The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-12


stir was made when that $37, 900
package of currency shipped by the
Cook County National Bank of Chicago
~ its principal correspondent in
arkansas. the Kaw Valley Farmers
Rank, disappeared between night and
dav. between heaven and earth, in the
+winkling of an eye, as vanishes a
specter and left no sign behind.
VERY interesting case, very said
the superintendent of the Bolerton pri-
waite detective agency, rubbing his
hands with discreet enthusiasm, as he
cleaned from the lips of the manager
of the express company from whose
custody the valuable package had
been lost the brief story of the disap-
pearance. quite unusual, indeed.
We'll have the rascal, and the money.
TOO, inside of three days, take my
word for II"
DO you really think So? eagerly
queried the manager, catching sharply
at this plank of hope, for he had felt
quite depressed over things.
Sure" answered the Bolerton ex-
pert, sure" And he went away whist
ling cheerily.
But at the end of twice three days
he came back and gloomily asked for
more data. He had to have something
to work on, he said.
This rather pleased the manager, in
his secret heart. Indeed, I think he
felt better over this confession of i'm
potence than he would if the Bolerton
person had walked in with the thief
in one hand and the money in the 9TH
er. You see, the Bolerton person had
rather nettled the manager with his
airy ways and his offensive overconfi-
dence. The manager chuckled, there
fore, when he was appealed to for
more facts. The Bolerton person had
quite lost his jaunty manner and
seemed wholly willing to sit as a dis
olple at the feet of wisdom.
Il told you in the first place, Wins
low. you'd find this a pretty tough nut
to crack I've been in my business 80
years, and this beats me, clear. But
no, you were so cocksure. Going to
get the man and the goods think
you called the money the goods'-in
three daysl Now it's a week, and you
come back to me for a fresh start I
thought you advertised that you ran a
detective agency and that you never
slept"
Winslow was duly humble, and failed
to resent these sarcasms.
Il only asked for some more facts"
he said, mildly.
There aren't any more facts. You've
got 'em all. Here-the bank hands in
its package; its messenger gets a re-
ceipt for it; the package is receipted
into a second safe; the messenger on
our Kansas City car receipts for the
safe; he delivers it to Kansas City.
Kansas City opens it and says the
$4,000 package isn't there. There isn't
any dummy, there isn't anything, not
even disorder. That's all we know. AS
for suspicious, we haven't any All our
employees who had access to that pack
age are old and tried. Besides that, one
man couldn't have got away with it
alone-there would have had to be two.
You've had the whole focus under fire
for a week and you found out-what?
Why, that every mothers son of the
men you have Swallowed are temperate,
married. home-loving, good, honest sde-
scent citizens, with a stake in the COM
munity and a good name to take care
of"
The superintendent made a gesture
with his hands outspreading, meaning
that he admitted all that
Il wouldn't care so much about the
loss in money" the manager went on;
this company isn't going to lose any
dividends because $37. 900 fell through
a mysterious hole in it's pocket and hid
itself-but as long as the case isn't
cleared up we are naturally in an I'M
happy state of mind. 1t isn't pleasant,
standing on the edge of a quicksand,
you know. None of us know when such
a thing will happen again. And next
time the package might be really worth
something. l don't suppose you have
any ideas"
The superintendent smiled grimly and
the line of his lips grew very straight
But probably you'd better keep
on the case. Maybe some day you'll
have one"
Then the manager wheeled back to
his desk. and Winslow walked slowly
out, with two deep vertical wrinkles
in the middle of his brow
Brand Mccullough had the night run
on Wednesdays and Saturdays from
Chicago to Kansas City as messenger
for the Ocean and Lakes Express Com
pany. Tuesday nights and Thursday
nights he doubled back. When he got
TO Kansas City on Sunday mornings he
did not have to report for duty until
train time Tuesday evening, and this
delightful three-days' breathing oasis
IN hard-worked and responsible oc-
cupation he spent almost wholly in the
company of the young and charming
Mrs. Brand Mccullough, who now had
been matron nearly half year, but
mad not yet ceased to be a sweetheart.
Ihey had been married when Brand re-
celved his promotion. in February, and
were living in a bird cage hung from
me summit of the ragged cliff over the
broad Savannah, through which the
gentle Kaw flows to it's turbulent nup-
tuals with it's muddy mate. And these
Two young married lovers liked to take
moonlight rides together in the bewild-
ering fight of rocket-like trolley cars
bound for independence, ten miles
away. or the green vineyards
beyond ancient Westport. q place
OF fame before Kansas City
had even being. They liked
10 mold hands in moonlitten parks on
quiet Sunday nights. and once Brand
Had been seduced to kiss her in the
shadows WhHreundar ha had naddled