'•Have You Any Idea cf How He Bicame Possessed of the Key to th»
House Which I Saw Him Have Yesterday ?"
WijOfe lash of f
IJCIRCIMSTANCE
fflmvt HARRY IRVING GREENE _
Aulhor of thx» Wilderness"
IllusTrrvtiona l>> O. Kv/tluef
tuo W.Q.OHAI'MAH *"fc
SYNOPSIS.
Aimer i£«H!day. a miserly millionaire, j
1s (oun(*. gagged, bound and insensible in
liii rr.om. Ids safe rifled and $40,000 miss- ,
itiy Tlie thread of the story is taken up j
by )ifs nephew Tom. Living in the same j
house an other relatives: reckless Bruce |
IJalJlriay and pretty f'lare Winton. Bruce, j
who Is a bond broker, hus been trying to ;
raise SlO.oao to put through a deal and i
Fav himsAlf from financial ruin. He has j
applied to Ids miserly uncle and to others j
for the loan hut has been refused. Tom !
fiends for William L*eDuc, an old-time i
friend connected with a detective agency, j
In relating the story Tom reverts to his ;
acquaintance with a Mrs. Dace, a wealthy I
widow, whose business agent is Richard I
Maokay. a boodler and political boss, i
Tom is jealous of Mackay and is deeply j
in love with Mrs Dace. Bruce Halllday |
warns him to shun her as an adventuress.
Tom Mrs. Dace and Mackay togeth- j
er. lie afterwards meets the woman at i
a hor?e race, and. happening to mention !
that Bruce bad a tip on the winner, she ,
gives him SSOO to place on the race. The :
tip goe* wrong and she lose* her money. I
l<a*er Tom Invests <n stocks, lie inik»>* !
some money, and returns the lost SSOO to |
Mr*. Dace. It is at this juncture that the I
♦fceft of the $-10,000 from old Abner lialli- |
tf'iy occurs. T-e Due meets Clare and 1
Bruce. Vl'- learns that the key which '
riafe had to the house Is missing. Mac- ;
Scay'« dealings with Mrs. Dace make Tom
mm 112 iealotiS.
so<dV. VToVdWH.O.u Jd cmfw mm;
CHAPTER XI.
X -went back to the house. Clare
hwj left my uncle's room and I heard
her voice mingled with Bruce's on
'he lawn below. Uncle Abner had
arisen and was carefully examining
his papers as ho rearranged them in
(heir customary order. He had been
hurt but little, and now that his blood
*as circulating freely again and 1 lie
stiffness was disappearing from his
limbs he was not suffering bodily to
amount to anything. But his humor
was beastly. The look with which he
greeted me as I entered was almost
carnivorous.
"This is what comes of housing fly
hv-nights who spend their money stay
ing in hotels when they should be at
home in the beds which they have al
ready paid for,"he snarled. "If you
had been here it would not have hap
pened. I don't believe there was more
than one thief, and he could not have
held you if you had any fight in you."
"He probably would not have tried
It. At any rate, had I resisted I
would have stood an excellent chance
of being killed. Men who enter the
houses of others to commit a crime at
night know that they hold their own
Jives in the hollow of their hands and
lire prepared to meet resistance with
bloodshed," I returned somewhat icily.
But. the coolness of my tones only
made his wratli flame the hotter.
"It don't make any difference. It
was your business to be here when
you knew there was so much money
In the house instead of running away
like a coward and leaving nje to pro
tect it all alone. And I suppose you
expect you will inherit some of it
after I am gone, but I'll show you."
he yelled. The direct intimation that
he would ignore me upon his death
bed, find that he considered my life of
less consequence than a fraction of
his wealth, turned me from him with
out a word,
I went to my own rooin, where I
stood at the window looking upon
the grounds below. Bruce and Clare
were wandering aimlessly about, and
■»ven at that distance I could see the
norry that lay upon her face- As for
Bruce, he seemed to have recovered
a good deal of his old-time assurance.
B*t Li turued tiway with a
curt nod while she stood for a mo
ment watching him with a pathetic
little clasping of her hands; then
turned and came hurriedly into the
house. I intercepted her at the head
of the stairs and signalled for her to
come into my apartments. She did
so, seating herself In a chair that I
drew for her. "Well," I said inquir- j
ingly. She shook her head.
Sympathetically 1 continued: "It
is really too bad and I don't under
stand it either. Nobody in the world
has more confidence in Bruce's hon
esty than I have, and If he would only
speak 1 would believe hiin against a
host of circumstances. But there are
certain things which he as a man
should come forward and explain. Ho
did not produce the key and denied
ever having had it, while 1 know it
was in his possession yesterday. The
only thing we could get out of him
was Ms permission for us togo to an
uncomfortable place. Have you any
idea of how he became possessed of
the key to the house which 1 saw him
have yesterday?"
"I have not —assuming that you are
right. We have been talking that same
matter over and he says he had no
key In his side coat pocket and never
carries one there. I know that I never
gave him mine, and its disappearance
at this time can be nothing more than
a strange coincidence. He also denies
that he ever at any time had posses
sion of my key, and I am satisfied that
[ he did not for the reason that if he
! had I should have missed it.l don't
Care a snap what anybody thinks or
says; I know Bruce is as puzzled over
your charge that he had it as you
seem to be over his denial." Her
mouth set defiantly and I knew she
would defend him to the last ditch
should I attack him, which, of course,
I had not the remotest Idea of doing.
Instead, I became even more mollify
ing, hoping to reason hini out of his
stubbornness through argument ad
vanced to her.
"I know that his denial proves
nothing any more than does the fact
of his going broke on 'change, or his
making that silly remark that he was
going to get J 10,000 some way. Neith
j er would his refusal to tell us where
ho spent the night prejudice me, al
though it might seem somewhat sin
j gular, and under the circumstances
j be sufficient to arouse suspicion in
| those who do not know him. But the
combination of all these tilings places
him in a position before Lelluc which
I regret to see him occupy. You and I
have often discussed his outspoken
ness, and you have said (hat he did
not know that there was a back door
to anything. It is his present com
i plete re venial of form and his evident
desire to cover up something that
1 ought to be revealed that puzzles me.
j Why don't he come out as he has al
| ways done before and tell us where
\ lie was at the time this happened? If
for any reason he does not care to
! tell you, lie at least might confide in
! me, knowing as he does that any
! secret would be safe in my keeping.
! Then I cnuld investigate his state
ment merely as a matter of form, and
I having found it true 1 could satisfy
i HeDuc or anybody else without going
! inio particulars. If on the other
I hand there is any reason why he aon't
' care to take you or nie luto his con
fidence, he could at least talk to Le-
Due, who would Keep kis secret equal- !
ly sacred, and we would be none the
wiser. I sincerely regret his obstln- j
acy, for even though it dues not get
him into any particular trouble it j
may compel him togo through an or- j
deal that may be unpleasant for us
all. 1 know 1-eDuc well enough to be
lieve that he will get at the bottom
of this affair If he possibly can, no
matter whom he uncovers as he digs."
She breathed a little sigh. "Of
course I appreciate all that and I have
tried to reason with him, but he would
not listen to me uny more t>m he did
to you. He almost swore when I
begged him to ignore me and tell
you men all about himself. While I
would stake iny life upon his inno
cence of all complicity In this matter.
1 can explain it to myself in only one
way, and 1 cannot force myself to be- j
lieve even that." Our eyes met
squarely.
"I am certain there Is no other
woman in the case; Bruce is not that
kind," I stated positively.
She reddened and her hands be
came tight little fists. "No, 1 will not
believe such a thing of him," she
cried with a slight quivering of the
lips. Quickly she arose and passed
into niy uncle's apartments with
head on high. It seemed too bail that
T had beeu obliged to mention such a
distasteful thing, but I knew well
enough that despite herself it was
hovering in her mind, and I wanted
io add my convictions of his moral
honesty to her own. It distressed me
to see her unhappy, but deeming it
best to let her have a little time in
which to compose herself I did not
follow her, leaving the house almost,
immediately thereafter, and In fact
avoiding any further contact with my
uncle (hat day. A little later I had
gotten Mrs. Dace on the telephone
and tolil her that 1 would like to see
her as I was the possessor of rather
startling news She asked me to
come to her at once.
She did not to be as surprised
or interested at my recital as I thought
the tale warranted. To be sure her
eyes quickly arose to mine when 1
told her of flfce crime, and she gave
me her undivided attention until 1
had finished; then seemed to be turn
ing the affair over in her own mind,
for she allowed several minutes to
elapse without comment.
"Whom do you suspect—l mean you
personally?" she then asked me. i
requested that she pledge herself to
secrecy, which she did with a little
laugh that told me that, she consid
ered such a formula superfluous.
"I suspect absolutely no one. Yet
I am puzzled and worried by liruee's
conduct. I do not attach much im
portance to his denial of having the
key and our failure t.o find it, although
1 cannot account for the denial part
of it. Neither do 1 give great weight
to his words about his going to get
hold of a large sum of money. I take
it for granted that when he said lie
was going to raise it somehow or oth
er it was with the mental reservation
that it was to be done honestly, of
course. Also when it comes to his
absolute refusal to tell us where he
was last night I can imagine a solu
tion of that, for when a man !•» under
the influence of liquor lie will some
times do things that he would not
i think of were he in his right mind.
It is also on record that sleep walk
ers sometimes commit burglaries
I when they are in a trance and are
I utterly irresponsible for their actions.
lake that recent case that everybody
: was talking about. The person in
j volved attended a dance and became
j very tired, fell asleep on the way
j home, skilfully broke into his own
| house and robbed himself of money
j that lie had hidden away, and the next
I day remembered nothing about the
matter. It was long afterwards that
J he happened to stumble across the
money where he had secreted it in his
semiconscious state."
She did not appear to be particular
ly impressed by my statement. "I
atn inclined to believe that whoever
I robbed your uncle at least thought he
! knew what he was about." she an
swered with what I imagined was a
faint suggestion of sarcasm. "How
ever, Bruce, being somewhat indis
posed and in an excited state, might
have unconsciously let fall a remark
in some public place, which, in con
nection with his perhaps exhibiting
the key, led to its being stolen from
him and the perpetration of the crime
by some one else." I acquiesced.
"112 have thought of that as a pos
sible solution of the reason as to why
he will not reveal his whereabouts,
and I am certain It will not escape Le-
Duc. Perhaps Bruce is conscious of
having been indiscreet in his speech
or actions and is ashamed to talk
about it.. But this much is fairly cer
tain. It is too great a stretch of the
imagination to conceive that the at
tack upon the safe at this particular
time was made at liap-hazard. The
one who did it knew to a certainty
that the money was in the house. And
| so far as we now know but four per
sons in the world had that knowl
edge, namely, Uncle Abncr, Bruce,
J myself and-—" 1 paused, clearing my
i throat and giving her an opportunity
Ito interrupt me if she chose. She did
so promptly.
"You told me," she said sweetly.
"Therefore it seems to lie between
Bruce and myself." The opening
that 1 bad been feinting for was now
before me and I thrust at It.
"Is it not barely possible that Janet,
'he maid, might have overheard me
mention the fact of uncle having a
large sum in the safe and thought
lessly repeated it to some acquaint
ance of hers?" Although not a muscle
of her face moved, in some mysteri
ous way I knew that my companion
was smiling inwardly.
"No. Janet hears nothing that is
not spokeu to her, and 1 do not per
mit her to have lovers. Besides, you
say the thief had a key to the front
door. How do you account for an
outsider possessing that?,"
I wondered if she had forgotten
the incident of my keys having been
for some days in the possession of
the maid and the possibility of du
plicates easily made from the original.
I hesitated for a moment as 1 idly
turned the pages of a book that she
might have time to recall this circum
stance. but she merely sat placidly
surveying me and I thought it would
be better taste not to mention it. Iler
confidence in Janet seemed to be
complete, and of course in matters of
this kind if the maid was guilty her
mistress would be the last one in
whom she would confide. I therefore
decided to abandon the subject for
the time.
"I do not attempt to account for it,"
I returned slowly. "But as must be
apparent to you. my cousin Bruce Is
under suspicion In some quarters, and
believing from the bottom of my heart
that he Is innocent. I am trying to
evolve a theory which will let him
out despite his own obstinacy and
seeming determination to keep him
self in. I was merely trying to dis
cover all possible leaks through which
the information might have escaped.
I have told Mr. LeDuc everything and
you need not be surprised If he calls
upon you. But he is a gentleman and
you need have no hesitancy about
talking to him freely."
She appeared a trifle annoyed at
this prospect, but after a moment's
reflection, wherein her brow was
clouded, she drew a long breath.
"Poor Bruce," she said sympathetical
ly. "It would be a shame if he should
somehow get dragged Into this. In
ihe few times I met him I learned to ad
mire him very much. It Is impossible
I i hat he is guilty—l simply know be is
not. I sincerely hope that he may
, clear himself without publicity."
"Amen," 1 responded heartily.
CHAPTER XII.
A few days later there happened a
! little incident so inexplicable and irri
i tating in its character that it caused
|me considerable annoyance aud
i thought. It was one of those peculiar
: occurrences that one does not care
anything about in itself, yet which
j exasperates him because of his in
ability to explain It. It so happened
that 1 desired to wear a certain suit
of clothes which I had purchased a
| short while before, and with that pur
pose before me went Into the closet
where 1 kept my spare apparel hang
ing in order to get it out. I could not
'
i !
v^sS^'v
"It Is a Plain, Unmitigated, Unadulterated Forgery."
find it. Growing more and more im
patient as 1 searched among my
things I at last removed all that the
closet contained, article by article,
and laid them on the bed. The suit
that 1 was looking for was certainly
missing.
I sat down and thought. 1 remem
bered distinctly the last time 1 had
worn it, and had an equally cleat
recollect ion of replacing it in its ac
customed place at the end of the day.
1 was positive that 1 had not touched
it since that time and its absence now,
as far as I was able to reason, could
only be explained on the theory of
theft. I went downstairs Jo Mis. Teh
bets to question her about it, and
happening to recall that she had ex
pressed her admiration of it upon
seeing it upon me for the first time,
I now described it to her as the suit
which 1 had worn on Derby day. She
answered me very promptly.
"Why, yes. That is the one you
sent me word about, yesterday.l let
the man have it as you told me to in
the note."
I looked at her in mystification,
knowing that I had sent her no note
and being at a loss to grasp her
meaning. "What note—whit man?" 1
demanded. She sv.ood rubbing her
daiuy Uaudj *ith * towel and ntjcui
ingly a little impatient at my stupidl
ity.
"The note on your card which you
sent me only yesterday saying that
I was to give it to the tailor," she re
torted. I could only repeat somewhat
more emphatically that I had done no
such thing.
She threw down her towel with a
sniff and began rumaging about
among the odds and ends of a shelf.
Presently she picked up a small piece
of cardboard, which she handed me
with an expression of triumph. "Very
well. Just read It for yourself then,
if that is not your card and writing
I cannot trust my eyes, and If I can
not trust my eyes the Ix>rd knows
what I can trust. And that is all I
have got to say about that." I seized
the piece of paper and glanced at it.
It was certainly either one of my
cards or a perfect imitation, and hav
ing satisfied myself on that point I
turned It over and saw written on the
back a few lines, which while certain
ly bearing a strong resemblance to
my chirograpliy when I scribble in a
hurry, were »s certainly not mine.
They read: "Mrs. Tebbets: I'lease to
deliver to the bearer, who is in the
employ of my tailor, the suit of
clothes I wore on Derby day that he
may press the same. Thomas Halli
day."
For a mom»nt I was too surprised
to do more than turn it over in mute
incredulity. Then I turned upon her
sharply.
"What kind of a looking man
brought this?"
"Ho was short and fat. I guess
he was about as old as you are. I
thought at the time that he looked
funny in the eyes, but I did not let
him in the house and did not pay
much attention to him. I am always
careful about admitting strangers, you
know. It is all right, isn't it?"
"No, there isn't anything right about
it. It is a plain, unmitigated, unadul
terated forgery. Hid he say anything
more to you?" Her chin dropped.
"Well, of all things! To think of
I the impudence of people nowadays,
i No. sir, he said scarcely a word and
| I never did like the looks of him. He
| just took the, clothes and went away
as fast as he could, and I never
j thought of it again. But that is cer
i tainl.v your card, isn't, it, Mr. Tom?
j It looks just like those 1 used to seo
jon your dresser." It was plain that
I she was beginning to be distressed
I and 1 hastened to reassure her.
"The card is either mine or a very
clever imitation. 1 mil not quite cer
tain of which as yet. But in all
! probability is it of mine. The
writing is also a fair counterfeit. Any
way, it is good enough to fool almost
any one. and I do not blame you in
the least for having been deceived.
Don't feel worried about it.for it is
not your fault at all. Nevertheless,
there is something wrong about it and
I don't undestand it."l thrust the
card into my pocket and returned to
my rooms a great deal more perplexed
than I had been when I left them.
Hastily 1 attempted to run over, in
my mind (lie people who could by any
possibility have had access to my
private stationery, but was obliged
to dismiss that thought when I real
ized that my cards were scattered
throughout the entire list of my ac
quaintances and that my card case
containing a number of them was still
missing. The field of possibilities In
this direction was too large for me
to form even a remote conjecture, and
1 was drawn to the conclusion that it
in all probability was the work of
some clever sneak thief who had
found my card case and then written
the note upon it. But even that was
an explanation which explained
nothing. Clranting that a petty rascal
had picked up the cards containing
my name and address, how was he
able to so closely counterfeit ray
handwriting; and n ore mysterious
tl;un ull eis«, how did tig X
had been to the Derby t/r had wore
any especial suit upon that day? The
more 1 cudgeled my brains over it th»
more benumbed they became, until
at last I picked up my hat and rushed
out of the house. Having but littl®
idea that I would learn anything by
so doing, I nevertheless immediately
boarded a car and going lo the shop
of my tailor threw the note on the
counter before him. "What do you
know about that note, Johnson?" I de
manded.
He picked it up, adjusted his eye
glasses and read it with a slowly
forming and negative pursing ol' his
mouth. Then he held it forth.
"Nothing at all. What is there about
it?" I took the card from him and
replaced it, carefully in my pocket aa
I made my reply.
"Only this —that it Is a forgery. And
while I did not for a moment think
that you had any information about
it,l went to the pains of coming hero
to ask you. Neither do I suppose you
know anything concerning the where
about. of the clothes mentioned." His
answer furnished me the second sur
prise of the day.
"Oh. yes, I do. The suit is here
all right. It was brought in yester
day by a strange men who said yon
wished me to press it for you. 1 havo
done so and it is now in perfect condi
tion." I looked at him with the in
credulity with which one faces a per
son who makes an incredible staro
inent with a straight face and under
the guise of seriousness.
"Let me see the suit." I ordered.
lie did so, tod I inspected it critic
ally. I could discover nothing amis*
with it externally, and searching the
pockets found they were empty. How
ever, that was to be expected, as I
could remember having nothing in
them when 1 had hung it away, cer
tainly nothing of any value to any
body but myself. 1 had only succeed
ed in thickening the mystery which
enveloped this extraordinary transac
tion, and puzzled beyond expression.
I arranged with the tailor that in the
future he should allow none of my
clothes which he happened to havo
in his possession to leave his hands
upon an order ostensibly written by
me unless the order contained a
secret mark which we then and there
agreed upon. Then instructing him
that if any one called for the suit in
question and presented an order for
the same not bearing the minute
token of Its genuineness which we
| had just invented, that he was to de
j tain him until lie could summon an
; officer and have him arrested, 1 de
parted. What possible object any
person could have had in wishing to
secure possession of a suit of my
clothes which contained nothing of
| the slightest worth, and who bavin*
i secured possession of it should goto
| the trouble of conveying it from my
I house to the tui'or shop was utterly
j beyond my comprehension. The for
j ger had not injured the clothes, as
! some petty-minded enemy might have
j done out of a spirit of spite, and al
! together 1 could conceive of no pos
sible benelit or satisfaction any one
I could have derived from such an
elaborate and criminal subterfuge, ut
terly baffled, I determined to say
nothing more about it for the time,
I quietly awaiting any new develop-
I incuts that might arise.
! The next morning anther <rrang»»
j tiling had happened. I was dressing
for the day at my customary hour for
| arising when suddenly the houso
i keeper's knuckles fell upon the door
|in a series of nervous taps. She al
l most never came to the upper floor
] before the breakfast hour, and I there
j fore searched her face with some cu
j riosity as I told her that she might
j enter. She immediately burst forth in
I an excited volley.
"Oh. Mr. Tom! The house has been
i burglarized again in the night. What
j on earth are we coining to with such
; people prowling all around in the
j darkness? 1 never was so frightened
iin my life. 1 declare I nearly fell in
| a faint when 1 discovered it. Please
come with me and I will show you."
j Oumfoundedly, and with my necktie
! still dangling from njy hand, I fol
j lowed her squat figure as she climbed
I down the front stairs, waddled
I through the dining room and kitchen
j and then one foot at a time descend
j «d the steep stairs that led to th<»
I basement. There was only one door
J entering from the outside into these
I lower regions and that wa3 never
used —in fact, had been bolted ever
since my occupancy of the premises.
The aperture in the side of the house
through which the coal supply was
dumped from the drive into the bin
was protected by an iron grating
which was always carefully locked
after such an operation, and the low
windows which admitted light to the
i furnace room had fixed iron bars on
| tiie outside. The police, LeDuc »nd
j myself had gone over this region
thoroughly in our search and had
found that the locks had not be p n
tampered with nor the gratings dis
turbed; the dust and the rust had
proven that beyond contention. Now
to my amazement I saw that the
door toad been forced by some power
ful instrument that had torn the re
ceiving socket for the bolt bodily
from fasten inps. My hair arose
with a sold tingling of my scalp,
much as it might have done had I
been suddenly confronted by some
uncanny object in the dead of night.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Postgraduate Course.
Tretty Daughter—Now that I have
graduated, mamma, don't you think I
ought to take a postgraduate course?
Practical Mother—Certainly, my
I dear, 1 have arranged a complete
1 course for you lu roastology, bnhe
j oloey, darnology. f-ewolopy, patch
| ology, was-hology, Iranology and (tet>
erai domestlcolory Hun a'ong Ccw
i tutd *st <?a fojj tr«rkte* Ummw.