Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-02
Thoroughbreds.
BY VI. A.. FRASER
Author Of "The Outeast," ''MOOsWs." and other Stories.
,co,vr,,bt 1902. by Mcclure. Phillips & Coz
By VI. A. FRASER


ocopvriebt. 1902, by Mcclure, Phillips & Coz
CHAPTER XXI.
AS Farrell had suggested, Crane sought
him at his office the next day at 10 o'clock.
Farrell and his clerk were busy planning
an enterprising campaign, commercial,
against the men who had faith in fast
horses, for the coming week at Sheepshead
Bay.
"Ah!" the bookmaker exclaimed when
Crane entered. "you want that badge num-
Der. Hagen, get the betting sheet for the
second last day at Gravesend, and look
up the bet Of 81, 900 we roped in over Mr..
Cranes horse. l want the badge number;
we want to locate the man that parted
wish there had been more like him"
do you mean Billy Cass?" queried the
clerk.
"who the devils Billy Cass?"
why. the stif that played the Dutch
man for a thou"
You knew hin ?" This query from Far
rell.
Sure thing. He's a regular. Used to bet
in Mullen's book last year when l p~enciled
for him."
The clerk had brought a betting sheet by
this time, and ran his finger down a long
row Of figures.
That's the bet. A thousand calls three
on the Dutchman. His badge number was
11,7S5. Yes, that's the bet; 1 remember
Billy Cass takin' it. You see," he con-
tinued, explanatory Of his vivid memory,
hes generally a picker-plays a long shot
an his limits 500; SO, when he comes
next a favorite that day with a cool thou
it give me stoppage of the heart. ID
II l didn't get cold feet. Bet yer life It
wasn't Billy's money-not a PUNK Of e.;
he had worked an angel, an was playin'
the farmers stun for him."
Are you sure, Mr.. Hagen-did you know
the mann"
Know him? All the way; tall, slim, blue
eyes, light mustache. han like a woman"
That's the man." affirmed Farrell;
that's the man, I saw him yesterday"
Crane stared. For once in his life the
confusion of an unexpected event momen-
tarily unsettled him.
II thought you identiled-which man in
the bank did you mean?"
81 saw three; a short, dark. hairless kid
Allan Porter, mentally licked of Crane
"a tall, dark, heavy shouldered chap, that,
Judged by his mug. would have made a fair
record as a hghtin' man"
WAS not that the mar you identified as
having made the bel? ?" interrupted Crane.
taking a step forward in his intense eager
ness.
Not on your life; It was the slippery
looking cove with fshy eyes"
Cas-" muttered Crane to himself. 'but
that's impossible-Cass never left the bank
that day; there's some devilish queer mis-
take here"
ears.
Farrell had identified David Cass In the
bank as the man who had bet with him
and the clerk asserted that one Billy Cass
had made the same bet. Hagen's descrip-
ton OF Billy Cass fitted David Cass in a
general way. Again, the badge number
11,7S5, was not Mortimer's number as
registered in Faust's book
The next move was to trace back through
Billy Cass the mar who had delivered to
him the stolen money. There was still a
chance that Mortimer, unfamiliar with bet
ting, and possibly knowing of Billy Cass
through his brother in the bank-if they
were brothers-had used this practical
racing man as a commission agent. That
seemed the most plausible deduction. It
was practically impossible that David Cass
could have got possession Of the bill, for
1t was locked in a compartment, OF which
Mortimer had the key. Mortimer had ad-
AANfN NhNS ~ hNyo WCAO hOI Oul VI Ills
possession.
Sitting in his own chamber, he once more
went over, bit by bit, the whole extraordl-
nary ENHANCEMENT. Mistaken, as 1t was,
Farrell's Identification at Brookneld must
have strongly affected the mind OF Allls
Porter. At the time Crane had played an
honest part in recounting It to the girl
He had firmly believed. owing to his
ambiguous report. that Farrell had meant
Mortimer; in fact, Cass had not entered
his mind at all. Even yet, Mortimer might
be the guilty man. probably was. Why
should. he. Crane, pursue this investigation
that might turn, bo~omerang-like, and act
disastrously? Mortimer was either a THE
or a hero, there could be no question about
, that. AS a hero, in this case, he wa.
pretty much Of a fool in Cranes eyes, but
Allis Porter would not look upon It II
that light. She would defy him. Crane
, would commit diplomatic suicide in de.
} veloping Mortimer's innocence.
He could adopt one OF the two plans Il
get at the truth. He could trace out Bill,
Cass and extort from him the name of hi
principal. but II startled the latter nigh
refuse to divulge anything. Police pres
sure meant publicity. There was a better
plan-Crane always found a better plan IL
everything. II David Cass had stolen tn,
money. he must have sent 1t to his brother
II that fact we're established 1t would shoV
a connection between the two.
That afternoon Crane took a train L
Brookheld.
A visit to the village postofice discloset
a hidden Jewel. AS far as Crane was con
cerned the fate OF the two men was con
tanned in an innocent looking entry in tn
: postmaster's records. 1t was easy for hir
. to obtain all the information he required
. the postmaster. with little hesitation, al
lowed him. sub rosa, to delve into oficia
" secrets.
He learned that David Cass had sent
letter, with a special delivery stamp o
1t. to William Cass in New York. at 3ss
p, m. on June II.
N David Cass. the unsupported, was tn
thief. Mortimer, condemned, having re
"a stored the m~oney-having taken upon hin
self will almost silent resignation the dis
Nc grace, was innocent. And all this know,
10 edge was in Cranes possession alone, to us
as he wished. The fate Of his rival wa
,a given into his hands, and II he turned dow
u his thumb so, better for Mortimer that
:. had been torn by wild beasts in a Roma