The record-union., 1894-10-13

peculiar determination"
The detective for the first time here eX-
hlblted trace of interest.
ut was to do something" continued
the banker, $50 desperate and yet so
unique and unusual, as to secure public
attention to and sympathy for his family,
whatever the result to himself. My
| timely arrival at the bank alone pre-
vented him destroying one of our huge
plate windows"
WAS this the result on his part of sud-
den impulse, or of deliberations" casually
inquired the detective.
Thorough deliberation, he told me, as
the only means open to him to save his
! family from actual starvation"
"Well ?n
Il examined few letters and papers
he had with him; was satisfied his situa-
ton was precisely as he represented it;
gave him quite sum of money with
which to relieve the immediate necessi-
tiles of his family; carefully looked up
his references, and, within a week, saw
he had the place here in the bank which
| he has since filled with an almost abiect
and slavish regard Tor the minutest de-
tail Of his duties. Why, if you would
just once look in his face-fifth desk to
| the right. bookkeeping department -
and in the face of that boy of his, | even
think the great detective, Allan Dingle-
ton, would melt for L moment into sone-
in human kindu'
''No doubt, no doubt" the latter re-
Joined assuringly. But he Immediately
inquired with some earnestness:
'How about the boy?"
Harry Everett? Why, he came and
went his father for a time, and I was so
taken with his engaging ways, his bright,
energetic and chipper determination in ali
little things about him coming under my
notice. that gave him the place of mes
senger the moment it was vacant. That
boy will make his mark in the world.
II am any judge of character, Dingle-
ton."
Rather fond of him, arn't you?'
The detective said this with good deal
Of searching keenness.
es, am. l don't mind telling you,
in confidence, that entirely aside from
his splendid character, his face is start
ingly like well, Dingleton, almost
every man can open the book of his life
TO well-thumbed and sacred page
decidedly, decidedly" said the de-
tective uneaslly but sympathetically.
ION thai page, IN my book, is the face
Of the tirst-not the only one bless my
good wite!-woman l ever loved. We
quarreled about some trihing thing, and,
as l was only just starting then and had
everything 10 acquire, a man of better
station happened along and
"Of course, of course. You can't al
ways depend on 'em. Just walked off
with her, suppose?" interrupted the de-
tectiYe mpassionately.
es, just walked off with her. All,
me! That was nearly twenty-five years
ago. Well, Harry Everett's face is her
face, DingletOn; her face as nearly as a
boys can be wonlan's! But he's no.
bic fellow on his own account, and |
really think the world of him.
- ust so, just so! Now see here, Mr..
Billingsby," remarked the detective
crisply, as be fussily looked at his watch.
''I ou want these peculations stopped?'
"They must be-"
"Well, won't try to stop them unless
/ am fl ee to stop them my wayv'
The President OF the Trust and Security
Bank arose as II about to determinate the
interview with heated protest.
My way, mlndW repeated Dingleton
quietly. But he added quickly: "We'u
begin by suspecting nobody"
| The bankers face relaxed.
"We'n leave the Everetts out.D
Mr.. Billingsby took the detectives $
! hand heartily.
"We'u just play it wide open for gen.
! eral results, and shadow and 'rnn ont,
every one in the bank again thor
! oughly?"
''Good, good!'
! "And if a suppositious Bank Exam
! iner' - understand? - happened in sud
| denly meantime, 1t will be all right?''
certainly, certainly. | understand.
! be thorough now-so thorough that Won
! will come back here when we have the
right party and apologize for your half
suspicious of my protegesr'
'Oh, sure. sure. Morning, morninpup
Ana the two men of affairs separated,
each thoroughly respecting the other, but
| each as thoroughly decided and deter
mined IN his own convictions.
| The banker turned to his mornings 3
| mail, but his anxiety for the outcome of
the DlhRleIoh investigation was upper
| most.
He tried to reason. himself out Of this.
and TO analyze his own strange disturb
ance OF mind. The figure of John Ever
/ EFT In the court, and his furtive glance nm
/ to his window, as if to assure himself that
the banker had not yet arrived and he
nau not Deen observed, continually
! haunted him.
/ He stepped to his window remarkably
/ as though expecting and dreading to
/ discover him there again. Finally ne
descended into the court through a pri-
vate passage way.
! The Enclosure was formed by a dead
/ wall SO thick and high that it could not
! be scaled from the side street, from the
! opposite adjoining property, or from the
! open alley behind. Huge iron spikes
| ran round the entire coping. At the rear
was small store-house with a stone side
and roof, in which tons of old records and
! papers were kept. and this was lighted
/ by a single window, grated as securely as
PRISONS, which opened into the allev.
/ and the room was entered from the court
| through sturdy but antiquated VAULT
1 door which had been in use in the former
/ bank structure on the site of the present
! building.
The entire arrangement of dead wall
/ and store house had been the result OF a
! desire on the part of the directory to give
greater structural protection to the pres
ent bank vaults which stood at the rear of
| the bank, and were built into and against
its heavy end wall
On the other hand, when Dinpleton's
clipper Bank Examiner had arrived
anu been introduced to the yarious en-
| ployes, 1t was with no little self-gratula-
! ton at his own cunning and discretion
! that the banker had detailed old John
| Everett to personally assist him. He
! had thus been able TO watch him closely
| for hours.
bis almost child-like simplicity and
| directness IN answering questions; his
klndllness In giving information to the
/ supposltltlous official among them and
| his patience ana genial servility in end
| Iessiy trotting between desks and vaults.
laden with huge ledgers and records
relieved Mr.. Billingsby's mind and filed
/ him with elation and gladness in the
conviction that his forebodings were