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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1912)
THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, POKTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH SI, 1E12 A SERIES OrTEN STORIES EY cJ OiW XMC IAJTYBD T. , ,1 C0PYR161T 1912 BY TfC AJORT1 AMETRICAN CO. SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING STORIES ( RAVATH U aa athlelle young fellow la search of tW. I . Hi Quest for th coin leads him to a glided cafe, where V h, can mo4t TeedilT get rlt of hie eel remaining cash. Luek favors, hewever, and he meets his Boewell. ths narrator of his subsequent adventures, In the person of a good-natured pro moter of atnletlo sporte named 8,-antim. It ao happens that th latter la In tha dump. Hit "white hop," a mammoth peel men of stonemason that he had matched to fight the 'y dinger" at tha Telican Athletic Club, haa decided not to rlsK having hit beauty apoiled In tha ring. Tha puraa la I10UO, and a that la Juat tha amount Cravath needs, ha agrees to he a -'rlrser." It aaema that tha thousand la tha price of a rerteln i i v.. i . . - m vi ; ntirifm then In Europe. with whom Oraath le In love. When he recovera It. ha gets th girl, feh wsnts tha pistol because it la her aoie and only claim to arletooratle lineage, One of her ancestors uaed It when ha aecondad a gentleman In a duel, ao It la proof positive that tha ancestor was a gentleman. . . - When Cravath antera tna ring, na goea ener me muur.uu -rapidly aa possible In tha flrat place, because he needs tha muney, and In tha second, becauaa ha la not In trim to stand long fight. Tha -araveditgei" gora down, and tha "whlta pope's" aubetituta walks ay with the coin. r Next day the pa pen are full of th sensatlon-an arlsto cratlc amateur haa entered tha profeaalonal ranks and pounded the other feliow tor what there la In It. Most acandalited of all "are "Old Blaylow" and hla eon, who are Intent upon taking .Idles Betterton and her money Into their family. Blaylow raila upon Cravath at hla suburban bonis, to Induce him to give up his claims to the young woman, but without avail. In tha after- soon, however, Cravath la obliged to call up Scanlon and Impart .the Information that tha thousand haa been stolen. Suspicion, ot course, attaches to Blaylow. In the night tha two repair to Blevlow'a house, where tha money ia supposed to be hidden In -a Flemish cabinet. Unfortunately, another ha taken up tha quest before them, and be gets away with the money. Not to be outdone, ther pursue tha thief and rob hint, regaining thai missing money. " Still determined, "Old Blaylow" indueea a racing- man, who ia the' worse for wear, to borrow Cravath's thousand to bet on one of his superannuated thorough bred. . But Boanlon gat on to ths game in lima, ana suosiuuiss live korse. oo that tha money la not lost. . Kezt the two buy tha pistol. But Cravath la visited at fcls boms by beautiful woman, a enter of young Blaylow, 'who palms a bogus weapon oft on him. Tha men suspect, 'kowtver, that the dealer haa "dona" both partite, so they visit him and hlufl him Into disgorging ths genulna firearm. Taking another tack, the Blaylows endeavor to have tha real pistol stolsn by a Swedish butler, whom they "plant la Cravath' home, but the plot ia discovered, barely In time, r A cleverer plot 1 next hatched. Cravath I requested .to show tha curious old pistol to an antiquarian friend who has been hurt In an automobile accident and eannot leava 'his house. Whan Cravath lays It en a table, there Is a mysterious upset, the antiquarian ia bowled e'ver and tha pistol is gone. Again Cravath and fcanloa euspeet that a butler has been subsidised. Ther force him to admit It, and ret tha pistol from young Blaylow. who ha takes It and hidden 1 a raeess behind a Venetian paasl. Hard luck next besets ths friends. Cravath' mother goes on a visit to a country aetata, and tney start to call on her, taking the pistol with thera. They get into an empty house, ar taken for burglars, lose the pistol, and sie only rsleased when Cravath' mother eomes along In an automobile. Tha pistol I thea restored to them. Hearing that Vies Betlertog la about to arrive from 'Europe, Crevsth and Scanlon hire a launch called tha Stork's Chicken, to go down tha bay to meet the steamer on which the I a passenger. Cravath tells Scanlon that be ha tha pistol with him. and Blaylow spies are of ths same bell'f. Ho the Blaylows hire a tug, which sink tha launch. When the excitement la over, Cravath tall them the pistol 1 rspoeiag ta a safety deposit vault. (CONTINUED FROM LAST SUNDAY) IX The Adventure of the Merchants' Trust C RAVaTII toppd at my hotel about noon th Dxt day; and he wag Immaculat. chipper and mlllnf. He-shook my hand with frvor. "Why the excess JoyT" J Inquired. "At a moat terrlflo hour of tha night, " ald ha, "I .tad a call on tha telephone." "It waa Mlag Betterton Inquiring about tha piatol," I uggested. --- . He emlled and nodded delightedly, "La 6ulUma docked after tnldhlght, and she called me as soon as she vould, I was the flrat," stated he. "The first! And we talked lor some time." , "You'll see her todyrj. . "Tonight. It's a long wait; hut I'll have to get It over. KfimPlTlInCT likf UPVPn hniir. in crn r.t1 -liar.. K.,, ,V. fa. ; Is, It seems eternity." "Calm yourself," said I, assuming that wisdom of manner which we all fancy so becomes us. "What, are 'seven short hours to a man of weight and consequence? .' Employ oursell somehow; fritter away the moments In car'elesg conversation; call up 'the past; speculate upon the future; fill the void in a protitablo or an unprofitable manner It'a ell one. To call upon a friend aa you have done; and then, If the friend it) really such, he'll tall upon the barkeeper. Betwpen one thing and another, there should be no difficulty In passing the time." Cravath sipped at a rye .highball. "I spent an hour In the safe deposit vault of the Merchants' Trust-Company," gaid he. - I also refresbtd myself with a drink of quality similar to Cravath's. - "What for?" .1 "As the time draws near for the producing of that ancient shoqter." he confided to me, "I seem to be grow ing fidgety. I got to thinking about it this morning, and for the first time I realized the fIl depth of the perils with which It lias mt in the last week. Old chap, I was appalled. I was so ffluturbed that nothing--would do under a visit to the truSi' company. I felt that I had to see the pistol to handle it to assuVe myself that it was safe." ' ,J "It was, of course?" said I.. ..: ' "Oh, yes. But during my examination of It, I noticed , aomethlng which must be remedied." - v'.'Yes? said I, Inquiringly. "It must be that our experience with the watchman at Croyden Park resulted In the pistol's getting, a bump. The lock Is damaged; apd I'm on my way to a gunr maker to have, him, repair It." ,, i I placed my e'ass firmly upon the Cable, and In a like . manner i tooic iiim ,ty tna arm. Then, with the candor of unquestioned friendship, I asked: . . "Are you going to be ass enough to leave that pistol at a gunmaker's shop?" i He smiled and shook his head. : riwJ.?dh?.LrLJ'Tl JaJgct.1 .arnttgQina .. n laka It o the siiOD at all. The emimaker wl.n i..li .this Job does so at the ilvchants' Trust or not at all " I felt murh relieved. ", 1 ; "That " I told Mm, "Is something like sense. Properly safeguarded, xno harm can befall." - I . Ave ta!ldfor a little while, and vhen sought the gun irlfik'.r lr a dusfv wlnrlnw thera vera a., mimi... equally, dusty runs, some revolvers and a display of shells. Across tha panes. In dull yellowish Utters, an In- ' different workman had painted tha legend: i REPAIRING A BPECIALTT A small, round-stomached man, with large spectacles, worked at a bench at one side; a young- man. with a shock of stiff, unmanageable hair, wag .employed at en other. . ; - Cravath explained our errand. Tha small-spectacled man shook his head. ' "I am aorry." he said, "but Just now I am ery busy. I could not think of Jeavlpg tha shop. Thera la much Important work to be done for my Important people." "It la not possible thai any work you have Is mora urg-ent than that which; I am offerina; you," aald Cravath. "And e fir your suggestions that there are other' customers of mora Importance than us, we acorn It." I told tha man. " He readjusted hla spectaclea and examined us both minutely. "A flintlock pistol." said he. In a musing sort of way. "A flintlock In need of urgent repair" Then turning to " the youth at tha ather bench, he went on: "Could you leava that Job for an hourr Ha of the ahock hair at onea took oft hit soiled apron. " "It ia Just the same to me," ha answered, with a sigh. "Though. If there Ja a choice, I'd prefer a flintlock, be cause it'a obsolete." - r- The gunmaker gestured Impatiently. "It'a a wonder," aald be, "you dldn"t have your father set you at making; caga for canary birds or aomethlng Ilka that". . .... t Outside the ahock of hair tha most noticeable ehar acterlatica' of the grunmaker'a apprentice were a pair of watery eyes and a pronounced nuffla "There are people In the world." stated ha to me. aa we walked toward the trust oompanyg building, "who seem born to get the worst of It." r "Do you figure yourself In that lot?" I Inquired. v He snuffled andpariped his watery oyea yit'a hardship -for a person having tho thought afkmt things which I have, to ba obliged to earn hie living at a trade which la directly opposed to thera! "He has thoughts." I said to Cravath. "He haa ihoughta opposed to tha repairing of guna" "5r the making of them," eald the gunmakerg ap prentice, hastily. "t,am opposed to the whole trade. Firearms are used In needless slaughter of Innocent thlnge-ln warfare. In homicide. Ail these ar wrong. Oune should be abolished." "SuppoeeVhey were," said he. "Would that atop the Ufe-takingT It seems to me that our forbear, befora the Invention ot firearms, performed pretty aucoessfuUy as killers." The apprentice snuffled, shook his head and seemed at loss. However, he clung Vo his opinions. "It la wrong to make guns." he declared. "I have firm coftvlctlone upon that point Guns take life which cannot be given back. And that I have been put to a trade ao opposed to my principles 1 a hardship.' His watery eyes overflowed In selfi-sorrow, and h blotted up the moisture with the back of one hand, "An, well, It might not be thla way always!"- Cravath led the way to a room at one td of the trust company's quarters. Here an attentive clerk etood behind a large book. At one side was a ponderous door, adorned with a brace of clocks and other mechanical appliances; at another were a number of small shielded tables, where patrons could examine their valuable at their leisure. The vault door waa awung open for Cra vath. From hla box ha took the old pistol; then with this end a bar of tools before him. the gunmaker' apprentice sat down at one of the email tablee. "With the quickness which ehowed quite a hit oi skill, he made a straight drive at Cravath" There were three other people In the room. One was a fussy old man, possessing an audible acantlnesg of breath; with a long-bladed pair of shears he clipped coupons from a4atack of bonds and made almost , as much bother over the Job as wag used "In the build ing the city the bonds were. Issued upon.' Av' a window ntar U us was aaUow,. nervous-looking man. , with an . intent expression and a set of those facial adornments once anown as "mutton chops." He was much occupied with what looked like a chest of family plate. The other was a smartly, dressed young man with a clerkly air. who shullted some documents with nimbly lingers and' figured briskly upon sheets oft paper. The apprentice. In spite of hla convictions, performed effectively with a screwdriver and other tools; and, while Cravath watched him, I talked to the attentive clerk. "At this Job I auppose you meet with many oddities?" I suggested. ' borne of them are funny to others," he answered. "But they never are t'o me. I'm responsible for the way they break, yor see, and I'm sejdom In the humor to laugh. Let a customer make a mistake In his addi tion, and I'm doomed to cllnchi with him, There's some thing about a safety deposit vault which seems to Induce a feelirig of lnnecurity. At home, or at his office, If a man's figures don't fit, he tries again. If he doesn't put his hand upon a thing the first try, he gives another look. Hut here it is different. JThey all seem to think that the renting of a box sale guards thera from errors In arithmetic and defective eyesight." sympathized with him. "The man with the bonds," said he, nodding toward the funny old -person, "has come to regard me as hla personal enemy. If his shears are dull, he vaguely sus pects me; if the bonds themselves were auddenlyto prove of no value, I'm certain he'd place the whole mat ter at my door."' "These people are overclvlllzed," said I. , "They are also too much protected; hence the kink in their disposi tions. There is a lot in the ancient' order of "things which meet wlh my approval. Then a man could-only hold what he could personally defend, and was kept so busy that he had no tlrnls to nourish a grouch aarainst those who never cast eveh a side glance- at his belongings." . "About the worse we have here," said the clerk, con fidingly, "is tha man wtth the whiskers. He keeps his plate iotked up here, and once a week he comes to look it over and make sure no one haa annexed any part of It If- ha, jatr nA MmpilMf plft jn requirements over and over again. If the stuff is dimmer than he thinks It ought to be, he looks at me accusingly.. He has never said' so, but I feel sure that, he thinks I ouRtn to Jump In with a handful of some kind of polish and set the whole chest gleaming." "The young chap with the IndustHouS. pencil never makes any trouble." aald X. oonAitntlsJlv. . '.-(,. L The clerk nodded. "He's all right," he informed me. "Maybe lfg because he doesn't own anything that'a kept here," "Just works for some one, then?" ..'.'Blaylow & Co.," said the clerk. ' I gtood perfectly gtill; my pulses called heavily, tell ing me of the suddenly added work of mv heart ' Cravath must have been listening to my conversation with the clerk, for I now heard him says "He eomes here very oen, I suppose?" "Not ao very." replied the guardian of the vault "He's not been here In week befora today, But no sooner had the doors opened, this morning than he arrived,' and he'e been working over hla figure ever since." Here the speaker was Interrupted In his remark by the mutton-chopped one with the chest of plate; and when he had turned away to answer, Cravath looked at me end I looked at Cravath. ' "He le employed by Blaylow," aa!d I. softly. "And he was here as soon aa the doors opened this morning," said Cravathu " -V "He stuck around all day," added I. Then, still lower; "What for?" "Do you remember," asked my frh-nd, "If I men tioned the name of this Crust company yesterday when I told yon that the pistol was safe In the vault?" I pondered for a moment, then I said: "The Blaylows heard you say It and even If you didn't mention the name. It made Utile difference. r It Was an easy matter for people of their financial position to find the place." ,. All the time we were speaking the smartly dressed , man continued hla nimble figuring and deft handling ot hla paper; but now he paused, laid down hi pencil and yawned. Then he leaned negligently against the table upon one elbow, and hi eyes went slowly around . the room. To all appearances, Cravath and I must have aeemed deeply engaged In conversation; our look toward th Blaylow employe were furtive; our manner were nicely calculated. v Calmly the clerkly young man lnpec.ted the cant breathed ancient so laboriously cutting hi coupons; with lasy appreciation he took In the proceedlnga about the chest of plate. Then, with the utmost naturalness, hi eye went to the gunmaker' apprentice and. the Better ton flintlock, and ther remained. '"Well done," said Cravath, under hi breath. "The fellow le almost aa artist." "The Blaylow must think so, oi they wouldn't have sent htm upon so delicate an errand," I answered. "But, even with a skill almost consummate, what can he do under such circumstances as these?" Cravath shook his head. - . "One' can never tell as to the possibilities of such ventures," said ha "The experience you and I have had recently show, I think, that the door usually opens to one clever enough to manipulate the lock. A success ful attempt af ihla time does seem impossible. However, Blaylow la fertile, and we'll do well to be careful" As he watched, the young man yawned once more. Then, carelessly, he resumed his watching the apprentice, who still worked patiently at the lock of the old pistol. For a time there waa a halt in everything. Then the old man with the bonds suddenly pushed his chair back from the table, Its legs making a loud noise as Jthey acraped the floor. The shear fell wtth a clatter at hi feet At the same moment the Blaylow employe took his elbow, from the table and nonchalantly moved toward that at which the apprentice tolled. He reached It at the same moment aa did Cravath, and the latter stood with folded arm and a smile upon bis face. Looking at him, much a though he noticed him for the first time, the clerkly man said; "Queer kind of an old gun, ain't it?" "Yes," answered Cravath. "Belong to you?" "No." "Just got It In .charge, eh?" .: ....... "Something like that.3' ' ! , The Blaylow employe gased at tha weapon for a moment ana then continued: . "1 never saw anything Just Ilk it' before. It must . have been something of a trouble to shoot a man in the old times, l ghould think. You d nave to kina or work up . to it." - . - .- The scant-breathed old man now had hi bond In his hands, and, with the aid of a heavy-knobbed stick, began - making hi way toward - the door of the vault. To gain this, he was forced to pas our table, and, in passing, hla eyes rested upon the unusual goings on, and he, too, stopped. With the eyes of experience, the apprentice examined a small bolt, the piatol lying upon the table before him. "if the small arms of those days were like that" re marked the Bmertly dreased young man, "what must the rifles have been? They must have weighed a ton each.. And. at that," humorously, "X don't think that thla thing weighs much less." ' ' Carelessly, he leaned forward, and was In the act ot lifting the flintlock,. when the powerful grip of Cravath fell upon his wrist. Startled, he straightened up, and found the other looking coldly into his eyes. "Well?" asked the clerkly young man. "It would be as well," suggested Cravath, "if you . kepi' your hands off."' The other Jerked his arm free. About hla wrist was a white ring, and he rubbed this gently as he said: "Your manner Is rather offensive. Cravath smiled. "The fact Is," stated he, "I am taking very little pains with my manner at this time." The other flushed hotly. Wltn hand clinched, be took a etep nearer Cravath. 'There-is, only one thing that your manner and action can mean. You take me for a thief." - Then, with a quickness which showed quite a hit of skill, he made a straight drive at Cravath. The latter stepped aside, upseitlng the apprentice. The scant breathed old party rushed In with waving stick, aa though to prevent a combat; and, with his ears full of the word "thief," he of the mutton chops hastily stuffed his be. . longings into the chest and dragged it with frantic haste , Into the vault. - The keeper of the vault, upon the first sign ofi trou ble, had pressed a button. At once several watchmen presented themselves. Cravath and the Blaylow employe were engaged in the center of tha floor, and tha watch men separated them with some celerity,. And, when aome degree of calmness had settled upon things, we found thai' circumstance had played a return date. As had hap pened at Professor Mlchlenberg's, tne Betterton pistol had disappeared. Cravath, I think, was more excited at that moment of discovery than I had ever seen him before. His eye . fairly flamed, emd he stood guarding the only door like a tiger. "No one get's out until I am satisfied that they are entitled to do so," said he. "And to be entitled to do so i in this ctfse, means that they have to satisfy me that they are not attached to anything of mine," In dismay, the clerks having charge of the vault sum moned the officers of the company, who, it happened, were In the building. They were diligent, euspiclou person's Indeed, and at once set' about putting the matter right. ,V"hen the facts were made known to them they were Inclined to make light of it. ' H "It's absurd," said one, "to think thai' the pistol haa . been stolen. Under the circumstances, It 1 more than probable that" , But Cravath halted him. "I fail to see anything absurd In It," gald he. "Indeed,-It Is inosi' serious for me at least. And that the ' pistol has been stolen is the most probable thing con nected with, the affair." And, still on guard at the door, he. continued; "This la not the time to talk of absurdi ties. I have been robbed, and there la nothing more probable in the entire affair than that some on now .present did the robbing," "This Is the first time we have ever had to deal with - a situation like this," said' the trust officer. "Whom do you suspect, sir?" His eye went, naturally,; to him with whom Cravath had been struggling. "Surely not this young man?" . -xes, saio t;ravatn, promptly. "Hut, sir. this Is out of all reason, employe of Blaylow & Co. "That alone," said Cravath, grimly, He la a trusted 'would earn him first place in the line of suspects." "Perhaps," suggested the oiher official, "we ean eettle this quietly. It may be that w can avoid . calling the - police" - "it's all one to me," Interrupted Cravath. "I don't care who's called." "But w no." stated the official. "W do, most em phatically. We are not at all at fault. In no way, air. But such tHngs are always remembered against an In stitution. We have no desire to offend any one; but, a the matter stands. It seems to u that each Of those here ehould submit to a search." The clerkly ynung man grinned. He. had recovered from his anger of a few momenta before, and his gen eral expression was now so affable and contented that I felt a prickling of uneasiness run down my spina "As for me," said the young man. "I am perfectly willing to submit to anything you suggest If It will settle ' the matt." .,. -. - The officials were delighted. "And you, sir?" said one of them to the man with the mutton chops. "K Is outrageous," proclaimed this gentleman, som berly. "A perfectly reputable patron must maintain his integrity ry a saenncg or his personal dignity. But, sir, as that seems the only way out of the ,airalr, without a . The officials were more gratified lhan ever, "Our Mr. Davis," said one. Indicating the keeper of the vault, "and also our watchmen will also undergo the ' scarr-h." f - i . . , With aome1 malice creeping into his grin, the em ploye pt )'vi a fi ' ' . a.nd my- self.---. -,t. . ' - " -J .- "The apprentice performed, effectively with a icrewdriyer, while Crarath watched him" "What about those two?" demanded he. "How are we to know thai' thla whole thing isn't a game of their own? Who know but" what they've concealed the pistol themselves, for om' reason unknown to us, and are making the present uproar Just tor a blind?" "That," said the trust officer, reflectively, "Is, of course, within the bound of possibility." Then to Cra vath: "What do you ay. air?" "Search u, of course," said he, rather stiffly. If the trust company' officials had been practiced headquarter' men they could not have gone about their work more deftly and thoroughly; but when every one - In the room had been ehaken down, silll there waa no flintlock pistol. And a Cravath and I stood staring at each other, a thought leaped Into my mind, which at once took form In words. ' v "The old man with the bonds! Where I he?" Like a flash, what had happened Just previous to the outbreak came to me. The clerkly young man had -consented himself with a comparatively long-distance view f the' pistol until the said old man with the bonds vhad noisily pushed back hi chair and dropped hla shears. That ' must have been a signal. Kor Insiantly the young man had approached the table where the appren tice worked, and a moment later the fracas had begun. In the midst of this the old man had Intervened with his cane. "What better opportunity could be destred?" I asked, after excitedly going over the above. "He annexed the pistol and bolted." "Impossible!" cried the trust officer, with great Indig nation. "That Is Henry Carter, of wide repute as a financier." "His repute as a crook will be equally wide when we are through with him," I threatened rather Impatiently. And as I was saying It Cravath plucked me by the sleeve. Turning. I saw HAnry Carter In the doorway, a police man behind him. ' Advancing, somewhat scantier of breath than before, 'Thig I. found In toy box when I just now " . aa reopenea it'" his tlck thumping th floor at each step, he said: "As It did not appear safe here for a patron of years' standing. I was forced to appeal to the law," The policeman had a brief manner and a htavy Jaw. 'What's doing?" he demanded. The matter was explained, and he gazed about, his Ingle Idea shining from his'eye, "If the goods 1 missing, somebody took It," he da? elded. "And If yu'f ) the only people that's been here, yourselves, and the gent makes a onarge, I II have to .can me wagon anrt talce tne crowd." The sCant-breathed one seemed horrified; he of the mution chops chattered his- agitation; Blaylow' clerk ' continued to grin. .- . ' "Is, It hot enough for me to be disturbed as I am In fills matter?" demanded the first of these. "Is It no , sufficient that I should be concerned In a broil to whlol the term 'thief ha been bandied from one to another! And now," rather tragically, "i must be arrested j ) jj must be taken through the publlo streets In a patrol I must have my name in the publlo prints?" ? , v "It Is shameful," etated the mutton-chopped owner el the plata "I'v never heard of a greater affront upor law-abiding persona" "As for me." aald Blaylow clerk'nonchalantly, " don't mind the thing ao much,' now that I've got use to It. Indeed, I haven't been gtvlhf a prospective Jour ney In the patrol wagon much thought . Some other . aspects of the case have much more appeal for me." the old gentleman breathed heavily and wrathfully He demanded: '. , . . "What could no intimately concern any one, youni man, aa a disgraceful arrest?" i , , "Nothing, perhaps' said the young man; "that Is, V one Is thinking about one's self. But, as It happens, am not thinking of myself. - I am tnlnking Of you ani .. this other gentleman," nodding toward mim of the cheat oi plate. . .. His tone and manner and the malice in the look di rected toward Cravath end myself drew Instant attentio from, me. Also, It appeared, they conveyed a decide! hock to the owner of the plate. "I don't Just understand," epoke this latter, all a-trenv ble. "Will you explain?" "Why," said Blaylow'a clerk, alowly. "I noticed you i few moments ago with a quantity of fine sliver. I notice you" to the old man "with a bundle of bonds." Hen. he paused, as though to let these facts, presented In I mysterious light, impress themselves upon his hearers Then he continued: "Now, the disappearance of this oil pistol does seem rather queer. But Is a thing of thai sort really important enough to cause all this bother? j ask you again," looking at them all, impressively, "1 ltr "It would not' seem so," said the old gentleman. "Tl me, at least, It really would' not eeem o." "if the pistol Is not worth all the commotioa mad about :lts disappearance," said the young man, mucl pleased, "I ask you and I ask you to consider the qua, tlon carefully why waa the commotion made?"' As silence fell, and as eyes were directed on ui askance, Cravath nudged me with hla elbow and boddet appreciatively. . - "I can see why Blaylow & Co. value this young man,', said he, softly. . "And what," spoke the mutton-chopped man, tlmor ously, "la your, idea, as to ,why . the commotion wai made?" . ."As my opinion is asked for," answered the young, man. even more pleased than before, "I will give lu : But before doing so I want It understood that what I . say Is but an opinion. If the pistol claimed to be os) was not worth all th noise made concerning It, thej that same noise was made to cover something else." Here there waa another pause, and as looks of horro; began to dawn upon the faces ot both the scant-breathed man and the owner of the cheat of plate, Blaylow clerlj continued : "A I said before, I noticed one of you gen . tlemen with a chest of plate, and the other with a bundW of bonds." Here his hands went out In a gesture ex preserve of lack of poaltive knowledge, and his eyebrow lifted. "I do not associate these two things, of course," h said, "but who knows?" , " "Goi bless my soul!" cried the man with the muttoi Chops, and with that he began clawing at the close ooor of the vault. "Let me in.' I must re-examine th content of my bo, Let me in, sir,", to th clerk u chares. "Let m in at once.'1 The door wes opened for him, and he plunged In. AJ the game time the old man took hla bonds hurriedly froni hi pocket and began counting them In evident fear ot th? worst The policeman examined both Cravath and myself and, apparently, the reeult waa unfavorable, "So you think the whole thing waa gome eort i frame-un. ah?" aalrl he tn Rlnv1nwTa rl.rk "Wall T heard of such things; but, believe me," balancing his ciui nicely, "this one. If H Is one, won't $t by," t o wim mm oonus now turnea. , "I think." said lha, fervently, "that I am safe. ' II anything was proposed it failed, with regard to myself a) IvtaSt, - - . With muoh Indignation, I was about to reply to thla But the clerk jnf tn vault appeared In the doorway o that most useful storage place and beckoned frantlcallj to the trust officer. Tne latter hurriedly went to him, There was 4 moment ofi whispering, followed by anothel of wild-eyed amazement upon the part of the official Excli'edly, they counseled each other; .but whatever If ' was that they proposed doing was stopped by th ap pearance of the man with the mutton chops. This gentleman was very pale, and as h& held Up ont hand for attention, I saw that It was trembling. "Some of your stuff gone, eh?" said the policeman, confidentially. "Well, don't be alarmed," taking a flrri grip upon the club, "we've got the people that done It" "Walt," said the jnutton-chopped gentleman. "Jus! a moment, officer. Do not make It necessary for me it apologise further thantiit ia now my duty to do. Gentle men "to Cravath and me "I am a nervoug man. Exceed, 1 lngly so, in fact When the word thief was cried ouj and the fighting began, I gathered up my belongings. ) was excited, gentlemen, and In my excitement I gatherej up your property." - He extended. out the pistol, whloi he had been holding behind him. "This," said ha, "J found In my box when I Just now reopened It" Cravath, delighted, took the old weapon and buttone It up. In a pocket. There was a babble. of excited ex clamations of relief; of appreciation; Vhe officials smiled! the owner of the plate shook the proprietor ofi the bond by .the hand; the policeman took his departure. A moi menf later we were hv ourselves In tha rnrrlrlni- v,w th. side of Blaylow'a clerk. , You . knew all tha t ma." accused Cravaili wfc The young man smiled. i "Not all the time," aald he. "But I saw what harl pened as soon as I got a chance to think." ,. i L llIparficuiarly 'Lked..tour way of bringing tho run tiV Jijtht. " said Cravath, "you got your revenge on u"a V the same time. Will you shake hands?" ? '". !. j The young man willingly did so; also he shook handi l' with me. And then, as we stood upon tha step, abouf to dPpart in different directions, I said to him: ' "Do you value1 your Job at Blaylow'!" ' "Ve esa tff Vtak a)i rrri Sari t- The'rr I'll aooxrtrrtioti wmr-'im. r:,mtnr t tr-" ilv'it we owe you one. Tell the story of the pistol If yoi ' must; but never let It -get to Blaylow'a ears that yol " , were the cause of Its being found today. This may seen queer,, to you; but, nevertheless, if a atralght Up. Mum'J i vhe ford." . , ! , (CONCLUDED NEXT SUNDAY) . , i