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Show . BLINDFOLDED ij j 1 , BY EARLE ASHLEY WALCOTT j Copyright. 1906, by The Eofchs-Merrlll Company.- ,, for two nights In Henry's room, and with one to watch outside the door, one lying on a mattress just Inside, and a new lock and bolt, I was free from disturbance. Just as I had formed a wild idea of looking up Doddridge Knapp In his home, I came to the office In the morning to find the door -into room 16 wide open and tne farther door ajar. , "Come In. Wilton." said the voice of the king of the street: and I entered his room to find him busied over his papers. as though nothing had occurred since I had last met him. "The market has had something of a vacation." I-ventured, as he failed to "I "have been out of town." he said' shortly. "What have you done?" 'Nothing." He cave a mint of assent. CIIAPTEE XTV. . ' (Continued.) "But what about the plot?" I ssVed. "I got your noie. It's very interesting. . What about it?" "What plot?" "Why, 1 dop't know. The one you wrote" ne about." - Mother Borton . bent forward and searched my ,face with her keen glance. "Oh," she said at last, "the one I wrote yon about. I'd forgotten it." This was disheartening., How could I depend on one whose memory was thus capricious? "Yes," said I gloomily; "I supposed . you might know something about it." , "Show me the note," she said sharply. I fumbled through my pockets until I found it. Mother Borton clutched it. held h up to the candle, and studied it for two or three minutes. "Where did you get it?" I described the circumstances in which It had come Into my possesion, and repeated re-peated the essentials of Corson's story. Mother Borton's sharp, evil face was lm-passive lm-passive during my recital. When it was done she muttered: "Gimme a fool for luck." Then she appeared ap-peared to consider for a minute or more. "Well?" said I inquiringly. "Well, honey, you're having a run of cards," she said at last. "Between hav-' hav-' Ing the message trusted to a fool boy. and having a cop for your friend, an maybe gifting this note before you're expected to, you're setting here genteel-like genteel-like having agreeable conversation along with me. Instead of being in company .. you" mightn't like so well or maybe floating out toward Fort Point." "So you didn't write it?" I said coolly. "I had an idea of the kind. Thafa why roy friend Corson is smoking his pipe Jown stairs." ... Mother Borton gave me a pleased look nd nodded. I hoped I had made her re-ret re-ret the cruel insinuation in her application appli-cation of the proverb to me as the favorite fa-vorite of fortune. ' , "1 see." I said. "I was to, be waylaid en the road here and killed." "Carried off, more likely. I don t say as It wouldn't end in klllln' ye. But. you see. you'd be of mighty small use In J tellin' tales if you was dead: but you - - "might be got to talk if they had ye in a quiet place." ',..,. "Good reasoning. But Henry Wilton was killed." "Yes," admitted Mother Borton; "they thought he carried papers, and maybe they ain't got over the idea yit. Its Jest ss well you're here Instld of having a little passear with Tom Terrill and Darby Meeker and their pals." "Well." said I. As cheerily as I could under the depressing circumstances, "if they want to kill me I don't see how I can keep them from getting a chance sooner or later. Mother Borton looked anxious at this, and shook her head. "You must call your men. she said decidedlv. "You must have guards." "Bv the way," I said, "that reminds me. "The men haven't been paid, and they're looking to me for money." ' , ."Who's looking to you for money? "Dicky Nahl and the others. I suppose." sup-pose." "Dicky Nahl?" . "Why. yes. He asked for ft." "And you gave it to him?" she asked sharply. . . . "No-o that Is. I gave him $10, 'and told him he'd have to wait for the rest. 1 haven't got the money from that one that's doing the hiring yet, so I couldn't pav him." Mother Borton gave an evil grin, and absorbed another- inward laugh. . "I reckon the money'll come all right, said Mother Borton. recovering from her . mirth. "There's one more anxious than you to have 'em paid, and if you ain't found out you'll have It right away. Now for guards, take Trent no. he's hurt. Take Brown and Porter and Barkhouse and Fitrhugh. They're wide-awake, and don't talk much. Take 'em two and two, . end never go without 'eta, night or day. You stop here tonight, and I'll git 'em for you tomorrow." . I declined the proffered hospitality with thanks, and as a compromise agreed to call for my bodyguard in 'the early morning. Rejoining Corson, I explained Mother Borton's theory of the plot that had brought me thither. "She's like to be right," said the policeman. po-liceman. "She knows the gang. Now. If you'll take my advice, you'll let the rats have your room for this night, and come along up to some foine hotel." The advice appeared rood, and fifteen minutes later Corson was drinking my health at the Lick House bar. and calling call-ing on the powers of light and darkness to watch over my safety as 1 slept. Whether due to his prayers or not. my sleep was undisturbed,' even by dreams of Doddridge Knapp and his charming but scornful daughter; and with the full tide of life and business flowing through the street in the morning hours I found myself once more in Mother Borton's dintrv eating-room, ordering a breakfast. "You didn't expect me to be buying up the market, did you?" -' The yellow-gray mustache went up. and the wolf fangs gleamed from beneath. "I reckon it wouldn't have been a very profitable speculation," he replied. Then he leaned back in his chair and looked meditatively at the wall. "It was for one fellow, though." he continued, con-tinued, mellowing as he mused' In his recollections. "It was at the time of the Honest Injun deal I guess you don't remember re-member that. It must have been ten years ago. Well, I had a fellow named why, what was his name? oh, Riggs. or Rix. I forget which and he was handling about $100,000 for me. We had Honest Injun run up from $1 till it waa over $20 a share. I had to go up to Nevada City, and left 10,000 shares with him with orders or-ders to sell at $25. "Yes," I said, as the king of the street paused and seemed inclined to drop the story. "At 25." "Well."-' he continued at this encour-sgemeht. encour-sgemeht. "when I came back. Honest Injun In-jun was down to 10 cents, or somewhere around there, which waa just about as I expected. Riggs comes up to me as proud as a spotted pup. and tells me that he'd sold at $30. and cleared $50,000 more than I'd expected. "A Dretty good deal." I suggested. "It happened that way. but it wouldn't happen so once in ten years. The stock had gone up to 31 or 32 before It broke, and he had sold just In time." "Did he get a reward?" I asked, as my employer appeared to wait for an observation obser-vation from me. "He did." said the wolf with a growl. "I discharged him on the spot. And hanged if I didn't tell him that the $50.-OftO $50.-OftO was his and let him have it, too. Oh. he waa playing in great luck! That combination wouldn't come twice In a thousand years. The next man who tried it went to Jail." he added with a snap of the jaws. "Quite correct," I said. "Orders must be obeyed." "Just remember that." he said significantly. signifi-cantly. "Have you heard anything more of Decker?" "I've heard enough to satisfy me that he's the man. who got the Omega stock." "What other lead Is he in?" asked the king of the street. "I don't know." The king of -the street smiled indulgently. indul-gently. "Well, you've got. something to learn yet. I'll give you till next week to find the answer to that question." I was convinced from his air that he had Information on both these points himself, him-self, and was merely trying my knowledge. knowl-edge. "I'll not be back before next Wednesday." Wednes-day." he concluded. "Going away again?" I asked In surprise. sur-prise. . "I'm off to Virginia City," he replied after considering for a little. "I'm not sure about Omega after all and there's another one I want to look into. You needn't mention my going. When I come back we'll have a campaign that will raise the rpof of every board in town. No orders or-ders till then unless I telegraph you. That's all." The king of the street seemed straightforward straight-forward enough in his statement of plans and it did not occur to me to distrust him while I was In his presence. Yet. once more in my office, with the locked door between. I began to doubt, and tried to find some hidden meaning In each word and look. Wrhat plan was he revolving In that fertile brain? I could not guess The mystery of the great speculator was beyond my power to fathom. And we worked, each in Ignorance of the other's purposes, and went the appointed road. (To Be Continued!) Mother Borton Ignored my entrance, ' and. perched on a high -etool behind the bar and cash-drawer, reminded me of the vulture guarding its prey. But at last she fluttered over to my table and took a seat opposite. "Your men are here." she said shortly. And then, as I expressed my thanks, she warmed up and gave me a description by which I should know each snd led me ts the room where, as she said, they were "corralled." ' "By the way," I said, halting outslue the door, "they'll want some money, I suppose. Do vou know how much?" "They're paid." she said, and pushed open the door before I could express sur-prtne sur-prtne or ask further questions. I surmised that she had paid them herself to save me from annoyance or. possible danger, and my gratitude to. this strange crea-' crea-' ture rose still higher. The four men within the room saluted me gravely and with Mother Borton's directions di-rections in mind I had no hesitation in . calling each bv his name. I waa pleased to seo that thev were robust, vigorous fellows, and soon made my dispositions. Brown and Barkhouse were to attend me during daylight, and Fitahugh and Forter were to guard together at night. And, bo much settled, I hastened to the office. (i . No sign of Doddridge Knapp disturbed the morning, and at the noon hour I returned re-turned to the room In the house of mystery mys-tery that was still my only fixed abode. All was apparently as I had left It, ex-i-ept that a letter lay on the table. "I must get a new Idck," was my com-niprit. com-niprit. us I broke the seal. "This place Is petting too public when overy messenger ; Ijns a key. I was certain , that I had locked the door when Corson and 1 had , come out on the evening .before. ' ', The letter was from my unknown era-plover era-plover and read: "Richmond has paid the men. Be ready fr.r u move at any moment. Iave your r l.iress if you sleep elsewhere." And now came three or four days of rest id quiet after the nn-rrv life I bad 1 -en leading since my ;u rival in San l rancisco. ' No word did I -rr ' -"in Doddridge Knapp. I kept cIof- ii of the stock tnarket, and gossip i speculators and brokers, for I wish know at once if lie had employed ' r- .-igcnt. My work would He in ar - i Irectlon If such .should prove to I i case. But there was no movemeni Miiega. and I could b-ar no hint of ' -r deal that might - show a trace f l.i dexterous hand. yuiet trading" v as the report from all . quarters. . "Fact is said Wallbrldge on the fourth day. trying to look doleful, "I haven't made enough this week to pay for the gas and I don't bum any." In the interval I Improved my time by retting better acquainted with tlio city. Jumboldoned by my body guard, 1 slept |