The Washington times., 1906-10-07


In reply he received over the
wire. in accents OF terrible haste and
alarm;
yd-robbery-haste! Tn smith,
Of Gcd, youu kill me- You
Then came the startling noise or
heavy blow. as II the speaker had
been violently struck; and then thai
peculiar click heard when distant
receiver IS suddenly dropped in5'ca'
OF hung IN its socket, a sound readily
recognized by an accustomed ear.
Then rather more faiutly. yet plainly
audible 10 the listening man. came Jle
sound Of a fallen body, as that or
man stricken senselcss. or hfeless, TO
a moor.
The significance OF all this was
alarming. For the fraction of sec
ond. Boyd listened intently, then
sharply cried;
"Henol heno"
Whats amiss, Felix demanded
Jimmie Coleman. who thea was seated
nearby and had observed Boyd's
changing countenance. Anything
wrong?'
There's the devil 10 pay. ! guess,
Boyd quickly answered. while he has
tened to ring up the central ofncC Of
the telephone exchange.
From the clerk there ne hurriedy
endeavored 20 ascertain who had COM
muicared with him. The attempt
proved vain. The clerk could report
only that Boyd's mum ser had been
called for through &c me instrument
the number and location Of which
were unknown. and that the desired
connection had been made by means
OF tho central office switchboard
Once again Boyd listened briefly at
the receiver. but silence only reward
ed his effort In so far as he could
Judge. the beginning and end o. what
appeared like q dreadful crime. II not
an appalling tragedy. had been sug-
gcsted IN those few short seconds,
those wild words over the wire. fol
lowed by a sickening blow and heavy
fan.
The devil take it, he exclaimed
impaticntly, as he hung up the receiv-
or. That IS what I call having ones
hands tied"
what was it?" aueried Coleman
8mazedly.
Boyd quickly told him wI.at had
been said. and described what he also
nad heard.
1T looks very much as II there was
something wrong somewhere - but
WEeTe@' he impaueuuy added.
'The call most likely came from one
OF your own clients" suggested Cole
man quickly. no other person
threatened in the way suggested would
have appealed directly 70 you
That's true enough. but have over
fifty patrons" cried Boyd. "I cannot
rush 10 all fifty Offices at once. and
an attempt 20 visit them successfully
would require half q day. In that
time anv sort Of q crime could be
con mitted, ard the criminals easily
ln"Ee their escape"
Don't YOU recall the name OF Smith
among your clients, or isn't he one Of
them2''
NO no, and that's the trouble. The
man who telephoaed cried only that
Ee was Smith, Of, and Chere he
plainly was INTERRUPTED by a violent
blow Evidently he was about 20 add
the namn OF the firm by which he is
employed. which would have tod me
just where to hasten"
ct see" nodded Coleman. 81 see"
''Rut I know Of no clerk named
Smith employed by any OF my clients
Eoyd EuTTiedlv added. That's the
devil OF II. Tor I feel certain that
ssaith was IN some mighty desperate
corner when he ATTEMPTED 10 teIe-
phone 10 me for help"
Indeed, Il looks So"
Plainly his last words were a8-
dressed 10 an asssiIsnt. whom he must
have seen approaching even while he
tried TO telephone 10 me Then came
the blow / distinctly heard. and then
The fall OF a body. Yes. YES. Smith
certainly was I'm some desperate sftl1a-
ton It's Ike being on uettles. this
sitting here Ia ignorance whittier to
turn Boyd neTvously added "a muir
der may have been committed. rob
berry may at this moment be n prog
ress. 1 tell YOU. JInmie. my reputa-
tiou IS al stake. What the deuce am
10 doe'
''Try the directory" cried the cen
tral office man, jumping TO his feet 70
get it. I'VE may find Smiths name
there. and that Of the firm by which
ne is employed"
smith" cried Boyd. in accents of
impatient deTision. Coed heavens.
Jimmie. there are q thousand Smiths
I'm the New York directory. To would
taRs an hour Go examine the entire
lgL and then the search might prove
ltile."
by love, that's true"
"TheTF's but one thing 90 be done"
Boyd degisively cried, reaching for a
leather-t 2und book on his desk.
Here's a list Of my patrons IN
draw of half of il on paper. and start
you on round 90 the several offices
TO learn If anything IS wrong. Mean
time I '7in take the balance of the Hst
and do the same. That's ali re can
90
stay o" exclaimed Coleman. Your
Idea Is al right and I'm win you. but
you can expedite matters il YOU VIII
tear the pages from the book. instead
- delaying 10 copy so long q LIST
That's the stuff, Now give me haIf Of
th2m, and III let no grass grow under
y feet. You look after The others"
BOYD had acted upon the suggestion
even while Coleman was mixing fl.
and. before the latter fairly had fin
ished. the two men were Fastening
from EOyds Pine street office. each
with some Of the pages torn from The
hook. and both bent upon reaching the
offices of the numerous business
houses with the least possible delay.
That the Interrupted telephone call