The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-07-03


| rison, to whom he had never mentioned
| Kredge's eavesdropping, simply because
| be despised anything like tale-bearing
AS for himself, Stuart was sustained
| BY the consciousness of innocence.
Meanwhile, when Daniel Pratt was
making his statement before the coro-
ner's jury, the elegant old .gentlema1, |,
who had entered the Office just behind
him seemed strangely excited. His
hands were clinched, his lips COM
pressed themselves into rigid line, and
his beautiful, luminous dark eyes blazed
| with q dangerous light
Despite this evidence Of his more than
passing interest in the proceedings be-
fore the coroners jury, he was, as we
have stated, an entire stranger to all
present.
Did he hold some secret knowledge Of
the actors in this nfe-drama which
caused his emotion?
When he hastily left the Office after
he overheard the banker inform the
coroner regarding the mark on the
money which had been stolen from
Jason Garrison's safe, he hurried di.
rectly to the Office Of Messrs. Pratt and
Weeks.
The Office Of this firm Of brokers was
arranged something after the manner Of
bank, and at the moment when the
stately old gentleman entered it Mr.
Weeks, Pratt's partner, was behind the
screen-mounJed counter engaged In
counting package Of money.
Producing. q one-hundred-dollar note
from his pocketbook, the old gentleman
whom we have followed strobe forward,
and presenting the note alta little wicket
In the screen, he asked: I
Will you please accommodate me
with changer"
In one moment, sir" replied Weeks,
and he continued counting the money,
while the old gentleman remained
standing beside the open-work screen.
From this position he obtained an ex-
cellent view Of the money with which
Weeks was engaged, and he made dis
covery. |
He plainly saw that each note in the
package Of money which Weeks was
counting was marked distinctly with
~" in the upper left-hand corner Of the
back Of the same. &.
It seems that the stranger must have
acted upon previously acquired knowl-'
edge when he hurried straight to the Of
fee Of Pratt e. Weeks, the moment he
acquired the knowledge that the stolen;
money was all privately marked.
1T is the money John Oakburn's muir:
derer stole from Jason Garrison's safe, ;"
said the aged stranger mentally, and he
thought: - /!
Now, If he only gives me the marked
money in change, shall have the evil
dence that the stolen money has found
its way into the possession OF these vul-
lures. Are these birds Of prey the ASP
sassin's accomplic s?ss.=~-4- 49,
In moment OF So Weeks had counted
the marked money, and then he picked
up the one hundred dollar note which
the stranger had placed upon the coun-
ter.
How will you have it2" he asked. !
In two f1fties, please" replied the
other, who had seen notes Of that de-
nomination in the package Of marked
money.
The stranger repressed the excitement;
he felt at this moment Of suspense, as
Weeks turned to the package Of marked
money. That he meant to give him two
notes from that package in exchange for
the one hundred dollar note was plain,
for he began to run over the notes In
search Of the denominations required.
In moment he found them. q,
With the two marked fifty dollar notes:
in his hand. he was coming to the wicket
TO hand them to the stranger, when che,
door of the private department Of the
Office, which was behind the counter,
was dashed open and Pratt rushed in. t
Springing to his partners side, he
seized his arm, and Kissed in a whisper
some communication which he did not
hear.
Weeks uttered an oath and dropped
the two marked fifty dollar notes back
among the balance Of the marked money.
Then he unlocked the money drawer,
and, taking out two other unmarked
notes, he spitefully threw them at the
aged stranger.
The latter secured them and turned to
the door.
Glancing back over his shoulder. he
saw Pratt and Weeks hastily gathering
up the marked money.
Pratt was just in time to foil my plan
to obtain some Of the marked money.
They know the secret now. That scoun-
drel Kredge must have brought them the
information, muttered the stranger.
There was q telegraphic stock indi-
Gator" near the door, and the aged gen.
tleman paused to consult the tape"
Al! Four hundfed shares 81 the Chi
cago and Alton Railroad stock at two
hundred and twenty-five dollars to be
delivered at the sellers option, at any
time within sixty days." muttered the
old gentleman; and the readiness with
which he translated the legend on the
indicator take" told that he was 10
novice in the stock market.
Leaving the establishment Of Messrs.
Pratt & Weeks, he returned to the
office, where the inquest was still in
progress. S-:-=----'''-
. As he passed along the side of the
building occupied by the firm of Pratt i
Weeks he saw Levi Kredge emerge from
the private entrance to the office.
he therefore possessed the positive
oertitude that the janltor had brought
the scheming brokers the news that the
stolen money was marked.
This affair is growing more and more
mysterious. Kredge must have known
that the stolen money was in the pos
session of Pratt and Weeks. Ee Is
their spy, that is clear, he thought.
When he arrived at Garrison's office,
again, he did not Immediately enter the
building, and while he stood before it,
he saw Pratt approach and gain entrance
to the office. He then entered himself,
as stated.
At the conclusion Of the inquest, the
mysterious old gentleman, who was Sc
l. l;,o1o1p IN hn ~