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Show KAD ST HERE ThenSeelt In Motion Rctft WRITTEN BY GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER Author of Get Rich Qa ck Wallingford DRAMATIZED BY CHARLES W. GODDARD Builder of the World s Greatest Serial INTRODUCING BURR McINTOSH - - - J Rufus Walhngford MAX FIGMAN - Blackie Daw LOLITA ROBERTSON - Violet Copyright 1915 by The Star Co Alt For e en Rights Reserved BUYING A BANK WITH BUNK THEY were not gently floating- downy looking- cuddly b g flakes of snow which b otted out the v ew from Walllngford a window but the little stinging spiteful sort and they hurled themselves at him in files and p a oons and battal ons by count less an ft y dri en millions as f they would have 1 ked nothing better than to pierce him w t end ess pain to grind h m to atoms to scatter In v de and bury him deep Even entrenched behind his breastwork of glass J Rufus felt their enmity and gazed out into he thick hite bluster with unshak ab e g oo n A one and in the du 1 1 ght of the stormv morning worried and at his wits ends e was b no means the sm ling debonair Walllngford whose Jovial face and b oad breas ed bulk had wheedled unwill ng do ars from the r h ding places over half the continent Instead w th his face in re pose and w th no one present before whom to act a part there were deep lines visible tell ng of advancing age and careless youth This morn ng too there was an express on of uncerta nty almost of defeat wh ch while seem n ly new was only the accumulated etch ng of scores of s ml ar moments O the merry merry spr ngtime tra la Ja tra la la croaked a voice from the ad join ng room Hows the weather J mmy? Aga nst us 1 ke everyth ng else repl ed Wal ngford soberly and he glanced in at the open door where only a frosty nose and a pa r of very b ack eyes and the po nts of a black mustache were vis ble above the counterpane no v ng yet of course and I suppose the tow pump s frozen solid Oh the merry merry spr ng Y Oh shut upl I The vo ce in its sudden explosion of nervous temper was so little 1 ke the cub tomiry vo ce of Wallingford that Blackie f Daw quite contrary to h s previous lnten i t ons piled wondering y out of bed to gaze n at h a fr end Immediately he felt the raw ness of the morning he started to pile in aga n but the sure 1 of burn ng wood once more changed his m nd and he darted shiver Ingly into "Wal ingford s room to hover over the little o d wood stove and absorb as much of its heat as his ridiculously lank body wou d take up Feeble but earnest,' he observed of the fire But where s your fuel' What are you cum ng The wood box replied Wallingford sav agely Ira go ng to start on the furniture next unless they bring up that wood in five m nutes I ordered some an hour ago Le me chip in one mattress full of augers nv ted B ackle cheerfully Hon est, fr end of my youth go in and gaze upon the ra sed map of the Rocky Mounta ns upon wh ch yo r ch ldhood companron s ept. It would give the rheumatism to a Jellyfish Just to look at it Why that mattress For the love of Moses quit yammering pleaded Walllngford Haven t you a single ounce of brain In that squash of yours? Don t jou know that were up against it worse than weve ever been in our lives? Don t you know that owing to the tie up in the buret es Bank and Trust we can t touch our funds for days? Don t you know that the glr s are lost to us unt 1 after New Tears Day nearly a week Don t you know that we have only seven dollars between us and no place to get any more? Don t you know that we can t go out and take It away from anybody in a yap town like this and espe 0 daily in weather like this7 Don t you ever stop to think or do you Just gurgle7 B r r r r r shivered Blackie What a raw cold d smal morning It Is to be sure! What a cruel cruel world Jimmy go plumb to hell whf e I dress And I don t hear a word from Fannie added Walllngford look ng o d. Oh grinned Blackie So that s it Well Jimmy far be it from me to crow over the aged but here goes and from his pajama pocket he produced a letter which Wa ling ford sulkily pretended not to see "My dear Black e read that hilarious person Hear that Jim My dear B ackle We had to hurry home for the visit with Aunt Battle and I m afraid we dldn t find out as much as we should have discovered about Mr Qulrker except that he is a banker and that the amount of which he robbed us on the death of our father was thirty five thousand dollars We played book agent and found that he is a confirmed masher His wife ts aulte Jealous She is rich In her own name and would be happier If she dldn t have a hus band She s more hateful than he If that Is poss ble He has a serious affair we think with some out of town woman Watch h m Our kindest regards to you and to Mr Walllngford. We can never thank you enough for working so hard to recover our fortune for us Tours gratefully, VIOLET There came a lusty kick at Wallingford a loor and when he opened it a fellow with a purple face and the rest of him mostly red muffler stood there with a big load of snow frozen wood in his arms First of all he looked for the wood box and finding only Its remains turned helplessly about him in all directions I don t know what the boss 11 say he observed with stiff 1 ps you ve gone and burned ud the wood box What 11 I do with the wood? Just a moment and 111 help you offered Blackie politely and opening the door of the stove he loosened with exaggerated care one after the other of the four top sticks put them in the stove and closed the door Then he place 1 one stick carefully on the top of the old fashioned bureau one on the wash stand one on the broken bottomed splint chair and a final one delicately on end in the corner of the room surveying the result with critical artistic appreciation The fellow looked at Walllngford In speechless wonder then he put down the wood Say he finally managed to whisper huskily I never seen so drunk a feller look so sober In all my born days You gents got any liquor left' They ha n t none to be had for love ner money In Jinklnsvllle Them that s out cant git any for days and tbm that s got any don t dast say so laughing Walllngford produced from an Oxford bag a silver mounted flask and poured Into its drinking glass a generous portion of the sort of liquor he was partlcu lax to carry The fellow gulped It down grateful y without stopping to taste It and It warmed his frozen faculties Into sudden remembrance Oh vs he said Jerking ofT one of his blue m t ns and rea hlng Into h s Ja ket pocket w h a hand he color of raw beef steak m st fo g t trflH Jerry Jertnap bro rM t p fr n the sta on ast n gnt an 3 e rrodu ed a much crumpled telegram s n g y Wal Ingford opened an rn h s 1 ow n d en y eared m X k dhsoltme Jov al laugh for t firs i me that morn ng This was the iKVSax Regards and more regards Fannie It was the needed spur Gloom fell from Wall ngford Ike a cloak Whats your name young man he Inquired Pete repl ed that person laconically v p ng 1 is 1 ps with the back of his hand We 1 Pete Vh ch would you rather have a quarter or another dose of this poison Pete stud ed that we ghty problem with due care Quarters Is mighty scar e he sagely concluded but good red liquor s scarcer and this is powerful cold weather Could I save that snifter for about a hour when th s n has wore off9 You certainly could Walllngford was beaming upon Pete with all his most fetch ng beams now and cementing his friendship and al eg ance forever Then 111 take the liquor It s a bargain How b g is Jinklnsvllle' Well we re claimln nigh onto twelve nun nerd Walllngford contemplated that vague statement n s nk ng thought 'What are your b ggest bus ness establishments? Who has the most money here "Benjamin F Quirker I reckon He owns the bank. Nobody e se around these parts has got any money to speak of I guess un less n It s jny boss and he s in New York Yes I know about him said Walllngford with a smile We came here to see him We we were think ng of "buying this hotel possibly or invest ng In some other business in this ne ghborhood Gosh I hope you do promptly responded Pete And I guess maybe you cou d buy any business you wanted about here If you d offer a fa r m dd in price I reckon " agreed Wallingford. What sort of a man is th s Quirker7 A. peculiar gl nt flashed nto the eyes of Pete and passed as sw ftly away He s all right, said Pete with every appearance of spontane ty but Wal ingford had noted the ind cat on of secret thought and had made a mental memorandum of it. He s sav n up a lot of money for me How about breakfast? demanded Blackie appear ng in the door Just then Lets have it up here Jim Pete looked at h m w th a return of his former conviction. You II get it down stairs if you get it any place and youU have to make tracks if you get It at all because after Benjamin F Quirker gets through, breakfast s over and he s just went down to the dining room Does Quirker live here? asked Walling ford quickly and mechanically he poured out , another drink from the silver mounted flash i Doesn t he make his home In Jlnklnsville This haln t the licker I was to get In an hour from now asked Pete cautiously as he took the proffered glass 1 "No said Wall ngford smiling and shak ing his shoulders its an extra because ; your nose s blue and t ought to be red Then here she goes said Pete tossing off half of It w th a relish Yes Benjam n F Quirker stops here Just now He hesl 1 tated a moment drank the remainder of the I quor and sank his voice to a confident al ; whisper He s had a mite of coolness w th his family He owns the b ggest house In town and keeps two girls and a man and Mrs Quirker never touches a d sh rag nor a broom w th her own hands They do say that she s going up next week and hire a city lawyer to br ng a suit for divorce and all mony It afn t always the rich thats happy You Pete shrilled a woman s Impatient voice Gosh thats her ejaculated Pete and thrusting the emptied glasB Into Walling fords hands he bumped through the door way and stumbled down the stairs An instant change came over Walllngford He hurried across to the glass and looked at himself at the same time unbuttoning his vest and throwing it and his coat back off his shoulders Blackie you Just stand by and watch a fat man hustle Im going after the village banker and for a man of his bulk he started an amazingly quick series of costuming contortions Ten minutes later suave smiling con fldent Walllngford strode Into the d nlng room followed by the obsequious Blackie and, bearing in his breadth of chest and poise of shoulders and general air all the wealth of the Indies he sat down opposite the only other occupant a man of about forty five who was c ean shaven except for neatly tr mmed mutton chop whiskers about half way down his plump cheeks and who he d a little brown leather bag between his feet He was a man of exce ent ease ap parently but at the same time he was deep in study He roused at once however upon the advent of the strangers and Inspected them critically Wall ngford had scarcely seated himse f when the man leaned forward with a friendly sml e and observed Mr Wall ngford I be ieve The same he admitted I believe though that you have slightly the better of me T am Mr Quirker Mr Benjamin F Quirker stated the other I met you at Cinderburg if you ll remember when I thought of secur ng the rights for this coun ty of the Bang sun engine Oh yes repl ed Wal ingford vaguely wondering what he had told Mr Benjamin F Quirker in the hilarious promotion days of the sun motor which never moted Ton were very decent about If went on Mr Quirker What Is the present status of that marvelous machine? Gradually nearing perfection. stated Wallingford promptly sure of his ground now and thankful that Quirker had been 1 one of those who came in late after he had ' all his p ans made for cleaning up Are 1 you still in the market for this territory? ' No I think not returned Quirker the J shadow of a frown flitting across his brow I m taking on no new interests whatsoever 1 Just now As a matter of fact Im letting 1 go of some of them and again for an In J ntant a faraway look came Into his eyes What brings the wealthy Mr Walllngford 1 to our 1 ttle Jink nsvllle Walllngford was h mself once more Up 1 to th s nstant no Idea had visited him but ' now upon demand one came I have rather ! a large flnanc al scheme In hand he said i frowning w th deep grav ty a p an to j counteract the Immense money monopoly of the large city banks which as you know . have for their foundation rocks of strength the small country banks It Is a lop s led i arrangement w th all the favors flow ng ! eas vard In t men of s ress the flnan ial j enter h own n we gh on you and ns you o ho ant d op of yo r flnan al b ood In t npH f e mp h own yo nonoy ba k on vo a nsi (b d e M Q k he n n h n at each period s he w v h ppod h n on B t h v lo y n opoflo to mcly b on II ? tlo he nked j Consolldjite the countrv bjtpks of tjje Md, i die West stated Walllngford leaning back and beaming upon him as if In pity that Mr Quirker had not himself thought of so s rap e a so ution Organ ze a g gantlc hold ng company inaugurate a dai y system of re port and exchange and form a d str bution bureau wh ch s all first attend to the needs of the Middle West and the dictate terms to the East. The East cannot do w thout us and by stand ng together we can make them d vide the cream with us in p ace of mere y g v ng us the skimmed m lk as they have done heretofore There will be a 1 ttle trouble about char ter Quirker sa d musingly but of course that can easily be straightened out I pre sume too he added slowly that qu te a number of banks will have to be purchased outright. I ve calculated upon that declared Wal 1 ngford and I stand ready to either pur chase or consol date To consol date purchase or light, amended Mr Qu rker as he looked at his watch and hast ly arose I m five m nutes late now at the bank Mr Wall ngford but I am very much interested Suppose you come over and talk with me as soon as you have finished your breakfast and carrying his little brown leather bag as carefully as If it conta ned a bomb he moved away with a certain d gn fled ease which made Wal llngford reflect upon him as being probably there Mr Quirker how much do you want for your forty five thousand dollars worth of tock 1 11 take fifty thousand dollars he sa d cash. Cash mused Wallingford Cash again Then a oud with a p tying sml e In o her wo ds Mr Quirker you want to d spose ot vour stock but at the same t me to collect the next two years & vldends Again Walllngford sm ed that superior P ty ng sm e Try to dispose of It at that figure e ther here or In the East he sug gested or at this part cular per od try to d spose of it anywhere at a reasonable price for Immediate cash No Mr Qu rker II g ve you par for your stock but I can i poss b y offer you any more 111 take it returned Mr Quirker eo qu ckly that It startled even Wal ngford Very wel said J Rufus Have youi stock ready for transfer and 111 come ovei and wind up the deal with vou this after noon I sha 1 of course have to g ve you a check on one of my New York banks This last Important remark was made In an entirely Incidental manner Eaually incl dental Mr Quirker rep led That w 1 be perfectly agreeable I assure vou Mr Wallingford As a matter of fact I prefer It that way s nee I shall have to run in to New York the first of the week just for a flying visit All right then agreed Wallingford thoughtfully You d better a directors Then 1 II buy your bank" quietly announced Wallingford the most popular ladies man in his congre gat on A decorous but exaggerated yawn at his s de Interrupted Wallingford s reverie Honestly Jim what are you going to do with this banker person? asked Blackie Id y sticking tooth p cks into h s pruneB 'How do I know7 returned Wa 1 ngford frown ng at the Interruption to his tra n of thought Follow the natural line of c eav age I guess There is money over there and we have to have It Blackie Benjam n F Quirker has a nigger in the wood pile some place and we have to smoke hlra out for the g rls Through the rest of the meal Wallingford was silent turn ng over and over In his mind the features of Benjamin F Qu rker and his words and the chance remarks which Pete had dropped about him. IIL The Jinklnsvllle bank was indeed a tiny one but it was brave in brass grills and marble counter and tiled vestibule while never big silver knob nor golden time lock shone more brightly than did those at the rear of the cashier's tiny cell Beyond the cashier's cage at the end of a narrow passage by the side of the brick vault was a door the glass of wh ch was marked Pres dent and inside of this Wal 1 ngford found Benjamin F Quirker his 1 t tie brown leather bag still between his feet at a roll top desk energetically sorting papers lay ng some in this p le some In that some In another slipping these Into a right hand drawer and those Into a left tearing up others and occasionally slipping one Into the 1 ttle brown leather bag open Ing it with a key and carefully closing and locking It each tl ne This is house cleaning day Mr Walling ford he said in pleasant explanation I m trying to put a great many things In order and it Is a terrific task Your plan he went on "would relieve the country banker of a lot of this burden This was the opening and into it Wall ng ford thrust his whole breadth Inventing upon the spot all the detai s paraphernalia and red Are of the proposed consol dat on of Western banks To his consternat on how ever he found that he was not ho ding the attent on of his aud tor At last Wa ling ford discovered that Mr Quirker was count Ing the strips of weather board rig up and down down and up up and down then the savior of the country s finances gave up In despair and brought his lagging argument to a hasty close And that he concluded Is the plan of operation of the M dd e West Bank Merger Mr Quirker aroused hlmse f as one from a stupor Its a very pretty plan said he but I cannot see my way clear to going In o It Id rather sell Wal ngford puzz ed and discouraged but a few minutes before at aBt had h s cue Qu te dec ded upon that he asked Qu te declared Mr Quirker Then show me the goods and Walling ford arose as If he had onlv been awaiting this statement to get nto real action The lack luster look faded from Mr Qu rker s eves at once and he t rned toward Walllngford with alacr ty Showing you the goods Mr Wal Ingford Is a very s mple matter he said This s a private bank owned by a stock company w th a fifty thou sand dollar capitalization every share of stock being backed by government bonds de posited with the state bank commisB oner own forty five thousand dollars wor h of the stock the balance being scattered In from one to five share lots among the mer "hants here and the farmers in the vicinity rhe directory consists of five Inc udlng my self and Mr Weaver whom you saw at the cashiers wicket as vou came n The others ire Mr Blodgett of the hotel who Is now out of the city Mr R cks the postmaster tnd Professor Rannydal the or nc pal of the high school Mr Blodgett holds five shares Mr Ricks three and Professor Rannydal Lwo Of course this must seem a small busl ness to you said Q rker apo ogetlca ly Mv fr end Pres dent Mor ev of the C nder :urg Commnrc al Bank told me at t e t n o r was ove there to see vou about vour tre nendo n commercial Interests and yo r fvea h N bus nonft h too small to bo of grnvo mno ancfi h d Wa ngfo 1 bo it n v on oav n soomana nhn, o o hh o nun o Pa h og no w n hn m wo h ha mn n nvo n a a h ontr o no h g ?VlJjt of te ojjJJtg device Is Ukely to be rlht meeting for to morrow morning then Of course assented the other equalK thoughtful Very much In a quandary Wallingford bat tied his way across to the hotel scarce y real z ng that there was a Btorra and found B ack e reading I bought his bank said Wallingford forty five thousand dol ars Im to give him a check for It this afternoon A check echoed B ackie On what? w The Guarantee & Fidelity Bank of New York Where you have a three dollar and seventy two cent balance? That s a risky business Jim Why? demanded Walllngford This Is Friday and the check can t possibly be pre sented for payment before Monday morn Ing IV The directors meeting the next morning was as placid and staid a function as could well have been devised With pa nful regret most sad to see the board of directors passed resolutions of sor row anent the retirement of Mr Quirker Immediately thereafter thev passed resolu tlons of Joy anent the coming of Wall ng ford and with immense eclat thev elected him director and then pres dent Mr Wal llngford took the chair as srracefu ly as Mr Quirker had ever done and as o li y even more so Then the retlr ng ores dent made his very last speech to the board as reore sented by Its new president one of heart felt adieu and delicately withdrew from the meeting from the room from the bank and from J nklnsv I e forever carrving his 1 ttle brown leather bag with him and putting it aboard a convenient train the time schedule of which he had determined before he set the hour for the meeting Walllngford left alone with his waxen board immediately outspoke anything that Mr Quirker had spoken in his oalm est days and the board w th keen approbation saw the difference immed ately Here Indeed) was a sliver tongued bank president of whom to be Just y proud and to follow blindly all the rest of their days There were to be many enterprises too and many reforms n the bank ng b siness For one thing merely bv way of I lustra Ion he did not Intend to have idle money In their vaults Why he understood that at that very moment they had s xy seven thousand dollars of currency wh ch would probably remain idle for the next three months In place of that It should be earning them even in dull times like this not less than five per cent Rather than let It He idle there he would take It himself He had to borrow money anyhow In the East for 1 Is ex tensive operations and why not borrow It here and pav the interest to himself? For after all ho owned n netv per cent of the stock Now here was what he would do He would take sixty thousand of their sur F'lus off the r hands fortv five thousand of t now secured by his stock in the bank every dollar of which was backed bv govern ment bonds, and would take the additional fifteen thousand dollars on the deposit of, negot able securities which should be ao cep ab e to the board Why thats se en hundred and fifty dol lars interest vou propose to make for the bank In the next three months Professor Rannydal mentally grading h mself one hun dred Exaotly said Walllngford dryly and If some one will ntroduce a resolution author iz ng the bank to accent my n nety day note for forty five tho sand dol ars secured by my stock In the Jin nsvi le Bank for that amount we will get rid of this little detail and pass on to other matters Come on Weaver he said with a Jovial smile upon h s face but with black murder , In his heart for t me was pass ng and there was another Eastern train due at three forty five Its time you legau to take an act ve part In the new admin stratlon so , separate vour vo ce from the balance of your vitals and Introduce this motion Mr Weaver rolled his frozen eyes In Wal llngford s direction gulped thrice rose wa 1 ed behind h s own seat took a death gr p on the back of his chair with his two hanls cleared his throat and spoke as fol lows nnt Sa hem I moan Mr Chairman ; h ho sav Mr Pros nt I mo o that we on J n nt o d 1 y our ; v n j on came f o o snap of o of M U s second 1 Ing b k f h hp 1 You on had ho n o on sa d Wal : llngford. writing It out carefully and pass fresenied 2y This With The ' ; ftnous Paths' Players ' Ing it across to Mr Weaver so that young man as secretary cou d correctly transcr be It in the minutes Are there any remarks? There being no discussion cont nued Wallingford after a reasonable wait I shall now put the question and ask for a viva voce vote The secretary will please ca 1 the ro e and those In favor of the motion will s gnfy by saying aye when the r naraea arecalled contrary no Ready Mr Weaver Mr Wal ngford read Mr Weaver Aye voted Wallingford Professor Rannydal read Mr Weaver ' Aye voted Rannydal In a loud and eonorous voice . Mr Ricks voted aye Mr Weaver voted ' aye and the jnot on vas unanimously car , ried after which Mr Wallingford apparently f orgett ng the other matters to wh ch they . were to proceed hustled that meeting through to an adjournment In short order and sent the members home with the except on of , Mr Weaver whom he sent across the street to the hotel with a note for Blackie Daw in i etructing that p ayful gentleman to come over at once and bring an empty suit case V ' When Blackie came over he stopped aghast at the sight o J Rufus for the first time in his life Inside the cashier's wicket of a bank and his own bank at that Blackie s first operation was to set down his suit case the second to remove h s hat reverently his third to put the ta 1 of h s coat across his eyes by way of a black mask h s fourth to ap proach the wicket very closely hold up h s left hand a3 if It conta ned a dark lantern and huskily wh sper Say pal who s runnin the beat to night7" Wa 1 ngford was sepulchral gravity itself He turned upon B ackie a stern and for bidd ng eye Mr Weaver he called back over h s shoulder Mr Weaver came forth from the vault his opaque blue eyes never blink ng as he came out of the darkness into the light Mr Weaver Wallingford went on this is my secretary Mr Daw You two gentle men w 11 kindly go Into the vault and count out forty five thousand dollars n currency which you will pack in Mr Daw s su t case making a double count and taking every precaut on to insure strict accuracy Mr Weaver you w 11 find here my ninety day note for forty five thousand dollars at five per cent and my Jinkinsv He Bank stock properly Indorsed to be held with the note Mr Daw as soon as you have finished with Mr Weaver you will please come back to the pres dent s office Yes sir said Blackie with the gravity of the Sphinx, placing his hand over his heart Later when he came back into the presidents office lugging his well filled suit case he found Wallingford gazing mood ly out into the snow storm and counting the weather board ng of the frame livery stable across the alley Gentlemen how d d we get it7 Blackie asked setting down the suit case and slip p ng Into the seat at Wall ngford s s de Wallingford turned to him rather tired eyes TVe dldn t he said The work Is etill all to do Blackie you re to take this money straight to the Guarantee & Fidelity Bank In New York Have it there before the doors open Monday morning and Inform the paying teller as you go in that you are de pos ting currency to meet any possible drafts .gainst my account Forty five thousand dollars mused JB1 ackie Why Jim that only covers the check you gave last night I don t see where that gets you anything Neither do I said Walllngford lmpa tlently but I shall be sitting on the lid here In absolute control of a rich little country bank and if I can t sting Quirker with these advantages, I deserve to be shot We have to sting him All right J Rufus M eald Blackie with a sigh 111 get on this next train and virq ahead to the first county seat to send a plain clothes man aboard and handcuff me till I get all this wealth Into the G & F "Entirely unnecessary returned Walling ford smiling As my old chum Black e Daw gold mine faker a d all round con man I wouldn t trust you with forty five, thousand dollars farther than I could reach you with a razor but as the pal of pretty Violet Warden I d trust you with It any where In the Bertillon district 'For this testimonial of your eBteem and confidence I thank you declared Blackie fervently "What do we do about expense money7 That s so said Wallingford and he be gan to feel about the desk It wouldn t be like Quirker not to have a push button here he said with conviction and finally he found one underneath the edge of the writing board Mr Weaver came In a hurry Mr Weaver directed Walllngford quietly please bring me five hundred In currency and charge to my account Yes s r said Weaver VI Walllngford alone In his room and with Blackie speeding on his way to New York sent for Pete That worthy came to him in a hurry blear eyed and shaken I been up and 1 stened outside the doon three times said Pete but I dldn t hear no noise and dldn t daBt to knock The other feller might a been a durned fool but he never scared xne none and you do Acceptng this tribute to his power at Its true worth Wallingford brought out his flask And I suppose yotr need a drink to taper off on he guessed "Well I have two or three left and he poured out one of them Pete what do you know about Benjamin F Quirker? he abruptly asked aa he handed over the glass Nothin declared Pete a trifle sullenly He s all right and he hastily swallowed the life saver lest It should be called back H s action was only a proof of Walllngford s susp clons Well I m glad to know that he said as one happy to be rid of an unjust suspicion He has sold thirty thousand dollars worth of property for cash In the past month and has not deposited a cent of It In the bank I bought the bank of him for forty five thou Band dollars to day and he took my check ' and all the other money and Jumped on the noon train The effect upon Pete was electrical T want my hunnerd dollars! he suddenly5 1 screeched That old cheater has run oft! ' with the woman In Richfield thats what I want my hunnerd dollars Why she was down here to this very hotel once for a week and I used to let old Quirker up and down ! tho back stairs so s nobody would know It ' was on account o her that he had all the quarre s with his wife The woman In Rich i field is an actressy lookln person and purty 1 as a circus girl, but I never liked her becausa ' she smoked cigarettes And Benjamin F ' Quirker did too when he was with her for 1 a 1 that he was a leader In all good works Old Quirker la a liar and a cheater and I want my hunnerd dollars , Your hundred Is safe enough said Wal ! llngford with a smile a smile this time all of peace and happiness Slowly and methodically Walllngford pro ' ceoded to rack and for the first time in weeks he whistled as he worked Once In & ' whl e he paused in the taak of cleaning un J Blacl le s 1 ttor and h s own to row b- his head and launrh c onlng his nvo ahn nir ! h s shoulders and heav ng h t b an v in ho vas st 11 at this work Pete knooked at . ti s door Theys a lady down In the parlor to see ! irou he announ ed J A lady7 Walllngford straightened up In surprise Oh yes. I see 111 be down ma e'strghtened his cravat -c I wfth a thin So?e and thin lips a ud an ex pression of the sort of virtue which refuses. when the sere days come to live Jonjrer In ; wed ock lest that be an offense before the LMr Wa llngford I believe she stated. In a waspish tone which made Wallingford suddenly p ty Qu rker I am he sa d simply 1 Well I am Mrs Qu rker she informed him sharply I understand you bought my H husband s bank H I d d stated Wal ngford. H Have you paid for t I have How7 Bv check Well Mr Wall n-ford 1 11 fclve too to H understand that the sale will probablT not HI "a-1 11 bet iraoes. he reolled. 1 understand Wt the law nretty well Mrs Quirker and I make H no mistakes The sale was a bonaflde on under the lawB of this state which do not mi reau re the s ernature of a wife to the transfer of stocks or bonds and vour only recourse is I to demand an accounting of your husband. Tou can t make me any trouble I w 11 h m then she snapped. Tie ca Kone away w th that woman he s been rilj nine with for half a dozen years. WHICH way did he eo 1 couldn t tell you stated Walllneford with every appearance of truth in h s chest and shoulder.8 I only know this much, that when I came to pay him he asked for r.ew Or eans exchange and I cave him a draft ri the Cotton Exchanee Bank of that city Honduras she exclaimed. The Cotton Exchange Bank of New Orleans ril tele eraph the bank and the pol ce and then 1 11 start rieht down there She pluneed toward the door At the sill she turned. Thank you she snapped erudeinely and Was gone WaU ngrford resumed his packing: his only in terruption belngr to consult a t me-table. On the tra n he pent all the way to R chfleld In compos ng telegrams and tearing them up but by the time he had arr ved at that thriving Uttl city he hid devised three which suited him, and sent them away m v At the curb opposite the Guarantee & Fidelity Bank in New York a taxi stood wa tine just before nine o clock and in it Wall neford and a ble heavy set man watched the entrance to that famous de pository A second taxi rolled up to the op pos te curb and stopped in front of the door -but no one eot out That s Blackie. declared Walllneford confidently m How do you know?" erowled Harvey m Will s Walllneford s old time policeman JmF friend now on pla n clothes duty . Bv the clearette smoke rolline out of th S cracks of the door windows sa d Walline ford 'Watch now the bank s Koine to open M That impressive ceremony was accom plished by a uniformed porter unlocking th vest bule door fron the inside, and nstantfr the oppos te cab d schareed a tall thin man In a heavy overcoat who hurried up th Eteps w th a suit case. He was eone scarcely five minutes when he returned, bea-lne the suit case with much more ease, and wa about to jump Into his cab when Walline ford s driver hailed him with "Over In that other machine for yoSrs auick 1 11 settle with this driver tin and alL Hello B lly and he saluted the drl er of the other taxi Blackie looked dublousli aero s the street, and the stranee dri er ureed him with My fare sa d to tell ou it was he new Dank president and he wants you to Jump. Blackie with one elance beh nd h m to J make sure that his own driver could scar ely ) make chanee and eet away before he could investieate hurried over to Walllneford s cab opened the door and both reassured and surprised jumped In just as a third taxt came swinelne around the corner and drew up with a jerk before the bank Out of it bounced a laree man with a fur collared coat and a little brown leather bae There s vour party said Wal lneford to Harvey Quick but don t eo near him un less he eets the money If he does, pinch him Tou know Tra subject to heart trouble. Jim warned Blackie. Put me wise befor I drop dead Where in Sam Hill did you. come from and how and why?" S1?,1? 1 fet my teleeram then- eur-mlsed eur-mlsed Walllneford with a troubled look How would I eet a e eeram den anded Blackie lndlenantly 1 h t here last n ht stayed in n v sleeper 1 n orn ne 1 eeed iV.WT " ' ca-e w th me uptown t5 he're" W JSUA" r'Se 8tra'ht Wm?;1whiIt v KeeD stm admonished windo Wat0h n eaerly "t of th. very mtltSr11'1'" ST WllIla JSIJv 1. to do .He n ade 0" a laborious J -.tSS Sr Dtwo. and tore them up wh le h li erIm8sewhiSE; '5 " XS'$l t. Y W eram saw Quirker read and clench his flat A ?ate Cstar?1?0thr,rt1ele"a j' hand hesl jaxe start to parley nk better of it a therMtb4'w,s .foret nr ,n h, 1 me little brown leather ae which a nor er Wadliannedfohrdrried ou hTmat theador " vyauingiords paten e was rAwarni 5ni2? Qu, rlS,r ve a v dlrecTion il mand.1umD '"to h ab after V tmr ve?etwll'rststoodnSn sde 't while Hare QulrlWr1depr?0ldn 8teo and ed aannYaa.n" "d et thl , J It Van t oS?.CW..n? RCk -toflr i anoItnrrrtaeny " ThM Aa,,"nf0rd J stv,Te'ilak0i .ht 1 ptr8,ssrrfldo6t'hter0'burnlr ' a V'' 1 to sell mv l ock for S3 e " and oft" think tl ev can do h.f ca" the don 4 maaoV.0 e I SS5'd W." ' T?nV i or. S.nDDaedeeDeTO ? ck I w r. wired h m in care of ansae n n i his w f had dlsm, L e te er it : to have It .set a od S " f,ken 5 " stopped on th che T 1 d '"Jl Pa ont I e left the cl e k I 1 rt ed h,m ' " ' oouldn t eet a v h i. f,r f r thirty thou-a d h e a r h "!rl tnd th of h s In o n oa hw ! Ln. ,ha 1 wild koobo 1 , a ' t his ( n lo could tot h . , I dlrec o D nched 1 i n - T ,lf 'he d h 1 h m check or ta e 1 ,ft,t o rt md the stoc n "Is. the noy ? onev I and eot .r rn. hr 1 retty (.of o o the bank I lever i" te ' w " ehtfuUv -you ' snow stor 0 aea net ln "aVTforaHarVn ' ?f ' v Whv d dn t I 1 " "a led Id la e d ' " ' ' t a d 1 " c 1 Quirker a of ., " i 5 " - 1 r " e e I n ' K u 'eautif I fnV, |