Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1899-12-02
BANKER JECKYLL'S DEFEAT
BY NJ. T. CALDoR.
ITO BE coNrINuEp)

It's palace OF fligree in brown
stone, facing other palaces OF fill
gree in br"wi stone quite as expen.
sive. Mr.. Ferret had gone repeat
ing as he went.
"A cool thousand Tor a nights
work; Jeckyll has motives that it
WI uld pay me cool thousand to
be able 10 put my finger on"
Mr.. Jeckyll walked up and down,
end talked internally.
"Curse the crea,ure!-curse the
creature. She was always in the way
that bantling Of my dead sister.
They think she's mad, all the neigh.
bors, and fool l have been not
10 have had Ler housed at Bloom
ingdale. ] hadn't an idea she'd get
away. however. particularly at this
hour of the night; and it looked as
if she meant to make away with
herself"
Jeckyll walked up and down, then
stopped suddenly, laughing self
congratulatiyly, and ;nterjected:
Fool Ferret Is, not to see through
mt!'
Mr.. Detective Ferret had at that
very instant ELECTED bis clue, and
was iD pursuit of his game.
"FoolI Jeckyll is, to think l can't
see through chiml'' Ferret laughed to
himself. at is sharp play for old
Vancouver's money. I see IT; but
Jeckyll musn t think SO till the time
comes.'
Ida Vancouver was young lady
of twenty For three years she had
been = risoDer in her loom. under
the care of her uncle AID guardian,
and his selected physician, nurses
and attendants.
sit was mental malady," Mr..
Jeckyll said, aid so said physician
and attendants. "Her poor mother
used to have turns,' went on Jeckyll
"but the late Mr.. Vancouver al
ways took great pains to conceal it. !"
Then, too, Mr.. Jeckyll was 30
SO considerate--so sympathetic.
VI can't have the heart to send her
to an asylum" he used to say to the
neighbors, in his grief-stricken way.
"She's my own sistes's daughter
the only relative lave in the world
snd, ifshe is violent sometimes, so
long as have dollar she shall be
taken care CT at home"
The neighbors gossipel, "How
generous in Mr.. Jeckylll"-though
there were those who whispered sus.
picions, and were secuted for doing
so.
Mr.. Jeckyll had been at consider
able expense to have the back par
lor on the second floor padded care.
fully, 80 that Miss Vancouver could
not possibly harm herself, and atten-
dan;s were constantly on the alert
to see that she did not. Good, stup-
id creatures they were. who worship.
ed the great Jeckyll, and interpret
ed Miss Vancouver's frantic implor-
atiors as to many evidences OF in
sanity SO many times repeated--for,
Mr.. Jeckyl's purpose, stupidity
was just as available as rascslity,
and a great deal safer. The doctor
knew, OF course; but Jeckkyll had
set him up in business. and had on
ly to mention certain little delin-
quencits of his to send him to Sing
Sing. Dr.Quackenbush was accord
ingly grateful, or, not grateful, at
least catious. The great Jeckyll
held him in the palm OF his hand;
and il, bv any means, or for any
reason, Jeckyll should turn his hand
the doctor would drop to perdition
"a fact the validity OF which the
patron took frequent occasion to
strengthen and impress on the mind
of the doctor.
As Mr.. J.ckyll walked up and
down in his Fifth Avenue parlor,
the problem in bis mind was very
simple. Tue plot was very clear.
Motive: the late Mr.. Vsncouver's
two millions. The late Mr.. Van
couver had been nothing, Ter sc, not
even an exclamation point, bu. par
tbenses tnc!osing two with
six ciphers. Had that gentleman
bt en- more than tie two million he
leprest nttd, or enclosed in paren-
theses from the rest of the world,
he would have seen through Mr..
Banker Jeckyll. TO uneaith the
two millions, which by vii, Mr..
Vancouver had burr ed in strong
box, represented 10y Ida Vancouver,
his legal heir, Mr.. Jeckyll had two
tools. One tool, that is, Doctor
Rnackenbush, knew what it was
about, but vas quieecent and pliable
as tool should be. The other Mr..
Detective Ferret, suspected, bat did
not know; and time never was when
cash could not allay mere suspicion.