The Press., 1905-09-27
found"

! side of the green paper to give the roll
I q more genuine look. That is the way
that the bunko game is usually work
ed, but 1 could hardly believe that this
| young man Perry had worked it.
Perry was a nephew Of the cashier
and had been rather wild, as I hap
| pened to know.
Slower did not seem to be the least bit
anxious about this accusation against
his nephew, but he was puzzled by the
case as a whole, as I could see plainly
enough.
You're sure that the man who came
to your carriage was Mr.. Perry?" he
asked. did you recognize him at the
timer"
II never saw him BEFORE" replied
Mrs. Holden, "but know him now"
She turned and pointed toward Per-
ry, while she said slowly and with de-
cision:
II know that coat. l noticed the but
tons particularly. l can't be mistaken"
Perry was wearing a white linen Of
fee coat Of fine and peculiar texture,
and when Mrs. Holden said she recog-
nized him by that l was more i'm
pressed than if she had pretended to
know his face. l had noticed all along
that she was looking at the coat.
Il never saw another like it," said
she. Those are real pearl buttons"
meaning mother-of-pearl of course.
Now, some men might have thought
that this was ridiculous, but to me it
was convincing. By this sort Of thing
no ic fol 10
truth and giving the evidence just as
it really exists in her own mind.
give minutes ago, ten minutes ago,
twenty minutes ago." said Slower i'm
pressively, Mr.. Perry was sitting in
this room talking with me. He has
been away on his vacation. He came
back, little ahead Of time, this morn
ing. He came into this room wearing
street dress and carrying his hand bag
gage"-he pointed to it on the floor
"about half an hour before you made
your charge against him. Not more
than two minutes before that he left
this room and went to his own, which
is the one nearest the door. He chang
ed his coat and came back, not having
been out of my sight more than a min
ute. He looked in, and l said I'd be
busy for a little while, so he went out
and met you. 1 give you my word of
honor that it is utterly impossible by
your own story that MI. Perry could
have had anything to do with your
loss"
That was clear enough, Of course, and
Mrs. Holden turned bit pale, but she
stuck to the one certain fact that she
knew.
sis there another coat like that in
this bank?' she demanded. And Perry
smiled and shook his head.
1--WE will now see whether any one
was sent to your carriage" said Slower,
touching a bell.
OF course it was easy enough to dis
cover that no one had been sent
"Mrs. Holden" said l, "who knew
that you were going to draw this mon
ey?"
Nobody" she replied, but there was
a slight uncertainty in her tone.
"You came to the bank alone?"
"My stepson came with me-"
This was Frank Holden, young man
who was disinherited by his father for
excellent reasons, but had been treated
very generously by his stepmother, as
had read in the newspapers. He was
with her in the carriage on the previous
occasion when / committed the awful
outrage upon the liberties of the plain
citizen by arresting doc" Turner.
what has become of him p I asked.
She was quite shrewd enough to see
that knew the reputation of her STEP
son.
''Mr. Holden left the carriage as soon
as it stopped at the door Of the bank"
she answered. "He went across the
street to buy cigar"
"And you haven't seen him SINGER
"Well, I've seen him." said she, "but
he did not get back into the carriage"
"After you got in with your money"
said 1, 'why didn't you drive right
away?"
She looked at me keenly.
"It wasn't more than a minute" she
said, "before the man came out of the
bank
"But if you hadn't waited just that
minute" said l, "thered have been no
trouble"
She turned to Slower.
eff this man is trying to prove that
my stepson stole my money" said she,
"he is stupid, as most detectives are.
My stepson did not get into the car
rage, as have already told you"
"He crossed from the cigar store"
said I, land you were talking with him |
when the man came out of the bank"
YES" she replied, with Il smile, "and |
my satchel was on my knees, and 1 |
had hold Of it with both my hands |
When the man began to count the mon |
ey Mr.. Holden went away"
"YOu mustn't think that l suspect |
him Of taking the money" said apollo |
getically. 1--WE got different theory |
altogether. Moreover, 1 believe that |
can get it back. Will you wait here for
me few minutesY'
She said she would, and 1 went out |
and communicated with headquarters,
using one Of the banks telephones.
Then started across to the cigar store
which Mrs. Holden had mentioned,
and, greatly to my surprise, found
Frank Holden over there He was
watching the bank from the window.
"Mr. Holden" said 1, stepping in
front Of him, "did you know that your
stepmother had been robbed?"
"Robbedv' he cried. mo" And he
started away, but caught him by his
coat, which was not buttoned.
eyes,. said 1. "She's over there in
the bank, in the cashiers room. You'd
better go over. She wants to see you"
1 released him, and he ran across the
street.
'Did that man buy a cigar of your"
asked Of the dealer. And he answered
that Holden had bought one for a quar-
ter of a dollar.
"Only one, eh?" said to myself.
"And he had three in his vest pocket.
Yes, yes, he must have needed the CT
i l.