Mondovi High School - Mirror Yearbook (Mondovi, WI)

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 to a private room. The detectives gave Crawford and Dal-bey their cards and offered their services at one hundred dollars a day. “The price is reasonable” Crawford remarked, “but what are we to receive in return. Exactly what can you do for us. eu know as well as we do the details of the case. Buckley has a little the upper hand on us at present and has got hold of some papers we left on our table last night. And by the way, do you know Jack Brown?’ The detectives listened eagerly. One of them answered, “Jack Brown is a detective, is working for Buckley, though money might buy him off. Buckley is due to speak now and I know of no plan at present to stop him from cutting loose tonight but we will do our best. But listen, ( rawford, the detective leaned over and talked in a low monotone, “the office of the ‘Buckley Truths’ is known to very few men and my partner and myself know the location. Now Crawford,” the four faces grouped close together, “what’s it worth to you to have that office destroyed ?” It was a terrible question to be put to the Mayor of a city like ------------- but Crawford did not falter. “A thousand dollars” he replied “providing it is cleaned out of existence.” “Two thousand and we’ll blow it to the Heavens, and no one will ever know who was to blame for it.” Will you agree to this in writing?” “Most certainly, it is the only wav we would agree to it.” The papers were drawn up and signed each party holding a copy of them. The detectives were to dvnamite the office of the “Buckley Truths” before 11:00 P. M that night and were to receive two thousand dollars as compensation for the deed. It was 8:00 P. If. now and the party left the hotel—Crawford and Dalbey in their limousine took to the Central Depot and the detectives on foot in an op- posite direction. The city was all aglow and alive with groups of excited people by this time, all awaiting for the return of Dick Buckley. A tine big platform had been erected during the day and several chairs and a table were placed in readiness to receive the speaker. Buckley’s friends kept things in preparation and held the platform as best they could, but the crowd was becoming terrific and mobs of people who had a tendency to lean to Mayor Crawford were hurling ridicule at the meeting thus far. It was now 8:10 and Buckley had not as yet appeared. Dick Carelton held the floor and he held it as best he could, discussing the campaign thus far and dealing principally with comment on the “city newspapers of today.” With Carelton were ten plain clothes men who seemed to he there for emergencies. The crowd yelled impatiently for Buckley, then for Crawford still no Buckley, hut if one had listened more intently he might have heard a shrill whistle in the distance,—three times it blew, then stopped, and then blew five times more. And on watching maneuvers more closely one could notice that on hearing the whistle blow Carelton made ready to say something, while the plainclothes men cleared a track ten feet wide-through the mob and demanded that it remain such as an automobile was coming through. With the assistance of the city police the track was held clear. Carelton then spoke to the breathless crowd of people: “Ladies and Gentlemen in less than two minutes Dick Bucklev will stand on this platform and address you. He will come with a volley of facts and truths and a mass of evidence, ample to convince the public mind of this cilv that the present Mayor Edward Crawford is a political deceiver and fakir and a grafter of the lowest type. You have awaited his appearance with doubtfulness and interest, you shall be starred with the undeniable and indefensible facts of the present administration. Crawford would 10

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O tions it was. Every man in the city was ttoon on tlie mailing list. The “Buckley Truths” it was called and the dashing headlines were far from comforting to Crawford and his associates. First they exposed the exact method of running the other two dailies of the city,—an exact photograph o! Mayor Crawford and the Editor of the Daily Herald signing a central t leasing exclusive control of the Herald for four weeks was reproduced. Below this was printed an exact reproduction of the contract and in glaring type was printed the announcement that tonight in a political speech Dick Buckley would display the original contract and challenge his opponent to deny the origin of it. A glimpse of the contract with the Editor of the Times was also promised. Other sensational statements were brought out in the “Buckley Truths.” A public warning was issued to Crawford and his followers declaring that any attempt to frustrate Buckley’s plans by crookedness would result in harm to themselves, as detectives were watching them It was merely a hint and as the Buckley faction reasoned would prevent serious trouble and unnecessary action. All day the issues were discussed with zeal. Crawford and Dalbey remained under cover in fear,—they had lost their papers and to get into the limelight would only mean more trouble for them. They still had confidence in Jack Brown, the burglar, and relied now on his work to save them. It was 7:00 P. M. Buckley had not been heard from. The burglar and his accomplices no doubt held him in Pittsburgh, forty miles distant. Such was the presumption of Crawford and Dalbey as they lounged in the comfortable rockers in the Mayor’s home. “What should we do, Crawford?” asked Dalbey, “send him the money?” “Yes, of course,” growled Crawford, “we don't want that devil to come running back on us with those contracts we lost last night do you? But see here, Jim Dalbey, those two contracts with the Editors were not amongst those other papers they were locked up in that sate, and if you’ve gone and given things away tell me so now.” “Come now Ed, I don’t blame you for suspecting me, but on my word of honor I’m with you to the last. And we'll win yet, if the last atom of my energy and skill is expelled in doing it.” “Put it there, Jim,” and he wrung Dal-bev’s hand, “but let's wire two thousand dollars to Jack Brown at Pittsburgh.” The following telegram was wired at once: To Jack Brown, Pittsburgh. “We have ordered for you two thousand dollars on Bank of Pittsburgh. Wire hack all news.” JIM DALBEY The following message was received back: To Mayor Crawford, -------------- “Have ordered for you twenty-one hundred dollars on First National Bank of your city. Dick Buckley will address the citizens of your city at eight tonight. See me tonight at midnight in the ‘Secret X’ Ha-ha beaten at your own game!” JACK BROWN One can imagine the effect the message would have on the mayor. This much it meant for sure,—he had been beaten at his own game,—trickery. “Well,” he mused, “it's a poor man who will give up at that. Come on Dalbey. So we are to hear Buckley speak after all And Jack Brown will meet us in the ‘Secret X.’ Now how does he know where the ‘Secret X’ is. Say Jim, you and I will need some help. W here can we get a couple of good detectives.” “At the Gct’em Detective Agency, I guess. Let’s get a couple. ’ The Get’ein agency was called up and in five minutes two plain clothes men met the politicians in the lobby of the Hotel Randolph and the party of four departed 9

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nave you believe through the columns of the Herald and Times that it is a fake and that Buckley will not arrive, hut if Crawford dares to come here and say or even sav Irom where he is that Dick Buck-l v does not speak the truth we shall he willing to quit. Or if he dares to deny one statement that we make tonight we are willing to quit. Now, Ladies and (fentlemen, I pause long enough to let you hear the distant hum of a motor,—it is the same motor which drove Dick Buck-lev from among us last night, which by the way was hired to he done hy Mayor Crawford for the sum of two thousand dollars. The crowd listened intently, not a sound in that great throng of people a uId be heard. “That, Ladies and Gentlemen” continued Carelton, “is the mo-tcr which brings Dick Buckley to us tonight.” The sound grew plainer, and now a shadow of light from the headlights of the car is seen ahead of the curve just a half mile down the road. The scene was (lie of interest,—a crowd of five thousand people to greet him on his arrival ( rawford and Dalbey in their limousine watching the scene with interest; the big platform in reuliness to receive him; and a ten foot space right through the crowd leading up to the platform. And now a big motor car rounds the curve, a crowd if impatient people hurst forth in one great veil for Buckley and it is continued until the car is near enough to make out the occupants, hut now the scene was too gh stly to cheer. Jack Brown sat at the wheel, at his side sat a corpse with a fresh bullet wound on its head; in hack sat Harry Morton and Ned Jackson the two young fellows present at the banquet the previous evening, between them was Dick Bin kley. Surely a good deal of explanation is forthcoming. The car shoots through the crowd of people runs alongside the platform and stops. What next? (To be continued.) THE ADVENTURE’S OF THE MONTGOMERY'S. (By Margaret CHAPTER I. In the early pioneer days before the hand of mail defaced and destroyed them, there were vast forests of pine along the streams of Southern Canada. In time to tune, when the mills and railroads should come nearer and the frontier advanced, these would In very valuable. Mr. Montgomery realized this, and as he had a small amount of money, he bought a tract of land ten miles north of the supply station of Downing and emigrated here from an eastern settlement with his wife and family. Then, too, hr had another reason for wishing to come here in the midst of this pine wilderness. His wife was suffering in the first stages of tuberculosis and he felt sure that the fresh, pure air of the forest would help her to recover. O'Mera ’17.) With the help of his two sons he hoped to make his fortune from the vast forest: of white pine. When the Montgomerys came here Boh and Tom were husky lad: of fifteen and twelve. They were a great help to their father in getting the land cleared and the necessary buildings erected. They built a cosy little cabin out of logs, with two rooms downstairs and a loft which served as the hoys sleeping room. For four months during the summer the boys attended a little log school house four miles below their cabin, but during the long cold winters they studied bv themselves at home. They wished some day when their father could afford it to go to college. But now they must be contented to study at home. Mr. Montgomery was obliged from time 11