The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1897-06-26

"he'ee safe enough, fsild me aetee-
tive. gruiIly. And NOW, sir, III detail to
you what propose
60 on" said Mr.. Cardew, quietly. Il
am listening. Whatever you propose
in reason shall be carried ont. and |
am resolved to discover the calprit con
eerned in all these disgraeeful thefts,
even il it costs me ( ! 900 to do IL
The detective gave the partner
somewhat eontemptnous look, a.
though he despised him for his display
of excitement. Then he said. very
slowly and deliberately:
What | propose is this. sir. Next
Saturday morning. III II o'clock. leave
on a conspicuous part of your desk in
this room your purse. Let II be well
filed with gold-not with notes-for
thieves often fight shy Of notes for CD
vious reasons. Notes have numbers
and numbers are awkward things some
times. Let the gold. therefore, be the
only thing in the purse, aud leave II
as / have said where everyone can see
il. You might scatter one or Two other
articles of personal property, such as a
handkerchief. a eigar-ease, etc, on the
desk. so as to give the business an IN
prearranged appearance. Having done
all this. let it be known that you are
going out and will not be back for
few hours. Come back at one, and see
If the purse is still on the desk. If IL
is not. send downstairs for me, and |
shall be in waiting at the door with
couple of plain-clothes men. Your next
action will be to have every door IN
the place locked. and allow nobody TO
leave until he has been thoroughly
searched If you have eloak-room or
bat-room. that must be searched also,
as it is quite as likely the thief would de-
post the stolen property in his over
coat as anywhere else"
Mr.. Cardew rose and paced the room
excitably.
"My dear SIR" he said, speaking in
quick. nervous tone, Il really don
think | could possibly sanction such a
course as that. 1t is most un-English-
most arbitrary-most humiliating.
"Doubtless it is returned the other,
coolly; but it's about the only way |
can see of clearing up this business.
If you'll allow me to make the remark,
sir, | would remind you that just now
YOU said you would give a thousand
pounds to do So
80 | would, so would. but cannot
/ humliate my assistants, some OF whom
are old and trusted servants"
There will be no humiliation. You
can explain the circumstances, and |
am sure every sensible man-jack Of
| them will see that the course taken is
the only one under the circumstances.
| Besides, you can tone it down by an
nouneing a holiday, or something of
that sort, to make up for their tenn
porary inconvenience.
"Yes, | might do that replied Mr..
Cardew, musingly; sand after all, as
you say, when they realize the cire'm-
stances, they cannot possibly take of
Tense. Well, we'll" and here he sighed
slightly, "if you are convinced that this
course is for the best, take it, by all
means"
"Very good, sir said the detective,
AZ he rose to take his leave. ION Satur-
day next, then, at one p. m. l shall be
at the door. If YOU want me you had
better let me know yourself, as in eases
of this kind third persons are always
dangerous. Goodnight, sir"
lie left the room quickly, Mr.. Cardew
accompanying him to the door, and let
! ting himself out at the same time.
| Then Mayhem slowly took his way
home, thinking deeply all the time.
Here was IL chance at last, a glorious,
wonderful chance of getting his rival
Jack Langley into disgrace. 1t would be
as easy as smoking a cigarette On Sat
urday he would find an excuse for en-
terng the partners room and he would
then take the purse, secreting it in Lang
ley's overcoat pocket downstairs in the
cloalSroom. lie would have no diff
ficulty in finding the coat among the
large number there. for Langley's peg
was No. 66, just above his own, which
was 50.
Then there would follow the finding
of the purse in his hated rivals pocket,
and then, perhaps, the police station,
and the subsequent disgrace of a Grim
inal trial Perhaps the firm would let
him off, but at any rate he would be
dismissed, and his talents and popular
ity would rankle no more in the plot
ter's heart. Yes. 1t could be done, and,
by Jove, it would be done
lie knew that young Langley had
lately been a little pressed for money,
and had obtained advances from the
cashier. This woald make his guilt all
the more paIpable. and it seemed to him
as he thought over the foul plot that
fate itself was on his side, aiding him
and abetting him in the vile scheme
that now was alive in his subtle brain.
Saturday morning came in due
course. At IL o'clock Mr.. Cardew en-
tered the large office where all the
workers were engaged, and said to the
cashier in voice that all could hear:
I'm going down to the works. shall
be back in an hour or So"
Within 20 minutes OF his departure.
Mayhem cautiously approached his
loom, and there, sure enough, on the
partners desk lay small purse. lie
did not stop to examine the contents,
but, hastily putting it in his pocket, he
rushed downstairs into the cloakroom,
which, fortunately Tor him, was deserted.
Yes. That was Langley coat, but he
must make sure by looking in the peck
ct and seeing some documentary evil
dence, to make certainty more certain.