Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 174, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 July 1912 — When the Sheriff Failed [ARTICLE]

When the Sheriff Failed

By Chara Inez Deacon

(Copyright, 1912, by Associated Literary Press.) It was such a trifling thing that on* would have laughed at the idea it would bring such results. Old Slade, who had been a gardener at the Elms for a decade, gashed his right hand on an old tomato can hidden in the grass and had to carry that arm in a sling. There was work for him to do, but as he couldn’t do it onehanded a helper was advertised for and came down from the city. The Elms was the home of Ashton, • the broker. There were only two others in the family—his wife and his daughter. Gertrude. That Miss Gertrude was engaged to young Mr. Davenport, the novelist, had not excited the country to any great exteijj, .He came down with the father every Saturday noon and remained over Sunday. He had written many a tale where the lover was a hero and the girl a heroine, and where romance and adventure were thicker than rabbit tracks on the first winter’s snow, but the course of their true love had been almost monotonous. They hadn’t even been attacked by a ferocious grasshopper while sauntering about the lawn. Theirs was a gentle, every-day cooing, and neither party suspected that an old tomato can was going to introduce thrills and throbs. Old Slade didn’t like his helper, who gave his name as Griggs. Griggs knew his business, but be was vain and conceited. He thought himself a Don Juan. He had read novels in which chauffeurs, gardeners-and stable boys married the heiress of the family, and he was on the lookout for just such a financial transaction. It was his hint to Old Slade that he was going to win the heart of Miss Gertrude Ashton Within thlrty days that got the old man down on him and made him rall out: ■ ‘‘You let up on being a conceited fool and attend to your work, or you won’t last here a day longer.” And then what does Miss Gertrude do but find out and in a spirit of mischief seem to encourage the hopes and alms of Don Juan? Just like nine girls out of ten, engaged or not! She paraded around; she sighed; she asked questions; she said she wished She twisted Don Jua'n into knots inside of four days, and if he ever doubted the truth of these novels he came to believe in them now. A shock awaited him just around the corner. z Griggs came on a Monday morning. Mr. Davenport did not come down the following Saturday. Old Slade could have dropped a hint the first day that Miss Gertrude was engaged, as (he matter was public property/ but he was suffering with his hand, and then it wasn't bls business to be dropping hints. By Friday of the'following week he decided to go to a hospital in the city and have his hand treated. He would be gone four or five days, and Griggs would have charge. That wasn’t the shock Griggs was to get; that was the glad hand. With old Slade put of the way there must follow declarations of love and an elopement and marriage. \ One of the first things he would do after the couple bad been forgiven and he had been installed as the sole and only son-in-law would be to break Slade’s neck and discharge him with a ha! ha! During Saturday forenoon he was too busy with the lawn mower to declare-his love, and shortly after lunch Mr. Ashton and the lover arrived. The lover was greeted with such cordiality that Griggs went tc the kitchen and asked, the cook: “Who is that jackanapes that came down with the boss?" “What! You speak of Mr. Davenport in that manner!”- yas exclaimed. “Then vho is Mr. Davenport?” “He's what they call the fl-an-say of Miss Gertrude, and you’d better look out what you say about him.” “Do you mean they are engaged?” “ffure thing. Goiug to be married as soon as her aunt gets, back from Europe. It’s a real love match.” Mr. Griggs’ wobbling legs wobbled him to his room to sit down and think things over. The cook was a liar! Miss« Gertrude was not in love with Mr. Davenport. He, Griggs, had met up with several young ladies who were in love, and they were not sighing and looking friendless. If Miss Gertrude were engaged, then she had been forced into it by a cruel father, who was hard up tor cash and was selling her to Davenport. Or the latter young man had caught on to a crime committed by the broker, and was demanding bis daughter’s hand as the price of silence. he left his room Griggs knew just what he would do if he got the chance, and he felt that be was a man to whom chances came. _ At 11 o’clock that night Mr. Davenport strolled in the grounds to smoke a cigar before going to his room. At about five minutes after the hour, as was afterward remembered, an auto stopped for a moment in front of the gate and then sped onward. ’ At ten minutes after 11 an arm was thrown around Mr. Davenport's neck.

a knee was prisssi into the small at his back, aad he was garroted as neatly as the job could have 'been done on the Bowery in its pelmiest days. Not a yell for help—not a struggle! He was gagged and shouldered, and when he had got his wits back he was in the gardener’s room. It look seme time for the victim to understand where he was. Griggs was.inr no hurry'to tell him. He sat and gloated over his captive for awhile, and then removed the gag and asked: “Do you know me?” A:?. “I think I saw you cutting the grass,” was the, reply. v/ -Tl. am Griggs, the second gardener, and you have crossed my path!” “But how r “Through some villainous plot you hope to marry Miss Ashton. She does not love you, and I propose to foil you. In fact, I shall marry her myself.” ■ , - -

"If you will untie these cords I will smile,” answered the young man. “You can do your smiling after Miss Ashton and I have eloped together. I have uncovered and shall foil your plot. Why, man, you deserve to be hung, and what can I say of the father who Is'aiding and abetting!” 3 ... “Ape you a fool, or a lunatic?” demanded Mrs Davenport after a silence in which he tried to answer the question for himself

"I may be either, but I’m not a black-hearted villain.” “Youcah besent to prisonfor this assault.” "But I sha’n’t ba You two unmasked villains will not dare to raise a hand. That’s all. Open your mouth to the gag.” The butler had remained up for Mr. Davenport to come in, so that the house could be locked up for the night After a eouple jf hours had passed he aroused the house and a hunt was begun. Griggs was called down, but he had seen nothing. The grounds were* gone* over, a horn blown and the missing man’s name shouted, but he could not be traced. When morning came the sheriff was telephoned to, and he came out with two constables. There was an allday search without result Then the auto was remembered and the sheriff gave it as his opinion that the missing man had been seized and carried off for revenge or to be held for ransom! Acting on that theory, he spent most of the night telephoning and telegraphing. Griggs had been very officious in the search, and just at'dusk he came in to find Miss Gertrude alone on the veranda. It was an opportunity and he whispered: “The villains have been foiled!” "What do you mean?” "Be in the arbor at 10 o’clock!” "You idiot, what do you mean!” the girl flung at him as she saw the grin on his face. "I love you!” And that settled Mr. Griggs. He had sufficient sense to see that he had made a mistake, and as he had nothing to pack he took the highway, at once. It was the girl, at a family council, that figured out that Griggs had had something to do with the strange disappearance, and she, afterward led the search of the outbuildings. Mr. Davenport was no more used up than a man that had been starved and gagged for twenty-four hours would nathratly be. and after a day or two was all right. They didn’t overhaul Griggs, because they didn’t want to, and- Mr. Davenport agreed with his fiancee when she said!: “Why, I think it’s positively nice that we can point to a bit of romance in our courtship! It was getting too humdrum!”