Frank James in St. Louis

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1425, 8 September 1905, Page 4

Frank James in St. Louis

OR The Mysteries of a Great Citi

BY W. B. LAWSON,

i— i CHAPTER XIV. SUBRODNDED. f( Meanwhile Carpenter brings a soap-box bi from a corner, , n Ho Beats himself upon this, rosting his arm on the table, and looks in his visitor s " I didn't expect you so soon, Ward." it " I don't let grass grow under my feet e, when I havo work to do." ti " Judging from your mannor I can well believe that. Did you succeed ?" eagerly, w The other nods. J "Tho colonel came down off his mgb ft horsothen?" J "Hegrovelled in tho dust to me. i t never saw a man act so liko acowu'd be- s; *>»." I "Evidently he foars you" 8 Frank Janice laughs quietly. * "When ho heard my namo I thought g ibo man would turn into chalk. How- g evor.tbatisneith'or here nor there, lsuc- o ceeded in convincing him that the game o was not worth tho candle." "Thopapor." . ? I 1 Ho wrote out what I wanted. t "'Letmo have it Ward."- . e But the man spoken to makes no move t to do as ho is requested. ' On tho contrary, he Bits there and looks f the detective squarely to the fade. "A few words first, Carpenter." " Oh very well" ■,,.,,' I have taken a fancy lo you, and should , hate i very .touch if circumstances should ' ever bring us to dagger's points." * "What are you driving at'?" "|You entcroJmy room at, the hotel, and cnt a look of hair from mv head." ••Abl" , »Where is that lock'?" The detective with a quiet smile draws - ; out an envelope, aud takes it out. One glanco yIU tho story. . "Yonbavoloarnodthatl am in dis- • guise?" V ■ < " I have known'it from tho start. » And that John Ward is not my name." A nod answers him. ' i " I boliovo you have guessed more, Carpenter." "Weill" "You know me." "Frankly, I do," " Onco yon hud sworntobave my mo, or place me in tho hands of my enemies." " My ideas have changed." ' "I am glad of it," "I believed you to bo a born ruffian; now I understand that there are cansos which others do not appreciate, to account ' for your present condition," "Indeed, thoro are. Ido not a'tempt to excuse many things I liavo done, but I havo tried to live at peaco' with my kind, and they »voul(' not let mo alone. Tho reward always tempied so'mo fool to soolc my . atrost, and it ended in his doath and my ■ slatting again," ;' ] . "Frank Jame3, Heave you to bo judged by otbo'rs; as foe mysolf, I do not want . your blood on my hands. What I said before whon you woro Ward, applios now. That, paper is of groat value to ono ,who '' is my best friond, If yon have secured it, laindonowithyou. More, if you desire to leave St Louis, which place will bo made hot for you by the colonel, I believe, I will promise to do my best to see you away." "Thank you for that, Garpomer." " Tell me whm happened." j *' Frank James can fight, hut ho is a poor! hand at tolling a story; only tho main facts are given. These are quite enoagli. "And now the piper," Tho detectivo tuns his oye over it. "Capital!" "It will i-nawer, then?" v " You have dono well, Perhaps this is the first' time in your life thai, you havo ever been engaged in ft good Frank ' James, but I hopo it will not bo the last, A few more such deeds will Eorvo to wipe ■ out muoho' your record," The outlaw smiles. He does not pretond to be sorry for the past, and in that at least proves himsolf no hypocrite. " Those who Vivo by tho sword must die by it.' You know tin old saying man. ' much'of my life has been spent at onmity with the law, and tho chances are the law will filially got nio." 11 Yon know best Frank Haines. With that price on yonr head you onn never live Pt peace oven did your rostlossnatnro allow you." "Wo.triodifc Jesse and I, down in Texas, but it waß no go, A chance offered to capturo a Mexican mulo train, laden with Bilver-tho old blood fired up again-wo found ihe temptation too strong and joined in with others." " Of oomse you succeeded ?" " When did wo fail ? We never yet went into a big sch erne but what it was a success. Enough of that, Doesn't tho reward tempt you to put a bullet throu»h my head ?" " Not at all. I have changed my mind as I told you before, Money means little to me—l have all I Bhall ovet need, as my wants are few. Igo on in my profession, because it has become second nature to me," » , " I have seen nil I want oi St Louis, and now I mean lo got out of tho lown. What means would you advise mo lo take?" " fho depots are all guarded," " Yes, but thov have a description of the natural Frank James, and not of John Ward," Carpenter nods his hoad. " Don't bo 100 sure" "What do you moan?'' "You bavo an onemy in Haipsr, who will sloop to any trick in order to down you," " I can bclicvo it of tho fellow."

" His first act will bo to send out an ilarm, and pethips within tho hour a description of yon in yonr now disguise will bo with nil tbo officers who watch at the trains." " This grows sorious." " You might disguise yourself hero; yonder is an array of old clothes. I loavc it to yourself, for although I havo had long experience, 1 would not offeryou advios on this subject," "Th'tinkjouMrCarpontor. If all mon were as fair minded as you, my brother and myself would bo honest citizens ol Missouri to-day, but whom ho \v\t closed wo warq persecuted by miserable wholp* the Federal Government put in simply becanfo wo had riddou with Qaiintroll when he was in the saddle. I ain g'ad lo meet a mnn liko you; it gives mc rosson to beliovo there may still bo somt good left in mankind -a fact I havo alinosl given up for lost, judging from my owr. evil disposition, and my exporionco will; olhore," "Yon have come in contact withtbe elomonts oi humanity. So havo I 1 in f measure, and yet 1 nsiure I have seer cases where men and women havo showi: traits almost divine —whero thoy had sacrificed everything they had in tho work' for tho Buffering." (To k continual)