The Winslow mail., 1901-02-14
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
& 81
: THE STURGIS WAGER {
9 A DETECTIVE STORY. e
e - n
y BY EDGAR MORETTE 4
G Copyright, 1899, by Frederick A. Stokes Co. y
S&S&@&S&S@ @G&@&e&4&H
CHAPTER XII.-CoNTINUED.


favor my blunder had been made. Had
l not been laboring under great excite
ment, it is likely that my suspicious would
have been aroused by the strangeness of
W1thers presence in Chatham's room. The
two men received me pleasantly, and the
alleged Withers, even before could broach
the subject, expressed his regret at hear
ing of the error which had been commit
ted, and assured me of his willingness to
reimburse the bank; but-ahi there was an
omlnouS but He was short of ready
money just then; everything he had was
tied up in promising enterprise which
was bound to bring in magnificent profit
In the course &C few days if only he could
raise few paltry hundreds to enable him
to'hold out little longer. If he failed
to scrape together this small amount, all
would be lost Insidiously and relentless
ly they drove ME toward the trap they had
prepared and 1 was weak enough to fall
into it. Before the interview was over,
[ had consented to allow Withers to still
further overdraw his account, and I had
received his solemn promise to refund be-
fore the end of the week, the entire amount
he owed the bank. Then Chatham suggest
ed that it would be wiser to let the sec
ond overdraft come from another ac-
count. Withers agreed with him and stated
that the check could be made in the name
of Henry Seymour, relative of his who
mad recently opened a small account with
the Knickerbocker bank. I strongly OBJ
Jected TO sharing the secret of my infamy
with any others; but finally allowed my
self to be overruled by the plausible scoun-
drels into whose clutches 1 had fallen.
The next day 1 took my first step in
crime, by making such entries would
insure the honoring of Seymour's check.
After that was completely in the power of
these two men. 1t was not long before
discovered that 1 had been their dupe.
g .z,11s H.
WltherS; for this man, few days later,
made large deposit, which more than
covered his previous overdraft. The false
Wlthers was Henry Seymour himself.
AS soon as had committed a felony. it
became unnecessary for Seymour to keep
up any further pretense of desire to re-
fund the money 1 had helped him to steal.
L was now in the meshes of crime as deep
ly as my accomplices; and, from that time
TO this they have forced me to act as their
cat S-paw. During this period of two years
the bank has been robbed in this way of
over $25O,OOO every cent of which has
gone to Chatham and Seymour.
You can perhaps imagine what hell
my life has been during that time. With
prison and disgrace staring me in the face;
and with the absolute conviction that ex-
poSure must inevitably come sooner or
later, l have suffered the torture of the
damned. AT the bank, 1 have been in a
perpetual state of suspense. l have start
ed at every word spoken to me; have
seen suspicion in every glance which has
met mine; have trembled and paled at
every approach of one of the officers of the
bank. And yet I have not dared to alb
sent myself from my desk for an hour lest
an examination of my books during my
absence should reveal my crime have
been the first to reach the bank in the
morning, and the last to leave it at night;
i t9l ho faI min
during the day which would have been re-
qulred to enable me to obtain a hurried
meal On one preteXt or another, during
the last two years, have had to forego my
annual vacation. I have dragged myself
to my post when l was so i'll that could
hardly stand, because 1 could not afford
to have anyone take charge of my books
for even an hour. And all that time, with
a full realization of my degradation and
infamy, 1 have been forced to continue my
frauds, knowing that each one brought
me nearer to the inevitable final exposure;
but knowing equally well that a refusal
On my part to continue my stealing would
result in an instant betrayal by my &C
completes.
AT last further concealment became i'm
possible. A week ago the yearly eXamina-
ton of the books took place. The expert
accountant employed was, as usual, Thomas
Chatham and of course, as usual. his re-
u,
therefore, as though discovery could be
postponed little longer; when suddenly,
this morning, We were informed that a
change in the system of bookkeeping would
be adopted after the 1St of January. saw at
once that all was over. The discovery of
my crime is now matter of hours. must
be out of the way before the crash comes
or L am doomed. 1 can already see the
felon's stripes upon my back; the clang of
the prison gates ring in NV earc
Il am too dazed to think; but feel that
my only escape is in death. And yet cling
to life. know that the happy days of the
past are gone forever; and yet feel a sort
of numb relief at the thought that the
worst is now certain to come, and to come
at once.
Il have carefully prepared my flight, so
that shall have plenty of time to reach
a place of safety. Once there, L shall be
free from pursuit; but 1 shall be an exile,
and shall carry with me to the grave the
burden of my SIM
1.-The most bitter pang in my remorse is
caused by the thought of the great wrong
| have done you, dear wife. You will now
be forced to face the world not only I'M
protected by the one whose duty and whose
desire it was to smooth the way for you;
but, what is worse, oppressed by the bur-
den of his sin.
What little money have left in the saw
inSs bank have transferred to your name.
You may use it all with a clear conscience;
Tor every dollar of it was honestly mine. l
swear l have never had single cent of the
money have stolen. 1t has all been drawn
by Henry Seymour, and used L know not
how.
AS soon as 1 am settled in the place to
which am going l shall try, as far as lies
in my power, to redeem my past by a life of
honest labor; and hope to be able to con-
in 10
Oh! my wife! my darling wife! Would
that the past could be blotted out, and that
l could once more place my hand in yours.
an honest man. Though you may find it
hard to forgive me now, perhaps in time
you may be able to think gently of him who
through all his crime and degradation has
remained
Your devoted husband,
JOHN w. ARBOGAST.
My safety depends upon your keeping
the contents of this letter secret for at
least three days. After that time, please
send to Mr.. Dunlap, president of the Knick-
erboc1er bank, the inclosed papers, which
VIII reveal to him the full extent of my de-
falcationS.
Il do not hesitate to betray Chatham and
Seymour; they did not scruple to ruin me.
L have sent for Chatham, and shall give
him warning of my intended flight. If he
sees fit, he can take such steps as he may
choose to escape his own richly deserved
punishment"
While Sturgis was reading Arbogast's
letter, Dunlap, restlessly pacing the
room, had observed him furtively.
"Well?" he now inquired, stopping
before the reporter, what do you think
of that?''
Poor woman!" exclaimed Sturgis,
feelingly; sit is terrible to think of