Raymond S. Spears

“ He remembered, then, that visitor, Tibas Kenten, with his camera and the three hundred dollars. Daylone, for the first time in his life, found himself shrinking from the activity of one of his victims. He had always believed himself to be the superior of any sucker who permitted himself to be swindled within the limits of the law, or who dared not make an outcry in case of strong-arm work. ”

“ These pearls were so splendid that it seemed impossible that any one would dare pilfer them, but when the dying woman asked to look on their loveliness once more they were brought to the room; they roused a waning smile of the victim of beauty, fame, and a new epoch in the world's affairs. ”

“ He saw his great collection of camera films scrutinized, and the prints examined, one by one, under powerful reading glasses.
The photographs enabled the public to follow Daylone's career for two years and a week, and no more thorough record of a man's activities had ever been made. Kenten admitted that enemies of Daylone had kept him posted about Daylone's comings and goings. Thinking himself a master of keeping the work of his left hand from his right, Daylone had been betrayed by some one—none could guess whom. If Kenten knew, he refused to divulge his source of information. ”

“ Daylone's meanness into a fine income. Lilla laughed, and beguiled him, even as the scoundrel had done. In her turn, she told of Daylone's presence in that great marsh of his, and added that she would help Kenten add to his collection of negatives. She was as good as her word, telling Kenten the fact that the post cards had changed her heart as regards Daylone.
With Daylone she arranged for what the scoundrel thought would be a fine chance to murder the photographer. Then she posted Kenten where he could photograph everything that happened there in that wild, tall-reeded marsh. ”

“ Then they would send in very encouraging reports, and on the strength of them float a lot of stock on the market, and in due course they would drop out of sight. To this Daylone gave reluctant consent. He would look after matters around home—they could peddle the stock up and down the country, and they would whack up.
Accordingly, the two swindlers allowed Daylone to go down to Texas and put the oil rig on a quarter section, and set it to digging. Immediately Daylone reported good progress, and the two swindlers sold a lot of oil stock, which they had had printed. ”

“ He was the owner of a shooting lodge on Sinsink River, and the member of a little club that flourished there. Men of several States and common tastes owned this club, and it declared dividends after the muskrat season, for the marsh it owned yielded upward of ten thousand muskrats annually, and, if these sold for fifty cents each, all the club expenses were paid; but when the price of rat skins went past four dollars each, and the catch went to fifteen thousand pelts, there was a dividend declared that gave every member three thousand dollars in cash.
Daylone was treasurer of the club. ”