off the charge, but it would take a good deal to convince me that he was not “cognizant of it. When he and that stranger met this morning there was a sort of dia- logue carried on between them which sounded suspiciously like the shibbo- leth of a secret society, and you know there is a bit of gossip current among the men—especially since the accident which befell poor Slawton, and the mys- terious disappearance of Agent Black- burn—that the infamous Mollie Ma- -guires have been resurrected and set going in more atrocious form than ever. Furthermore, I have heard it intimated that Spear~is one of the ringleaders of the new organization. You know he never does a tap of work, and yet he always seems well supplied with money.” ‘All that may be so, my dear fellow,” admitted Gardiner, still skeptical; “ but granting your point, I cannot conceive why the Molly Maguires or the Mollie anything elses should scek de- liberately to blow me up. Surely even Spear would not regard the little mis- understanding we had years ago as suf- ficient motive for so dastardly “Or stop,’ he cried, sharply inter- rupting himself. ‘“ You spoke of a stranger whom you also suspected. What sort of a looking chap was he? About my age, but shorter and slenderer, with a little dark mustache, and wearing a gray suit with a light overcoat on his arm ? *’ : “That's. he,” assented the . other. “You've described him down to the last detail. Why? Did you see him, too?” “T not only saw him, but I recognized THE ARCOSY. oo in him an old schoolmate and acquaint- ance. That, Berschwind, was the prince royal of the house of Burns, heir presumptive to the Pennsylvania Mid- land, and to all the other properties over which old Sylvester exercises sway. And so he hunted up Jim Spear immediately on his arrival, eh?” Gardiner’s voice sobered, glance grew speculative. “H’m,” he commented thoughtfully ; “this Mollie Maguire theory of yours, Berschwind, may not be such a mare’s nest, after all!” and his CHAPTER xX: IN A BATTLE FOR LIFE. Ir Gardiner still entertained any doubts as to the validity of Berschwind’s explanation of the dynamite outrage they must have been dissipated by the eVents of the next few days. Unless Nature herself had turned his enemy, it would seem impossible to ascribe the series of misadventures which befell him to any other agency than that of a definite conspiracy. Did he pass under-a bank, or through a cut, some big stone would topple across his path without warning, or a seemingly solid mass of earth become dislodged and crash down toward him in an overwhelming avalanche. Did he set foot upon a trestle, some part of it would unexpectedly give way. Three separate times incendiary fires had been discovered in the hotel where he lodged, and always in close proxim- ity to his room. The buggy which he sometimes used for his inspection trips twice had the nuts removed from its wheels, and once he had found its front axle sawed al- most in twain. day to feed his dog upon some part of his dinner which he himself had provi- dentially failed to touch, he was horri- fied shortly afterward to see the animal die of unmistakable drsenical poisoning. By sheer good luck, or in some cases by lightning-like rapidity of movement, he had so far escaped death or injury in these various emergencies; but, as was only natural, they had begun to wear upon his nerves. And even more harassing to him than Finally, chancing one. ns “—- ’ & EComicbooks:co fe Ye ha) / > are