Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1899-11-25
BANKER JECKYLL'S DEFEAT
BY N. 7. cALDoR.

A moan thrilled the heavy mid
night air. The form OF . woman
stood out against the blank beyond,
on the very verge Of the leviathanic
pier. Tall masts Of forests rocked
to and fro like |. afe-s W, DDS, and
black Lu'ks stirred drowsily, as il
drea ming, en- either msrgin CT the
iDky expanse OF the baiboi; and
beneath moAned ard muttered the
UNEASY surge. Two white arms
were flung on high. "a wild face
was upturned to the ashen, litiless
heavens. White lips uttered some
thing like curse. which was heard
by the dull cared Wind Gully. u
Three hundred bells, 10 as many
quarters Of the great city, changed
twelve, and the three hundred iron
tongues we're still for 40 hour. The
hands of tie city hall clock shut to-.
gether on the twelve like q pair of
scissors, cutting Of . day, and letting
1t drop into the great waste basket
of .he pat.
The fa sh of q body in the inky
ter smote on Il e midnight, the water
with sudden shock, stirred squeak
ing ship and leviathan;c pier with
an sgue-like tremor. The woman's
form on the dock was gone.
II it was q taice, then it had q
strange appearance Of tragedy. II.
tragedy, then tragedy indeed it was
with tragic finale over and over,
repeated in the annals Of the metre
polls.
Mr.. Banker Jeckyll was sort Of
animated exclamation points kind
of human inteijection, always on the
point OF breaking out in explanatory
monosyllables he talked 10, inter-
jections, walked in intersections, did
business in inteijections. Mr.. De-
tective Ferret was a tool of his-that
is, translated into. heightened prose-
the stenographic memoranda Of In
terections that formed the dialect
of his principal.
At ten o'clock that. evening Mr..
Banker Jeckyll had sent for Mr.
Detective Ferret on urgent business.
"Miss Vancouver is at Target" in.
terjected Jeckyll.
"Well!" rejoined d. Ferret, half in
the way of, asking a question and
half in the manner of an exclama.
ton.
"Poor thing! I think she'll make
away with herself" ventured JeckyllI
with az Americanism; "but you must
get some clue to her Whereabouts
Immediately. l should never for.
give myself II she died-never. My
own sisters daughter, you are aware,
Mr.. Ferret, the heir SIS OF the ee-l
tate OF my late brother, in 7law,, Mr..
Vancouver
Mr.. Jecxyll looked the imperson.
alton of aDxiety-was for the mo-
ment great grief expressed iE q
single human inteTjee ton; at least,
apparently.
Mr.. Ferret looked up at Mr.
Jeekyll furtively, with, sort OF
diagonal inquisitiveness 10 his small
cunning eyes. Mr.. Ferret. 10 the
course of his whole experience, had
never looked at anybody directly.
His glances always seemed to fly of
at tangent from the side OF bis
head.
"Well,' repeated Ferret, still half
interrogatively, and with an express
sion that said, or might have said
if Mr. Jeckyll had peered sharply
into his face: I'D like to know ex.
sctly what you mean, Mr.. Jeckyll."
There was an expression in the
Bankers face that treasured him..
The expression said, as plainly as
words could have said j.: "Let Ida
Vancouver make away with her
self If she will, and be sure and not
interrupt her, if you should find her
movements indicative of that in
tention." That is, Mr.. Jeckyll sent
an optical telegram to that effect to
Mr.. Ferret, and Mr.. Ferrets return
ed the telegram, II understand slr,'
in the same optical way. Thus far
Mr.. Jeckyll committed himself, that
is, optically-being quite aware that
if it ever came to the worst, the ex
act terms of an optical telegram
could not be sworn to In court.
fro mn CnurTuURnN