Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-01-28
CHAPTER vi.
MYSTERY OF THE EXPECTED RoBBER

UHcle john, Salu ne, II have de-
cided to make startling and terrible
fool of myself once and for all and
have 1t over with. If do, you'll for
give me- won't you? / wish you'd give
me permission to do any idiotic thing
that comes into my mind. It's better
than getting drunk, as some fellows ut
college do, and running around with
all kinds of people, but their parents
forgive them.''
told him that it would indeed be a
startling and terrible thing which could
make him any less my boy than lie had
always been.
"Then it's all settled" said he, land
here goes"
He strobe up to a safe that was in
the room, small safe compared to
those in the outer office, yet of new
style and very strong.
In that SAFE" said he, there are
two packages of money. They are in
brown paper, with rubber bands around
them. One of them is not quite so
thick as pack of cards, and the other
is thicker than two packs. The larger
one is on top"
The larger one is on top?" repeat
ed. How do you know that?"
Il know it, uncle" lie replied. That's
all can say"
ut is important in such matters rs
this" said l, ito distinguish between
the knowledge that can come from
reading another PERSONS m;.ld and that
which proceeds directly from the heart
OF nature. 1t is the latter class which
is deepest down in this realm of mys-
terry. Now, l know that there are two
such packages as you describe in that
safe, but If you know which of them Is
on top you must have got your infor-
nation direct, without the interposi-
tion of another mind, for only one hu-
man being besides yourself ever knew,
and he has forgotten. In fact, Pm not
sure that could have told you the
next instant after had put them there.
l don't believe that my mind took any
cognizance of the relative position"
Lets have q look at them" said he
eagerly. IF / should be wrong"-
He did not finish the sentence, but I
could see that he felt the invariable ioy
of the true psychic in any suggestion or
prospect of failure. Meanwhile 1 was
opening the safe. 1t contained moth
ing except few documents of mine
and the money. We had intended to
use it for some books of the Tunbridge
branch, little Independent railroad
which connects our town with the
trunk line, but an unexpected and
somewhat mysterious opposition had
arisen among the executive officers of
this insignificant corporation, and SO
the headquarters remained at the juno
ton. In the forthcoming annual meet
ing this would all be rectifed, as we
controlled majority of the stock.
swung open the outer doors and
then unlocked the inner ones and my
private drawer. in which l;ry the pack
ages, the larger of them on top. l rails
ed them with my finger sufficiently for
Donald to see and then dropped them
back. He nodded many times in n
slow and rather solemn fashion.
Does anybody else know they're
there?" he asked.
Your father said l, adding with
smile: But he didn't know how they
lay or even that they We're in my pri-
rate drawer. He had the combination
OF the safe, but have all the keys of
the drawers and of the inner DOORS"
'"rhe larger package" said Donald
In monotonous tone, as IL he were re-
peating lesson, contains $32, 600; the
smaller contains $4,000. The bills are
of many denominations. don't know
why"
''The money came from several
sources" said l. ut Is to be used in
payment for part of what is known us
the Hackett interest. Mr.. Hackett was
my partner, who died many years ago.
He left Il considerable part of his inter
since inherited 1t. 1t is her Oldest son
whom we are going to buy out OF
course, we can pay him by check, but
for certain reasons we wanted to have
good supply of legal tender on hand"
That's Mr.. William Hackett, isn't
it?" asked Donald. II remember see
ing him here last winter when was at
home. He's the man with the red face,
red whiskers, red hair-everything red,
even his necktie, us recall him."
"That's the man." said I.
"Well, uncle" he returned, II hope
Mr.. Hackett may get the money, II
that's your intention, but there's an
other man after it."
1 perceived that we had got down to
the root Of the matter.
Another man?' queried.
''There is pale, hard featured man,
with prominent ears and brutal look
about the mouth" said the boy. He
has lips that are as stiff and hard as
iron. His chin has little peaked point
with queer dimple that looks like a
shot hole. The left side Of his mouth
is lower than the right. He is coming
here for this money. He is about 6
feet . inches tall and OF medium
weight, II triile thin perhaps. Il can't
say how old he is but his hair is griz.
zled, though i wouldn't wish to speak
definitely about that. for never saw
him with his hat off"
you've seen him" exclaimed.
Donald smiled at me. and, extending
his hand, he tapped upon the drawer
of the safe. understood Immediately
that he had not seen the individual In
the ordinary way of mortal vision.
you think that he is coming here for
this money!" said 1.
uncle, know it." replied Donald
~ know that he intends to get this
money and that he feels perfectly sure
about it, and, the worst of 1t Is, that
1 keep having the impression Of his
getting 1t unless something very un.
usual, something quite out of the or.
binary, happens to prevent. l don't
seem to have any confidence in the
strength of the safe or in our watch
man, and don't know whether II
would do any good to take the money
and putt somewhere else"
"What do you want us to do?" / ask
ed. "Set special watchY'
1.-The thing that would please me