| Show Below 6 loW the tb Dead D ad Cine Cne in Bankers the ease Case t Double o of U I In n response to the bell of the tele telephone telephone telephone phone on his desk Mr tr Felix FaUx Boyd raised tho receiver to his ear car then called caned sharply i Hello In reply rc ly he received over the wire I lin in accents of terrible haste and acid alarm i Boyd robbery haste Im Smith of God kill 1 me mp You I Then came the startling noise of vi a n nI j I heavy blow as if iP the speaker had been I j violently struck and then that peculiar I l click heard when a distant receiver Is suddenly dropped instead of ot hung in InI I its Us socket a sound readily recognized 1 I by an accustomed ear car Then rather r I more faintly yet plainly audible to the listening man came the sound of a fallen body as that of ot a man stricken senseless or lifeless to a floor Tho The significance of all this was alarming For the fraction of a sec see ond rond I Boyd listened intently then 1 sharply cried Hello hello No answer amiss Felix 1 demanded JimmIe Coleman who then was seated nearby n arby and had hud observed d Boyds changing hanging countenance nce Anything wrong rong Theres tIle the devil to p pay I guess Boyd quickly answered while he hastened to ring up the central office of or the tho telephone t exchange From the clerk there he hurriedly hurrIe ly endeavored to ascertain who had com corn communicated communicated with him The attempt proved pro d vain The clerk could report only that Boyds number had been called caned for through some s me Instrument the number and location of which were un unknown J 1 known and that the tho desired connection had been made by means of the cen central central office switchboard Once Orce again Boyd listened briefly at the receiver but silence only rewarded reward d his effort In so far taras as he could judge the tho beginning and end of what ap appeared p ared like a dreadful crime rime if not an appalling tragedy had been suggested in those few short seconds those wild words over the wire followed by bj a sickening blow and a heavy fall The devil take it he exclaimed im impatiently t patiently as ag he hung bung up the receiver This is what I call can having ones hands tied What was it queried Coleman amazedly am Boyd quickly told him what had been said Raid and described what he also had hadj j heard t tIt It looks verv verr verb much as if there was as something ti wrong trong somewhere but where he impatiently added The call most likely came from one of your jour own clients suggested Cole Coleman Colemun Coleman man mun quickly No other person threat threatened ned ened in the way suggested would have appealed directly to you true truo enough but I have over fifty patrons cried Boyd I cannot rush to all fifty offices at once and an attempt to visit them successfully w require half halt a day In that time any sort of a crime could be commit committed ted and the criminals easily make their escape Dont you recall the name of Smith among your our clients or he one of them thorn 1 No no and the trouble The Theman Theman Theman man who telephoned cried only that he hp was Smith of oC and there he plainly was interrupted by a n violent blow Evidently he was about to add the name of the firm by bj which he is employed which would have told me just jut where to hasten I r see nodded Coleman I see But know r of no clerk named Smith employed by any of my clients Boyd B d hurriedly added the devil de n of It For I feel certain that Smith was In some mighty desperate corner when he h attempted to telephone to me for help Indeed It looks loots so Plainly his last words were ad addressed addressed addressed dressed to an assailant whom he must have ha vo soon seen approaching oven Olen while he tried to telephone to me Then came the blow I distinctly heard and then the fall of or a body Yes yes Smith certainly was S In some desperate situa Its like being on nettles this sitting here in Ignorance whither to turn Boyd Bod nervously added A mur murder murder der may have been committed A rob robbery robbery bery may at this moment be in progress progress ress resa I tell toll you ou TImmie Jimmie my reputation reputation reputation tion Is at stake What the tho deuce am amI I 1 to do doTry doTry Try Tr the directory cried crl d the cen central central central office man jumping to his feet to got get it We Yo may find Smiths name nume there and that of the firm by which he heis heis heis is employed Smith cried Boyd in n accents of Impatient derision Good heavens Jimmie there are a thousand Smiths in the Now York directory It would take an hour to examine the entire list and then tho the search might prove fu futile tile Ule By Jove rove true Theres but ono one thing to be done Boyd decisively cried reaching for a book on his desk Here Hore HoreIs Is a II list lIet of ot my patrons Ill draw off orr half haIr of or It on paper and start you on a around around around round to the several offices to learn If anything Is wrong Meantime I will take the balance of or the list and do the same all aU we can do doSta Stay Sta exclaimed Coleman Your idea is all right and Im with you but you ou can expedite matters if you will tear the pages from the book Instead of or delaying to copy so long a list the stuff tuff Now give me half of them th m and Ill let no grass grUi grow under my feet You look after atter the others Boyd Bo d had ad acted upon the suggestion even ven while Coloman Coleman was making It and sand before belore the latter fairly had fin finished finished finished the two men were hastening from Boyds Pine fine street office each with some of tho the pages poges torn from the book and botn bent bant upon u on reaching the offices of the numerous business houses with Ith the tho least possible delay That the th Interrupted telephone call had come orne from one of them seemed most probable save alone that the entire episode was only a practical joke which nich seemed too remote to be serious seriously ly considered Boyds Boy ds employers moreover com eom comprised comprised many df Of r the wealthiest firms In inthe tho the great banking district and thither r both men hastened parting company as they approached Wall street stroet As a matter mattar of fact fat the telephone call had come orne from the office of one of the firms noted in that portion of the list which h Boyd had retained Yet for half an hour he hastened from one office to another pausing only to glance Into most mot of them and in none disclosing the occasion for fot his hurried visit and abrupt departure Not until nearly noon when whon ho he had almost completed his round and was war beginning ing to think himself on a veritable verita vorIta veritable ble chase chasa did the incident occur which set him right t tHe He Ho was about entering ono of the tho smaller office buildings in Broad Broadstreet Bro Broadstreet street whon just as he loft left the tho side sidewalk sidewalk walk a young young man came rushing through the lower corridor and down the vestibule steps fairly into the arms of Felix Boyd BoydOh BoydOh Oh Mr Boyd is It you he cried pale with excitement Thank God for tor that I was just seeking an officer An officer exclaimed Boyd quickly For what And who are you 1 Im Joe Galvin clerk for f r Hersey Horsey Co You know Hersey sir Theres a dreadful thing happened In our office I just found Ben Smith bookkeeper and confidential clerk dead on the office floor He lie HeWatt Walt Watt Boyd sharply interrupted Half Hal a second He quickly turned back intending to call caU a policeman in case he required aid but fortunately discovered Cole Colemon Coleman man mon at that moment entering enering an op opposite opposite building some distance away A single sharp whistle drew his attention in Boyds direction and the latter de delayed delayed delayed only to signal him to follow tollow then dashed up the steps and rejoined the waiting clerk The firm mentioned Hersey Co was an old and conservative banking and brokerage house of excellent reputation reputation reputation tation and recognized stability though then doing only a moderate business The firm originally had comprised Her Hersey Hersey Hersey sey and his but the lat latter latter ter having died Hersey alone had conducted the business for some som years the daughter retaining her hus husbands husbands husbands bands interest That the firm name appeared In the list of Boyds clients at length hod had led the latter to seek Her Hor Horsey sey s office Galvin your name he ho cried as he rejoined the clerk When did you make this alarming discovery Only just now sir replied Galvin as the two men hastened through the th c deep corridor at the rear of which the tho th t bankers office was located I had t been out on an errand for Mr Hersey J and returned only to find Smith dead c on the floor At least I supposed him him c dead I at once rushed out to call an officer When did you ou start out on the er errand errand errand rand mentioned Nearly an hour ago Was Hersey then in his office de demanded demanded Boyd noting noUng that the time stated was about that at which he had received the telephone call Yes sir replied Galvin He was In his private office with Mr Smith SmithIs Is Hersey absent now Yes sir He was as there Enough for the present Here we weare weare are arc They had reached the office door and Boyd quickly opened it and entered It opened Into a square commodious room the main office about half of or which h was given to an an enclosure con containing containing containing three desks and a large safe together with the other appurtenances ordinarily seen in n such an office A counter mounted with a tall brass lat lattice lattice lattice tice divided the enclosure from the open portion of the office which was furnished d with ith a 3 table several leather covered chars chairs and a small desk near one of the walls At the right of the door by which Boyd had entered and barely four feet distant was a door leading into In to a n smaller side room which was Mr Her private office The door stood wide open revealing re a desk the cover of which was raised though the room was deserted Directly opposite the corridor door was a telephone attached to the wan Avail waland and having no closet or enclosure while upon the floor nearly nearh below It was stretched the body of a a man of 40 or thereabouts prone upon his back backwith backwith backwith with arms widely extended and face upturned the later as void of color as that of a dead man save one livid bruise extending across his brow and into his hair Boyds sweeping glances quickly took In the details mentioned Further in indicating Indicating indicating that his first deductions had been entirely correct the telephone re receiver receiver receiver still was hangIng by Its cord as when suddenly dropped while upon the floor near the prostrate man lay a short but very effective leather blud bludgeon bludgeon bludgeon geon commonly termed a sandbag Surely is fuch evidence was worth of o any consideration Smith had ha been brutally assaulted while hile at the tele telephone phone nor had the office been entered since the crime was committed until the clerk cleric named Galvin appeared upon the scene Though Boyd Bo d had deferred his Investigation of the circumstances s hardly a minute as he was about to begin it Coleman oleman also alro al o entered the of office office office fice Ah he ejaculated You have located lo located located the trouble Finally said Boyd Bod tersely Close the door Jimmie Quickly crossing cr the room he dropped to his knee upon the floor and felt of tho the hand and wrist of the prostrate man The effect upon Boyd was decidedly de decidedly unexpected For a moment there thero was reflected in his forceful clean cut face a surprise almost beyond con containing containing containing All Ah thank heaven this man is not dead lead he cried quickly He Ha is badly done up that is all A drop rop of liquor will revive him Hasten to the nearest saloon Galvin and bring a flask of brandy Lose not a moment The clerk with a look of relief men mentally mentally tally noted n ted by b Boyd at once hurried from the office and the latter rose to his feet It appears dead open and shut It demanded Coleman who had been b n sizing up the case and mak making makIng making ing a hasty survey of the two rooms Yes plain enough replied Boyd Bo d This mans name Is Smith the one who telephoned to me Done up alone here by b some miscreant and the place probably robbed A dastardly dastard crime to tJ say the least and a bold one Where the deuce were the other clerks at the time Cant tell yet We Ve shall have to in inquire inquire inquire quire It seems as if some of them should have been here or have returned be before before before fore now It is nearly an hour since Smith called caned you over the wire true and he must have been lying here hore ever eyer since ince admitted Boyd Well Nell get at the particulars a little later While speaking he glanced at the floor then carelessly picked pick d up a book booe on the table and ana quietly turned it over ver over It was a large volume of Duns refer references references references quite as large Irge as an ordinary ledger Boyd Bord merely glanced at both sides of It however and betrayed no interest in it sufficient for Coleman to observe Im blessed if Ie I understand the ab absence absence sence Dence of the other clerIcs clerks repeated the central office man with a glance at the senseless figure on the floor Hersey also is away n a and the theAh theor Ah Aim heres Galvin with the brandy Interrupted Boyd as m the clerk reen reentered reenter ter d Give him a dose my boy only a u few drops And while youre about it Galvin answer my questions Then we shall waste no time Hors Here Ill look after aner putting Smith on his pins cried Coleman seizing the brandy flask from Galvins halm You give gle your attention 40 to o Mr Boyd Certainly Galvin readily answered Tell me what you know of this af affair affair affair fc fair Mr Gaivin Galvin said Boyd quickly State anything an thing that occurred here this morning likely to have a bearing upon it t Really sir nothing very extraordinary ary happened while I was here Gal Galvin Galvin Galvin vin frankly replied The entire affair must have h ve occurred during my ab absence absence absence sence How many man clerks does Hersey em employ employ p ploy Three sir Smith Is the bookkeeper a and cashier and frequently acts as Mr confidential clerk Besides him there are Frank Torrey and my myself myself myself s self Mr Hersey sent him to Brooklyn more than an hour ago sir to get a bank book which he keeps at his resi residence residence residence dence Boyds brows knit a little closer over his searching gray eyes Sent him to Brooklyn an hour ago eh 1 said he He has had hardly ti time to return Do you happen to know why wh Hersey wanted the bank hank book I 1 think so sir When n he came carne in at 9 this morning he stated that he should remain only to examine his n mall mail as he had an important engage engagement engagement engagement n ment Some person whose name he did n not mention was about completing a abig abig abig big financial deal he explained and that he had an opportunity to place some ready cash at an unusual advantage advantage advantage tage Something over I think he said saidAh saidAh saidAh Ah that probably is why he wanted his bank book observed Felix FeUx Boyd Boyda a bit Go on Mr Galvin How Howlong Howlong Howlong long did Hersey remain here Until about 10 Then he t took his coat and went out saying ho he r might be absent until noon He re returned returned returned t turned in less than half an hour how however however however ever and hastened directly Into his private private vate yate office where he at once called for J Mr Smith A little later Smith came rame c out here and Galvin stopped abruptly with a ner |
