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Show Jtou Company Loot By Luke Thrice Lally sat nt the Li bio sorting and smoothing out the con i cuts of two waste paper baskets crammed to the top with small bills, evidently the takings fn tho day. "I crept up behind him. threw a arf oer his head, passed and bound hlin and dragged hliu Into tin; next room. I had just time to toss the baskets after him when Wcldsione's returning step sounded along the corridor, I ojnM the door to hlni Just as ho reached It I was unarmed, Lnxton. Take It any wn.v you like that I was determined to prove my superiority over him with that hnndlenp or that I had made Hale's quarrel my own, and, like him. wanted only my naked hands. "He had me covered In - Hash, his round, snarly face and fat shoulders bundled behind the black, steady eye of his revolver. I looked nt him steadily. 'Hello,' I said. 'Ate yon n detective? 1 should say there was need of you here.' "'Who tbe hell are you?" he growled. "' by. Tin Wllsnn. the artist down the hall,' I said, easily. "I was working late. I heard some one run past my dour n moment ago and eanie out Just in time telling the truth. Rut I did not yet understand M smile at the news of Lally's defection and this auxlciy about going up or down stairs. "What of it?' I axked sharply. '"I got a rope ladder hidden on the roof.' he paid. 'It's long enough to roach to the next bnlldin'. six stories.' He thought still to overreach me. but I wan ready to see the thing through. "I marched him in front of me to tbe roof. At tlio studio I slopped and dumped the armful of hills Into a satchel, picking up some other necessary supplies. It was a dark, gusty night of late fall, low tlylng cloml obscuring the sky. W.eldstone found bis ladder in the shaft house and flung It over the side, making It fast wllh the grappling irons. 'Shall 1 go first?1 he asked. The Revolver. "At my gesture be grunted himself over the edgo und descended rapidly for such a heavy man. I siood watchiug hlni when suddenly something hard and unpleasantly Insistent was poked Into my ribs. it y so imicb as move 1 II pump y full, said a whiny voice In my ear. Lally! I'd forgotten that Jackal and he had squiimcd loose-, probably In time to hr my talk with Woldsion, certainly In lime to follow us. I preferred taking liberties wbh the other man to risking them with tuLs one. There was something some-thing desperate and sinister in his trembling courage, In the way the wind gurgled lu his throat when hrt breathed. "lie held his revoler against ine with one ham and reached for the satchel with the other. 'Give in to nie, glvt? ul!' ho whispered. "It was a long gamble, but I hold It In lu4h hands and played for a inoment s delay. 'Hold on. you can't do me out of my share now I said 'I made a deal with your pal. He's down below theie ou tlic ladder. You're in on it too. of course.' "1 had backed against the parapet and as I flu. Ishod that most pressing of all arguments bored Into me again, 'tilve nt up." he whined. 'Clvo. nt up or I'll send y f hell, ipilek, quk-k!' I held out tho satchel within tho last fraction of a second lie. would have allowed me and he grabbed It as he threw oiie leg over the parapet. Ixoklng close I could sec that he had slipped one wrist through the handle of the satchel. He kept me lined until he had descended several rungs, when he was forced to put away his revolver and give all his attention to the ladder. "Hanging over tho edgo I could see ulni crawling down slowly, like some monstrous spider on his thread. Tho roof of the building below, six tloors down, was covered with white pebbles and his form was faintly distinguishable against this background to see u red haired man Willi a bundle under his arm tearing for the stairs. The door to the otllces here was open, so I came to In csligate. I think the place has been robbed. "I bad ganged the relations between Weldsfone and his Jackal correctly from (be quarrel I had overheard. There was nothing more likely than that Lall.v should have betrayed hlni and made off with what lie conld get bis hands on. for few shared heavily the bikings who worked with Woldstono, and this 1 knew, " The Safe in the Corner. "Ills gn?.e tlew to (he safe in the corner. 'Did he go up or dow n?" he asked. "'Down,' He smiled I did not quite understand that smile. Then he sized mo up, evidently to his satisfaction, sat-isfaction, for he proceeded to develop the suggestion I had left to him. "You're right.' bo said, lowering his weapon; 'there's been some damn mischief here. I'm not a detective, but a member of the company. I II Just see how the safe, Is.' He crossed tho room and crouched by the safe, twilling the knob. "Ho watched rae slyly out of the tall of his eye and I could read his put pose like print. AYeldstoue was not the one to leme a witness behind him who could tell a story of having seen a certain stout gentleman clear out the Ironclad Investment Company's safe on tho eve of the crash, but neither was he one to put that wituess away In any but a skilful and silent manner. man-ner. I could almost follow hlni as ho considered the problem. ' "When the door of the safe swung open be look out ' The Figure of the Stout Man Standing: Upon the Hearth Rug in a Vague Shaded Light Another cf the tartlint tTxifncrit nf the ".lofr Rogue," ti trkich he imply provcl Am riyht to Am littt: and the head of Ai profession. Cnirricht. 1910. fe tl Now York Dr4ld Co. All rlchM rrffrrt-A.) OTA, the grave, silent JapaDe.se butler, turned out all but onfr of the bulbs In tho electrolier, leaving the figure of the slout man who stood upon the hearth rug in a vague, f-haded lighr. The man's attitude showed expectancy, and he gaTe a gesture of satisfaction a the sudden message mes-sage of the doorbell broken from below stairs. Take a look In th mlrrorfl," he said sharply. Ot.i glided like a frletlonlcss mechanism through the front parlor, where be openel a panel In thj wall next the fntry. , - "Mr. Iaxton." ho announced softly. . "Lf t him la." suld the other. Laxtou followed tbe lead of the butlr like a visitor who know hi? way and Is assured of his welcome. He bad taken a step Inside the rear parlor before hi saw the man standing on tho honrth rug. It Was not the one he wa acqustomed to tlnd In that apartment, apart-ment, but there was something very familiar about litis unexpected oecupanr, about tho baggy dress suit, .the. rumpled shirt bosom and the cigar clamped In the corner of the mouth. He icered Into the shadows for a better look at the face and started when the stout man spoke. ' "Step In, Laxtou. Make yourself at home, to stretch a point." ' "Hello:" said Laxton mechanically. Then, "Why, it's Weldstoue. What the devil arc you doing hero?" "N'othln," answered the other In a harsh,' un pleasant pleas-ant voice. "Jess dropped In." ' Laxton, searched the place with sidelong glam e "I didn't know that you knew that you were acquainted acquaint-ed la this house," he finished awkwardly, checking ihe name that rose too nimbly to bis toDgue, "What, Durch?" said the stout man, divining Lax-ton's Lax-ton's caution. "Old side kick. Always look him up every so often. Laxton hung between surprise and uneasiness. There was no sign of the master's presence and Otu had disappeared. "Where Is Bureh?" he asked. "Inside," said the stout man, nodding toward the door of the extension at the rear. Lux ton follow cd the nw and. lowered his tone. "Say, iWcldstone, you needn't tell him about that Investment company plan, bear'" he said quickly. x . "Much obliged, Laxtou," said the cool voice of the master himself, aud the stout man straightened, nnd clapped his hands. Ota entered Instantly. "Help me out of these things," said Burch. Ota followed him through the rear door and the two left Laxtou In a Mate of pitiable bewilderment. He had not made much progress toward rtttovery when the master reappeared, garbed In his usual im-tuatulato im-tuatulato style aud adjusting the loose folds of his .'a miliar red dressing gown alnuit his slender, powerful power-ful person. Laxton sank limply into a chair at tbe tlher side of the fireplace, w hllc Ota set out the cigars and the kthumel. "Laxton," said Burch gravely, after some minutes f silence, "you present a painful problem to me. I im compelled to guard you with all the earo of a per-joual per-joual attendant ' You have a natural aptitude for getting Into n mcs from which I must drag you. usually much against your will. Your remarkable gifts as a listener I appreciate. But you cost wo a great deal of trou.blc." "What was wrong this time?" akc1 Laxton dog-redly. dog-redly. "Wcldstonc and you havo your auwer," said Burcb. "What of him';" The Crash in Stocks. "Why. fair youth, bo and his blessed Investment .tympany, to. whkh you were about to tie jour fortunes, for-tunes, would have wto ked you, that's all. You are tar from a universal genius. Laxton Stick to lines where your expert knowledge of hook keep lug, tiling and office "systems or the lutrii.ao.les of commercial paper aud handwriting come In. Investment companies, com-panies, promotion schemes, mail order and financial bureaus open up a highly specialized department of the profession. Approaching them ,on are like a chiropodist who essays a major surgical operation." "But I bad nolblDg to lose," objected Laxton. "Nothing but a few years out of your life," vild the master, "if tint is nothing. There Is no cleverer operator on the shady fringe of finance in the world than WeUlslone. Aud I con tell you the names of at least six men who are so accommodating as to be ervlng prison leruis for him. You were on the books for a like service." Laxton considered the matter gloomily. "I -up-pose 1 would be safer If I consulted you. But I buve lways avoided that." "And you were exactly right. You know that I will share none of your caes until they arc past, and . then only as matter for discussion." "How did you know I was going In with Weld-etoneV Weld-etoneV asked Laxton, after another pause. "At. your laet visit you descanted very know ingly upon certain well established traits of. tho estimable public In regard to alluring Investment offers," said Curch, with a quiet smile- "Tor my second point I have seen traces of Woldstone's padded feet upon the financial sands of late. Then you were unemployed, ambitious. You would just about suit Idm In uu extremely ex-tremely useful capacity. Acting on all this. I obtained the verification of ruy suspicions In the most expcdl-. llous manner. By the way, 1 must commend your care In withholding my name so deftly." Laxton threw up both bands lu a lifitc gesture of surrender. "All right, I give In," he Mild. "No more high finance for mo. But Weldstoue there's u plausible plausi-ble devil, if you like " Burch nodded slowly. "It might bo of value and Interest In-terest If I should adorn this little lecture with au Instance In-stance In which I clashed with the redoubtable Wcld-etone," Wcld-etone," be said. "I do not regard him as among the greatest of my opponents, but I can never deny that the brush I had with hlin was (stimulating. The man k uinniug, not wholly lacking in qualities and most -.J.Itbly cjulprMl with unscrupulous brutality. "I was passing an Idle half hour in tbe corner of a downtown eafi- one afiernoon when I heard a suddcu sharp try and a rush of feet from back of we. I turned to sec a tall. norly dresed man of middle age shaking another by the shoulders.. Hs face wus IwbUM with rage and ho was screaming, 'Thief! Scoundrel! Bloodsucker!" and like pleasantries! Tho other roan was stout und well built and much stronger than bU adversary, whom he threw ..flf almost Immediately, Immedi-ately, darting for the door before any one conld stop ilm. Ax. he passed mo 1 nTognlzed Wcldsfone. "Scremr beside myself bad started up wllh the h,. 1 lention of stopping H tljlit. but the rapid escape of the one and tbe unprepossessing appearance of the, other gave little excuse for Intervention or Inquiry. The tali man stood staring after Wcldstonc with a furious expression of baffled hate upon his thin." worn face. I wondered for a moment that, he did not pursue pur-sue his prey, but I saw presently that, be was trembling trem-bling 'from weakness and that he clung to a chair for support. The Tall Man. "One of the waiters who had witnessed, the Incident Inci-dent closed It at this Juncture by catching. the tall man roughly under the arms and hustling him out to the street. Knowing Wcldstonc and his record, I was Interested to learn the cause of this stranger's attack upon him, and I followed. "I found the tall man leaning against Ihe wall of tbe building, looking about him in a wild and frightened fright-ened way. He was in bad shajie. His tattered gar-meuts gar-meuts gave him little protection against n raw November Novem-ber wind. HN cheeks were sunken aud be gave every evidence of prolonged starvation. He was in no condition con-dition to be questioned, and without a word I took hlin by tbe sleeve aud led hltu Into a cheap restaurant restau-rant a few doors away. He offered no resistance and bis eyes lighted wolflshly at the sight of food. "After I bad fed hlra Judiciously, restraining his eagerness with some difficulty, he began to look more like n huiuun being and less like au animal or n lunatic. I bud some fears that bo was beyond Intelligent Intelli-gent discourse, but he soon set them at. rest " 'You must pardon rae if I seem ungrateful. he said. 'But this Is the first meal 1 have had In threo days.' ( "He spoke like a man of refinement and education. I made some conventional reply aud added: 'I saw your little tuslc with Wcldstonc In the cafe.' "He stared at me Intently. 'Arc you a friend of Wcldstonc?' he asked suddenly, with a flash of suspicion. sus-picion. "'Far from being his friend, I have cause to dislike him.' I answered. "For a moment I thought be should have strangled with the passion of anger that shook him. 'Do you know where I can find him?' be gasped. 'For, God's sake, tell me, just to get my hands on bim again now that I have strength; just one more chance, Just with my naked hands.' "I quieted him and asked him to tell roe his story. " 'My story? It's old enough and common enough In the track of that man he said, bitterly. 'My name is Halo. I was a music teacher lu Dcs Moines two years ago, with a home nnd family. I bad a little savings account nnd was persuaded that I could make It more productive If I could find the opening. One day I received by niall a most alluring circular. It advertised an Investment company bv Chicago. I suppose sup-pose you arc familiar enough with the swindle. The company, through aluable sources of In.slde information, informa-tion, was able to make enormous protlU on the stock market. It solicited remittances, guaranteeing a return re-turn of one per cent a week. "'I knew nothing about such matters except In a very general way, and the proposition seemed reasonable. reason-able. Several of my neighbors went Into the thiug, . and began to receive their returns regularly each Moi- . day. Convinced that this was my opportunity, I drew out iny.$2,00t. all I had in the world, and sent It on. ' " 'For a month after that the Interest was jwld ' promptly. With each payment came a market letter, let-ter, which conveyed Ilttle'lnfoimation to me, but spoke largely and confidently of the success of the company and the prospect for a still larger return to clients. I congratulated myself upon my wise move. ; Penniless and Half Mad. ' '"Then enmc a Monday which brought no Interest, no word of any kind. I waited a few days, then wrote demanding an explanation. I wrote repeatedly, but my Hist answer was from the Post Office authorities. And then I learned of-the miserable mistake I had nuide. for the Inxestment company had vanished into air overnight, leaving an empty office aud no trace of the criminals.' "Ho was forced to stop a niomeut before he could control his emotion. 'That might not have been so bad,' he went on. The loss of money Itself conld nt have crushed me. But 1 fell 111 through worry, I lost my ppils. thou my home by failure to meet a payment. pay-ment. Finally my wife died in misery, and after a long siege in the hospital I fouud myself on the street, j-ennlloss and half mad. All this Is ordluary, but I did not sink under If. as others have done. "'I found such wretched employment as I could pick up and for six mouths 1 saved every cent, scraping and starving to feed my little fund. Then 1 went to t' cago and began my search, thtj sear li after the in who had brought this ruin u)m.u me. I did not approach ap-proach Ihe authorities I thrust myself in auiohg those whose hmducss was the robbing of the gullible as I bad been robbed. My hate lent 'me soin cleverness' In my part. I gained standing among my associates. Finally a fortunate incident threw in my way the Information In-formation I sought, and I first heard the name of the archfiend, Weldstoue " .Since then 1 have followed bim He knows jue; has reason to know me. Three times I havo jiit missed him. And look here." "With unsteady bands he drew from u pocket a printed circular. 'He Is at bis old trad.? again. See. ' This is the advertisement of the Ironclad Invcslmcnl ' and Securities Company, YuMm Building, William street That Is Woldstono. Missouri has been flooded with these and be sits here safe, rcadv to reap another harvest at the expense of suffering like mine. Oh, be Is clover, c lever! His name does not appear. Ho seldom sel-dom goes near tho office. Ills connection with the firm cannot bo proved. But I know. When the time comes be and IiJ.-i jackal. Lally, will make a clean sweep and scurry elsewhere to begin again. '"There you have my story. And now, if vou have . a touch of human feeling, loll me where f'enu find' Weldstoue. I have halted day by day near the' lupon Building. But be Is sly. He docs not come.' The man was taken with a lit of shivering as ho tmdo an end, ami his wild, burning eyes spoke mons eloquently than his words of his latent and essential Insanity. He seemed, moreover, to bo in great pain and he pressed feebly against his chest nt frcqueut Intervals. "'Have you glveu your Information to the Tost Office Of-fice people.?' I asked. . , "Xo,' he said, fiercely. 'This Is my nffiir, mine, between Wcldstonc and me. Aud to think that but now I held hiin and he escaped mo.' H soblied and clenched his hands. And then, suddenly, as I sat watching bim 1 suw a swift veil of gray pass over bis fate. He rose partly from his seat, cried out Incoherently In-coherently and sunk back uneouscious. I left lUui In charge of the restaurant people and hurried out In search of a physician. I did not return, for I could not run the risk, but a few lines lu the papers next morning told of tbe death of uu uuldcutlticd uiau' who had been taken from the restaurant to Belleue. Meanwhile I bud retained the circular of the Ironclad Investment and Securities Company . "I found a vacant office on tho tenth floor of the : Yupou Building oft" the corridor that led to the gilded door of that company nnd opened negotiations for. lr , in the capacity of a bad but honest portrait painter. -'-'Hi tliat w ituess away In any but a skilful and silent man- down slowly, like some monstrous spider on his - : - ,,or' 1 could almost follow hlni ns ho considered the thread. Tho roof of the building below, six floors yi'y-f , problem. ' down, was covered with white pebbles and his form "': ifXy'v j ZprrKrr'" - - r" "When the door of the safe sw-ung open be look out w as faintly distinguishable against this background .. "V::1j.;f.v spt&t .I 'rtLrt c.- .f'v'-r V. ' .'. r I W. Ready for Him. : S . .vvr-,;---.- VfeMfeMtir " . ;'. I f.?. .f55a- I moved In enough stage property to support the claim . "v..- -'i'MnfW' . "'r'- -'-,( : rtffi'iijb aud settled to watoh. . ' r rfrt'l;tf!&typ& ? : ' r' -- ; i. "; ' I;- l:$iJr'-, The One Satisfaction. : MWm W v." ''.VVrV- ''I am no moralist. Laxton, but there Is such n Zg&jkf .. v: " ! ' '.-'!';. v- , S--1 "'-7 -' v". thing as an ethical standard In the profession, as you ' . .' ''.) -" "T ",':-v ' : "..'" ' x i1.-, '"") r. ;?.; . - have lieurd. uie say b-fore. One derives a certain sat- '" "" ;T;"' i ,' ' - -; ' " v'q - -t faction from plying one's trade against such per- '- . " '-','.v -vt V .'V'.'t ' ' ' '. sons as Wcldstonc. lllm I had always despised, with , -J,'"'- '. '-v :V '" ;'',V'i- . J ". 1''.' ! , ''-7 ' his flabby body, his tlashy xlih. bis sparse, oily hair " J. ' i-'. V 'iu.-.-'V'-'- and his "manner of one who dares w hile cringing. i. '2.,1,1 I.nllv I knew, torj a Iliili. r.d whiskered Jackal of a "-r ' V.. . I Was Ready for Him. v i . -- end the Coward Knew It I moved in enough stage property to support the d iiiu aud settled to watoh. The One Satisfaction. "I am uo uiornlist. Laxton, but there Is such a thing as an ethical standard In the profession, as you have lieurd me say before. One derives a certalu satisfaction sat-isfaction from plying one's trade against such persons per-sons as Wcldstonc. lllm I had always despised, with his flabby body, his flashy wlib. liis sparse, oily hair and his "manner of one who dares w hile cringing. Lally I knew, too a little rest whiskered Jackal of a man, whoso charueter nnd attainments were hot shown by his attitude toward his owucr. Weldstoue continuously gives tho Impression that he knows he Iris no right to bo present, but he'd like to throttle you just the same; Lally seems forever warning people peo-ple not o step on him because he is tho properly of tho musllll Weldstoue. "Both of them were keeping away from the com pany's otlbvs when I tool; a hand. Woldstono was quite clear of It. as ho always Is. Lally's part womd have been and subsequently was a matter of mystery in a court Inquiry. Tbe man who ran the office was a former clerk. Co. nc. wus marked for sacrifice and Is still doing his spell up the river for his connection connec-tion with the llrui. It w as I lie old case of the grubbing, grub-bing, underpaid servant of Wall street who gels tho wholesale dishonesty hunger, makes a grab nnd Ls laid away with dyspepsia, white some one else scoops tho lion's share of the feast. "The game was humming three weeks later and tbe company had to rent two more rooms and recruit a ptnlf to bundle the business. I began to live close , to the studio In expectation of the crash, for there wore atiea two good Tost Office Inspectors lu the district." ; Then came a night ivIjcii Lally and Wold : stone arrived in a hurry after the employes and Cot-had Cot-had gone. Missouri's harvest was lu. "it wus late und 1 was ready to break In ou them when Weldstoue canie out of 'he office alone and wont down the elevator. He was carrying nothing, "o I let blio pass. WIipu ho baJ P"" 1 iuletly forced :no of tho side doors to the coni,ill,.v'H quarters ;md stole through to the maiu room, which was lighted. package after package of fresh bills of large denomination, denomina-tion, bought wilh the contributions of his dupes and stored hero against getaway day. Ho was teaching far Inside for the last when 1 was on hlin lu two quick strides. Tho reach had taken him u trifle off his balance bal-ance and be could not turn soon enough. I caught bis wrist, twisted it until bo cried out nnd wrenched the weapon from bim Then I threw It Inside the safe closed tho door and pushed the tumbler over. ' "lie spun away from mo, glaring nnd snarling et for a spring. I was ready for him, and tho coward knew it. He held off. 'What's all this?" ho breathed ho the hell are you, anyway?' "I faced bim calmly. 'I'm a friend of Halo's,' I said "He cowered and went dead white at the mime it had haunted him for many a day, for manv a re.siles night There was some comfort. He bafl blanched before now at tlio mention of this most persistent of his victims. But-even In his fear ho was caslln-about caslln-about to pi iy cunning. "'What'rv you goiu' to do?' he nsked hoarsely "'I'm going to settle scores for hlui, so far 'as I can.' I said. " 'Are vou goln' down?' There was hope in i, Pvp '"Wbv noir I answ ered 'Aiul you can count "on this vou go with me. His face fell again ''Yuii bn'l dare go down.' he s:i(. studyhi" i,. 'Listen. Hirk uu'l Money. Ihe I'osi Office Insp,".,,,,' are layiu' In the lobby. 1 hey near got jue a iniuut ago.' "He had a cleverness of his own. Ho : imK..ctcd that I had i""ro wish to fa,.,. Hie Inspectors U,,,. b- bad. And I h.nl no reason lo (h.iil.t U.al . ' . lie made heavy weather of it. clinging for mluuteJ at i time, doubtless in dizzy terror, for tho man bad no more spirit than a bug. ' Meanwhile I scauned the lower surface eagerly for some sign of Wcldstonc. It was upon him that I counted now, but I could uot find bim "Down and down went Lally, chocking whenever tho wind caught hi in and whirled bim against tbe flank of the office building and winning a few rounds ut Intervals. He had nearly reached the bottom when I saw 'i Mark, squat figure swarm up to the lop of a low chimney Just beyond the sjMt where LnMy would alight, and poixo there. Then the climber touched the roof nnd In that Instant Wehtslonc, for Jt was be ambushed iijmiu the chimney, leaped wllh uptlung iuiii. There came the sound of a struggle, aud I hurried hur-ried away, leaving Lally the lak of explaining to his Infuriated employer that bo was ljilly and not me" "But the satchel, with tho money?" broke In Laxton. Lax-ton. "Did you let hlin get clear away with that?" "He hadn't f lino to get a hand on tho satchel." returned re-turned Bdi-eh with a smile, 'in the second's delay when I held Lally off 1 managed to fasten tho end of a leueth of twine into one of tho rings of tlio handle. 1 had hoped he might bold It In Ills nioiiih while descending. de-scending. When Weldstoue grabbed hlin It , -might on Lany wrist for a luoiLenl longer, but It came loose In" tho .-.(niggle. 1 don't think Weldstoue even saw bis pit-cfous satchel datiec away skyward I passed tho Inspectors as they eaiuo up In tho elevator. . "I was sorry Hale was not on band to uliare.my evidolt nud (ho proved. But I thluk I squared part of the act omit for him." ' , |