Who's Who?

4L$ coPvuiOH ■ ia?r &v toe athob (Continued.) I r'Vait a moment. 111 fis it. " Steppiug ripou the prow, I easily made the Icap. ' 'Now band me the rudder cliain. " ' 'What are you goiug to do? Wait till I back off." "Fling the anchor to hip. " He woulfl havo refïiged had not Marshal Welling ordeied him to obey. "The big fooi," nanttered the disgustad skipper, picking ap the pronglike jnass of irou, and, throwiug it to land, so close to my feet tliat I had to leap aside to avoid boiwg hit. I tested the chainaud sawthat itwas strong. Then I gave such a vigorous pull that the captain, vvho was stauding, ■weut over bactward. When the prow was within reaoh, I dropped the cbain, and grasping the boat itself backed away until the craft was entirely out of the river, with several feet of dry land between its stern and the current. There -Was a general laugh, but the old man seemed to doubt the evidence of his own eyes. "Heavens o' nath, that must have been an airthquakel Howshall Igetthe boat back ag'iu?" Til do it foryou." Waiting until all the occupants had left exoept the skipper, I again seized the prow and ran toward the river, shoving the boat in front of me. As before, tho old gentleman had risen to his feet, and as before he toppled over, with an esclamation of amazement, a portion of which I heard, and which was to the effect that I must be satan himself. Two days later Covey Cone was sit'ting in my apartments. We were alone, smoking and at our ease. "It wás a nsrrow squeak for yon, Westcott, but I think you've littlo to fear." ' 'Why shonld I? You explained to the marshal that I had nothing to do with this counterfeiting business." "But the worst of it was you did bave something to do with it. You ngreed to advauce them $10,000 to help tho thing along. " "Bnt never did it. " "They wrote to you, reminding you of your agreement' ' - "And ycm stole the letter, thereby laying yourself open to unpleasant conscqucnces. But Iet that pass. You have only their declaratiou that I was to invest in the enterprise. While God punishes a man for his motives, human law does not, so long as those motives do not eventuate in action." ' 'I admit the f orce of what you say and repeat that yon are absolved from any unpleasant consequences. I explained it to the marshal, and he agrees with me. Our explanation to the district attorney will be all that is ueeded, but you may have to appear on the witness stand." "I would pref er not to do that, though of coursc I vil3 obey any subpeena. " "Don't you think it was a reckless thing to draw the $10,000 and take it to that stone house in Jersey?" ■"The results answer your question. " ' 'ïrue, but those met carried weapons, and your strength could not avail you against a revolver. ' ' "Just so, but Discoe was like Marsbal Welling - he was so confident of being able to crush me to earth that he tried to do so before resorting to a deadly weapon, and when we once carne in contact he was a babe in my hands. ' ' "Nevertheless, why did you take so much money with you?" "Because I had given my promise. " ' 'That is not the reason. Why did you give the promise?" ' 'To make my victory the more complete. " "I suspected it. " "And now you know it. Could you blame me?" ' 'I can't say that I do. But this miracnlous strength of yours seems to be a i sudden thing." i "On the contrary.it has been with ' me all my life. But I resolved while 1 still a boy never to make avain display ofit," "What of your performance with the I boat the other night?" "That was idle display. There was no ncoessity for yanking that craft ashore as I did. Had I paused to reflect, I would not havo done so. " "And the breaking of the darky's table?" ' 'That was another instance of which I am ashamed." "Now, however, since you have broken your rulo, therewill be noharm ingoing a little farther. " "What do you mean?" "üive me a private exhibition. " "Haven't you hadenough to convince you?" "Yes, aud enough to make me wish for more. ' ' I did not Hke this, but my eye happened to fall upon the safe in the next ! room. I recalled what I had done before Harold Westcott, when therewas reason for my exhibition. "I'll do one thing and no more for you." "Very well, provided that oiie thing is sufficient. ' ' Advancing to the nest room and turning my side toward the mass of iron, preoisely as in the first instance, I extended one arm across the top and lifted it from the floor, the detective giviug utterance to a gasp of amazement. But a strange thing impressed itself uwrj_ mjv. copsoiousnpS. - the Raf r_ was beavier iban üeïore. W'hat could bo tbo causo? Í was the only one ín America tbat liad the combination, and I had addcd naught to its contente. I started to walk round tho room, but the burden was so great that when lialf way across I abraptly retraeed my steps, setting the massive strncture back in placo with a bang that shook the upper floor. Nevertbeless it was a most astonishing feat, and Detective Cone deolared it. sorpassed evtrytbing of which he bail ever board. "Jnst one more demon stration. " "I shall do nothing lse of thatna!tnrc," I said, thrilled by u ehivearing fear that I had already done too much. "Very well, and I thank you for your kindness. I wonld give $1,000,000 if it weremiue for that gift, which is one of the niarvcls of the ceutury. " "Of what good is superior strength? The most dangerous desperado of whom. I ever heard was a youth in Texas, whoni a sohoolboy could handle, bnt he was lightning with the revolver. Mau's brainenahles him to makeall tho forces of nature bis servants. It is tho brain that is king. " "But, all the same, tho power of a lion is a handy thing to have about the house." "There inay te iustauces in which it is convenient, but the possessor is liable to presume upon it to a fatal extent. I can sec now that if Tom Discoe had known how easilyl could vanquish hira he never would have given me the chauce. If he is acquitted, I shall be at his mercy. ' ' "How?" "Simply because henever would permit me to get within reach of him. I caunot handle a pistol like him, and, standing off at a safe distance, he could shoot me at his leisuro without iny benig able to help myself. " "As to Tom and Jake, it doosn't look as if they will gazo upon the blue e'mpyrean vault for an indefinitp number of yeara to come. They have been at this business for ten years, and the cers have been on their trail for half hat time. The counterfeits which rhey jave issned are as dangerons as those that Uhlrich ncd to engrave and almost ual to those made by that Jersey genius with his pen." "Are they the only oues in this pariicular scheme?" ' "It is"believed there is a third, but the officers baven't been able to lócate him. I thought yon were the missing link." "Did any ane share that fiattering opinión?" "Marshal Welling agreed with me. When he found yon had bound and taken Uiscoe prisoner, ho weakened. " ' 'Not, however, to the extent of f ailing to arrest me. :' "He meant to be nu tbc safe side. He's now your best fiiend and greatest admirer. " "What do you apprehend will be the result of all this?" "The two prisouers will be brought to trial and of course foiind gnilty. The term of neither will bc less than 20 years. ' ' "Why ahall Ibeneeded as awitness?" ■'I am not sure yon will. since (Jiere is plenty of evidence to convict without yours. Besides, since the district attorney ík convinoed of your ïnnoeence. he will be willing, owing to your position in society, to avoid attaching any possible suspicion to you, as would be the case if you had to '-xplain the singular part you played. ]' Let me anticipate by saying thut it carne out precisely as Detective Cone prophesied. Discoe and Huke were convicted aiid 6entcnced to 20 years in the penitentiary. and. so far as the pubiíc was concernod, t uever learned of my connectiou with the business. After the departure of the detective I sat for some minutes in deep thought. A vast, disquietiug dread iiad come npon me. Whafc was rhe ezplanation of that, safe growing intolerably heavy while I was carrying it around the room? I recalled the soleinn words of Professor Gorgeusen uttered years before when lie warned me against inakiug idle display of 'my miraculDus gift Coukl it bo that my breakage of the mie obeyed soloug had broughtitspunishruent? I was alouc. Stepping softly into the next room, as if afraid of being overheard, I again approachcd the huge iron structure. Extending my arm as before, I slightly bent my kuee8 and lifted with ftll my might. I could no more budge tho mass of metal than if I were a child of 0 years. Where was my marvelous gift? It had gone from me. (To be continue!). Subscribe for The Demoorat.