Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-04-02
CHAPTER XXXITI.


pr through the night to the Of
= flee Of Grant * Ripley. He was
zed, bewildered, hardly more than
II conscious. a bitter smile 'crept
out his lips as he drew away from
street car track almost as his hand
ldhed the rail Of "A car he mad sig
Ell. He remembered that ne did not
2 money enough &c payhis fare. 1t
3 six or seven blocks to the office OF
lawyers, and hefwas actually run
z before he stopped at the entrance
the big LAiiding.
eXeEh had an elevator Travelled more
bkRly than the one which shot him to
e seventh floor. A light shOne through
E transom above the attorneys door,
AL he entered without so much as a
y on the panel Grant. who was pac-
2 the floor, came to a standstill and
iced his visitor.
Close the door, please" came in
eady tones from Ripley. Mr.. Grant
rOpped into a chair, and Brewster
bechanically slammed the door.
els it. true?" he demanded hoarsely,
is hand still on the knob.
"Sit down, Brewster, and control
%ourself." said Ripley.
'Good God, man, can't you see l am
EafnIi7' cried Monty. $50 on; tell me
II about it. What do you know? What
ave you heard?"
HE cannot be found, that's ALL" an
bounced Ripley, with deadly intent
ness. Il don't know what it means.
There is no explanation. The whole
king is in~conceivable. Sit down, and L
will tell you everything as quickly as
possible"
There isn't much to tell" said Grant
mechanically.
Il can take 1t better standing" de-
clared Brewster, shutting his jaws
tightly.
Jones was last seen in Butte on the
Sd of this month" said Ripley. I'VE
sent several kilograms to him after
that day, asking when he expected to
leave for New York. They never were
claimed, and the telegraph company
reported that he could not be found.
We thought he might have gone off to
look after some of his property and
were not uneasy. Finally we began TO
wonder why he had not wired us on
leaving for the. east. / telegraphed
again and got nc answer. 1t daWned
upon us that this. was something I'M
usual. We wired his secretary II re-
ceived a response from the chief OF
police. He asked in turn If we could
tell him anything about the where
abouts of Jones. This naturally alarm
ed us, and yesterday we kept the wires
hot. The result of our inquiries is ter
rible, Mr.. Brewster"
"Why didn't you tell me?' asked
Brewster.
''There can be no doubt that Jone
has fed, accompanied by his secretary
The belief in Butte is that the secretar,
has murdered him."
Ripley moistened his lips and wen
on.
I'VE have dispatches here from tn
police, the banks, the trust companlf
and from a half dozen mine manager
You nav read them if you like, but
can tell you what they say. About IL
1st of this month Jones began to tut
various securities into money. 1t
now known that they were once Il
nroperty of James I. Sedgwick, he
in trust for you. The safety depos
vaults were afterward visited, and
spection shows that he removed eve
scrap of stock. every bond, everythil
of value that he could lay his ham
upon. His own papers and eHec
were not disturbed. Yours alone ha
Ld~isappeared. 1t is this fact that &C
yinces the authorities that the secre'
nv has made away with the old M
and has fed with the property. L
bank people say that Jones drew o
every dollar of the Sedgwick none
and the police say that he realized {
sums on the convertible
curities. The strange part of it is I'll
he sold your mines and your real
tate, the purchaser being a man nam
Golden. Brewster, tit looks We
much as IL he had disappeared W
everything"
Brewster did not take his eyes fir
n Ripley's face throughout the terri
Y speech. He did not move a fraction
Nan inch from the rigid position
stunned at the beginning.
us anything being done?' he ash
Mechanically.
1.-THE police are investigating. He
known to have started off into
mountains with this secretary on
Sd OF September. Neither has b.
seen since that day so far as any
knows. The earth seems to have sv
lowed them. The authorities
searching the mountains and are m
ine every effort to find Jones or
body. He is known TO be eccentric.
al first not much Importance was
tached to his actions. That is all
can tell YOU az present. There may
developments tomorrow. 1t looks
terribly bad. We've had the utn
confidence in Jones. l wish l &C
help you, my boy"
Il don't blame you. gentlemen"
Brewster bravely. Its just my II