Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-03-04

l oLYP6t q 1ORcGSs AN
wos made to-day, and it PANIED out
| jaGs as predicted. The account is
/ In the name of ctheofrm. I am going
| to break into Hestor's desk tonight
and see if can learn anything: If
his check dbooks6are there they may
prove something. Itois hardly likely
that they are. What I was about to
say is this: .'You find out If any lum-
Der went aboard, the SHARK In the
meantime have. your men interview
every contractor, builder and archis
tect in New York, and see if any
work has been done for Hestor in the
/ last two years"
sThat is ao great oscheme!'' said
| Stevens.
"Send men to- Boston and Philadel-
phiao On a like mission. I will wire
| Seymour at New Orleans and have
him do the same thing, there. Send
| four or Give men to New Orleans and
| Galveston tonight. Instruct them
to interview every man who may have
had anything to do. with building a
residence of any kind for Walter B.
Hestor. Swear them to absolute Sc
.crecy II ain going to have an in
terview with Miss Olive Hammond
Z tonight, eat the Carmody residence
s'Where does Sidney Hammond
some in in this case?" asked Ste
vens. He isasupposed TO have sailed
with Hestor."' % {
81 do not know. Il am going to try
and find out" said Chalmers. ''IJ
looks as if he was mixed ups in it,
too. hope not. Sidney i6 too qgood
| a fellow
Later IN the, evening Mr.. Chalmers
was at the Carmody mansion. Dur
| ing the day he had arranged With
Ms Miss -Carmody to invite Miss oolise
Hammond to spend the evening Cat
her house, { %
otsAfiss Carmody,'''s osaid Chalmers,
after the formal greetings were
mades ST, knowoyou will excuse my
apparent freedom, oBut dhave some
news OF great Importance, Which ]
am going to teFb you and MissGham-
mond. We should have room where
/ we cannot DE Interrupted Or oyer
heard.!' % 90 6, 60
f. Miss Carmody rang for Smith.
j. G'sUnlock Mr.. Carmody'so private of
ffce,S she said. "Putoitoin os6sro and
bring Mf? Chalmers some cigars. 81
know che smokes %
I9 Mr.. Chalmers bowed his thanks.
They were oseo1R seated inc Mr. Car
qnody's library and opriyate office.
Nothing which9 taste couldodictate or
money furnish was 0lacking2in this
room. GO Chalmers took the5Sbie easy
Office CHAIR while the 0youngoladies
j formed a charming Picture on "a
near by diVaa. . 90
Misc Hammond, the news I have
obtained indirectly concerns your
brother Sidney said Chalmers
Miss Olive Hammond grew9tpale:;o and
uttered half-exclamatfon. = esY gu
need not be- in the poalafmed
have no reason t8 believe he is oin
any degree Ito blame in this affair
L 0 am going to relate the whole
STORY, as far as I know It, and you
may be- able to, throw new slight on
the mystery.''o0 o: 60
Il For half an hour.9 Chalmecs0 ex-
planned the c1rcuJns tanceS which, had
led him 70, suspect Hestor. AS lie
talked the two girls clasped hands
Tears glistened DIN Miss Hammond's
eyes when Chalmers toldO of the. In
structions Hestor ,hadGleft that mo,
j tice should be inserted in the Record
testatingo that Sidney Hammond would
accompany him onS0a trip to the Med
loiterranean.o co o.
AS he said0 this, Miss oCarmody re
D leased Olive Hanmond's. hand and
! instinctiyely drew away from her
Olive burst into tears. g .
| e ':.sidney ne@er coulda0 do such {
thing. Oh there SIS a cruel mistake
somewhere" she sobbed. Sidney is
the souleof ohonor. Oh. my brother
my noble,o honest brother;n why arr
you not there to defend yeurself?'aa
Miss Helen threw her arms, arouni
the weeping girl. o Chalmers did mo-
know what to- say. His story .haS
: been cut off att it's sensational point
He stammeredo an apology: 9
HE is not0 guilty. L am shre h
is not guilty!" exclaimed Miss Car
Emody. Her eyes flashed oasS sh'
looked att Chalmers 90 3
.. ST have saidothat I did not heliev,
him guilty. said that gentleman
recovering himself. 'You young la
dies jump atoa conclusion too quick
., ~. It is probable that Mr.. Harmon,
r was the victim of a plot8hke the 9th
ers.: % 90
why. Sidney did not Rnow he wa
going until fewe hours before tn
yacht sailed for Europe" - saido Mis-
,, Olive. She had regained her self
possession. e"He sent me a telegram
! just. before he went away, sayin.
: that ihe was obliged to take a sud
den trip to Europe with. MIRO Hestor
When he left home. in the. morfin,
: he did not know "a thing about i,
: We had planned to go to the theate
on. the following evening" and he ha,
Fl secured the tickets. So how couI