Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-06-10


detail to Chalmers, and when he had
the foreman returned with the new
headline. Chalmers pinned it to the
wall and stood off and admired it
with the rapt expression of an art
devotee lost in contemplation of q
newly Raphael.
Print it in red," he said to the
foreman. run it clear across the
page. Below we will string solid
row of six half-tone portraits of the
missing millionaires."
Chalmers was a busy man duriL e
the two days following the interview
with Miss Carmody. He detailed ten
of his men to exclusive work on the
mystery and at considerable expense
secured Is others from rival New
York papers. Chicago was drawn
on for five reporters, and he induced
ten from other cities to join his
newspaper detective force. This gave
him staff of 80 men.
John L. Stevens, of Chicago, was
the most famous police and detective
reporter of the country, and, after an
interview with Mr.. Chalmers, was ap-
pointed chief of-staff under the di-
rect supervision of the managing
editor.
Il have no theory about this mys
terry, jack said Chalmers, after they
had discussed the case in all it's de-
tails. Il have certain vague susp1-
cions, but they are not founded on
facts, and they may be dismissed
from consideration"
by the way, has that man L. Syl-
vester Vincent been heard OFF"
"Who is hep" asked Chalmers.
"You had a paragraph about him
yesterday" said Stevens. ''He is
missing from the Broadway Central
hotel. Has not been seen since Mon
day night. He may have something
to do with it. I have sent man to
Chicago for his record"
Stevens went away and left Chal-
mers to his reflections. The man
aging editor leaned back in his chair
and gazed for a long time at the
ceiling. Then he lit cigar and blew
rings OF smoke at the wall above,
as if to lombard it into a surrender
OF the secret. He placed his feet
on the desk and allowed his mind to
wander at will over the dark fields
of the mystery. There was no thor
oughfare. Chalmers leaned back I'M
til the Office chair threatened to fall.
He then stood up, kicked it savagely,
and paced up and down the room.
It's queer; mighty queer" Me-
chanically he picked up Mr.. Van
Horne's cablegram and again read it.
Put Hestor to work on the
case,'" he unused. ST will do right
well putting Hestor to work on the
case. [ wish [ knew where I could
find him.
'Hestor came in here on Satur-
day." muttered Chalmers as he hurled
a pile of unoffending exchanges in the
direction of the waste basket 'sHe
said he was compelled to make a
hurried trip to Europe, and expected
to sail on Monday or Tuesday in his
yacht the Shark Queer chap, that
Hestor. Of course it's only coin
cidence; but I cannot help thinking
about ito
Chalmers paced up and down the
room with his head thrown back and
his eyes half closed in thought. He
attempted to recall every word and
action of Hestor's during the days
Immediately preceding his departure.
Its too deep for me-" he said, as
he returned to his desk and me-
chanically picked up the Van Horne
cablegram. What does Hestor want
in the Mediterranean? How in thun-
der am I going to reach him?"
He turned the knob on the door to
Hestor's private office. It was locked,
and Chalmers knew it was locked.
He sent for the janitor.
'Have you a key to that door?"
mo, sir. Mr.. Hestor has the only
key" the janitor replied.
''Take off the lock and put in a new
one,' he said. eve must have a room
for Mr.. Stevens and some of his men.
Hestor may be mad but I can't help
it."
The door was soon opened and
Chalmers entered. The heavy oak
desk was closed. At the base of the
door, opening into the hall, were a
number of letters which had been
dropped through slit by the post
man. When Hestor returned from
his long expeditions he frequently
found a bushel basket full of ac-
cumulated letters.
There were perhaps dozen let
ters now lying on the floor. Chal-
mers picked them up and looked at
the inscriptions. Three were in
dainty white envelopes and sealed
with wax. Chalmers glanced at
them and threw them back on the
floor. One bore the name of a big
grocery house. Another was from
liquor house. A third from a FUR
niture establishment Yet another
was from a billiard table manufac-
turer. The fifth contained the adj
dress of a dealer in smoked and can
ned meats. There was one from a
manufacturer of awnings, one from
II piano house, and another from a