The San Francisco call., 1903-09-27

donsr'
You may" Howard said, scarcely
above his breath, for he was much af-
fected by what the lawyer said. and the
manner In which he had been speaking.
do you chance to know for what pur-
pose your father borrowed nve thousand
dollars on the day Of his death?"
Howard, as he answered earnestly, could
not see the eagerness with which the law
yer waited for his words.
1T do not know. They made inquiries Of
mo at the time, but could give no infor-
mation-not even hint, then or now"
He did not speak to you Of purposer
mo"
''Yet he was accustomed to tell you OF
his plans in advance7"
Very freely"
'Then 1t was q suddenly formed plan-
At the savings bank where he transacted
the loan with an official who was his
friend he only laughed when he was
asked what he wanted so much money
for Therefore It was for some purpose
he did not wish to disclose. We may in
fer, from what we know Of DR.. Paxton's 3
nature and character, that the probable
cause for not wanting to let the bank peo-
pie know what he was going to do with
the money was that he was going to do a
favor to some one-make an emergency
accommodation-to q person who did not
Can you suggest any one to whom your
father would have made such loanY'
mo, cannot" Howard replied, breath
lessly following tho others reasoning.
1.-THE sum was a large one, for trans
actions in White River at that time-a
very large one. Have you no Idea to
whom your father gave that sum on that
day7"
your information is aAfault SIR said
Howard Whatever my fathers inten-
tions were, they were not carried out;
the money was stolen from his body"
'The hasty and unwarranted conclu-
sion of incapable officials. That money
was not upon your fathers person when
he met with that most unhappy acci-
dent"
What makes you think thatr' cried
Howard, astonished.
"I speak from positive information. The
interest 1 represent has a carefully or
ganized detective service, one branch OF
which protects its freight cars from
tramp depredations. Members OF that
branch Of the service go about the coun-
try with tramps and are supposed to be
tramps by their companions. Through
that branch I have learned that your
father carried no large sum OF money that
night His body was robbed, as you
know. The two robbers were tramps, one
Of whom took his watch, and the other
search Of the Doctors clothes revealed
The man with the watch was arrested,
as you know, and sent to prison The
other man got a pocketbook containing a
few dollars, and a memorandum book IN
which your father noted the places where
he was to call on his rounds. have that
book. Every one OF the entries under the
date of his death we found to be pa
tients, except one. That one is Isaac
Bunton. Does that suggest anything to
your"
mo"
''The entry We have not inquired into
for we dare not yet-reads, Isaac Bum
ton, p. m That was after the hour your
father drew the five thousand dollars
Think. young mani Does this suggest
nothing to your
Nothing" Howard said. startled at
the sudden vehemence OF the speaker
The lawyer sighed as in disappointment
and was silent for some time before he
resumed, now speaking calmly: Isaac
Bunton made considerable purchase of
pig iron on that day, but we are baked
In our EFFORT to learn the particulars of
the banking transaction involved because
his father has become director of the
bank, and that avenue of information IA
closed to u.s."
'You have amaxed mo by what you
say," Howard said, as the lawyer ceased
speaking. IF Isaac Bunton did borrow
that money from my father, why has he
not returned it7 The fact that he has not
returned 1t shows your suspicion to be
unfounded. 1t is small sum for him."
The lawyer, paying no attention to this
guileless remark, suddenly asked, did
you know clerk In Buntons ofics
named Lawton7"
Howard laughed; relieved to have the
strain he had been under removed by this
unexpected summoning Of poor Harry's
harmless spirit. 'I knew him always.
He WAS q schoolfellow Of mine until I
went into the high school. When poor
Harry struggled somehow through the
grammar school he went as clerk into
Mr.. Bunton's Office"
why Buntons Office
HE was q favorite OF Mrs. Bunton's.
She was always q kind hearted woman.
and had Harry's homelessness on her
mind"
What sort was he7'
"a simple fellow. Perhaps II he had
lived in New York. under congenial cir
cumstances, he would have developed
successfully as a society Clown
mot young man Bunton would have
sent on business trip into the valley p
II should think not. In the office he
was something like tally clerk and mes
senger."
Messenger Um-m! Did you ever hear
what he was doing down in the valley
when he was killed and Isaac Bunton
alone identified his body?'
Howard said that his fathers death
made him unmindful of all other events
at that time.
There was something uncanny In the
way the lawyer ratified of detail after
detail of seemingly unimportant and un-
related events. all showing an astonishing
familiarity with Isaac Buntons move
ments.
When Bunton moved from the part of
your town called the Flats to the Heights
you and your sister ceased to visit the
Buntons, after q time-you must not
think me impertinent in this or any other
question l ask-was there any special
cause for thatT'
''Only that we were no longer invited
there" Howard answered.
Mr.. Paxton" the lawyer said, rising,
'I need not say to you how deeply I am
concerned to learn the motive behind
Bunton's action in this matter Of the
mining land. The questions have asked
you show that to you. You have helped
me-yes, 1 think you have helped me