Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-03-27

the lid OF Aldens desk. It was fairly
rlear on its working surface and the
pigeonholes did not look promising, so
tt random Elmendorf opened little
drawer in which. under some papers
which seemed to have lain there long
time. he found an envelope addressed
in typewriter characters to John Rob-
inson.
The envelope looked fresh and the
papers on top of 1t did not. The infer
ence that the thing bad been slid into
q little used drawer and under those
old documents for purposes of conceal
ment was as easy as possible. Elmen-
dorf closed the drawer and the lid Of
the desk and walked to the window
with the envelope In his hand. 1t
looked suspicious. and the detective
gently murmured that he would
chance it,"
With the thin blade of penknife he
very adroitly raised the gummed lap
pet without inficting any injury
which could not be repaired. The en-
velope contained five. 500 bills
wrapped in a blank sheet of the firms
paper.
Despite the coincidence of amounts,
this was not necessarily the money
mentioned in Alden's note to Elsie. If,
for instance, Mr. Robinson should say
that be had frugally laid by that sum,
and had thought his employers desk
the safest place for it, the statement
would be equally hard to believe or to
disprove For this reason Elmendorf
scrutinlzed the bills with an eager eye,
and when he found upon one of them
a peculiar mark. as if 4 word of
strange language had been scrawled
there. he was more than pleased.
Raising the lower sash of the window,
he made a mirror of the glass by hold
ing the cuff of his black coat against
it Placing the bill before this mirror,
he beheld the strange word reversed.
and it became legible as Clarence"
"The signature was blotted against
tlfe money" said he. "It couldn't be
anything else The bills were folded
into the note while the signature was
wet, and of course it printed itself on
one of them"
If Robinson had entered the room at
that moment, be would have been ar
rested for attempted murder, but he
did not come in. Whether this was his
luck or Elmendorf's may be hard to de-
termine.
The detective sat down by Alden's
desk. holding the money in his hand.
His face wore look of triumph. but 1t
was not pleasant to see, for the resent
ment which this crime had inspired in
him was burning in his heart. He was
not the hunter who does a days work
in the woods and counts his gains with
dull interest al nsgsst- he was the nan
who has caught the wolf that killed the
pet lamb.
But there came a slow change upon
him. His face was puckered around the
eyes, and his lower lip got between his
teeth Presently with hasty hand be
scribbled upon a sheet of paper this
sentence:
For further particulars inquire Of William FL
mendorf New York detective bureau, 800 Null
berry street.
This message he inclosed instead of
the money in the envelope, which he
CdEGl ulIy Liz hCio ~
upon two fingers for moment, eying
1t critically Then be replaced it in the
drawer under the papers.
The knife with which he had opened
the envelope was lying open upon the
desk He picked it up. pulled down
the desks lid and drew out one of the
sliding leaves, upon which he beat out
a gentle tune with the point of the
knife blade. He had worn little hole
in the wood without being aware Of 1t,
when he heard Robinson's voice just
outside the door.
Elmendorf suddenly gripped the knife
hard and set the point upon the back
of his left hand Then with bit of
laugh he shifted the knife to his left
hand and slowly. steadily pressed the
blade down upon the other. This Spar
tan act was accompanied by much
wrinkling of the forehead and few
hard words softly uttered When Rob-
inson opened the door, the knife was
living on the floor and Elmendorf was
striding toward bowl In the corner.
Dropped my knife on the back of
my hand" he said SHARP blade. and
it went in deep"
Robinson came forward hastily and
viewed the injured member, from
which a steady stream of blood was
llowing
"Bleeds like the deuceP' said he.
You must have cut an artery"
Elmendorf looked keenly at Robin
son, holding his hand meanwhile in a
stream Of cold water.
1T will stop in half a minute" said
the detective. "lf you'll pull my hand
kerchief out Of my pocket and tear off
couple of strips. Wen tie it up"
Robinson assisted in this operation,
by request, but he was awkward and
nervous and seemed not to relish the
sight of blood When 1t was done, Ell
mendorf thanked him cordially. asked
few trivial questions and departed
Half an hour later be delivered the
five 500 bills to the chief of the de-
tective bureau, with full report upon
the manner in which they had come
into his possession and the method by
which be had succeeded in Identifying
one OF them.
CHAPTER XI.