Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-02-10
CHAPTER KIN Continued, J


portion of Philip Anson's wealth save
the money stolen from his pockets.
At the hotel there was only one letter
and no kilograms.
The London bankers wrote:
I'VE beg to acknowledge yours of yes
terday. Your cash balance at date is
fI24l0 9s. Id. Your securities in our
possession amount to a net value at to-
DAYS prices of about 100000, including
S250,000 consols aC par. We will forward
YOU a detailed list if desired and will be
pleased to realize any securities as di-
rected.
Kindly note that instructions for sale
should be given in your handwriting, and
not typed
There was JOY, Intoxicating almost to
Madness in this communication, but it
was not unleavened by the elements of
danger and delay.
His signature had been accepted with
out demur; he could control an enor-
nous sum without question; these were
the enhancing certainties which dazzled
his eyes for time.
But it was horribly annoying that a
millionaire should keep his current ac-
count so low, and the concluding para
graph held DOGGY, not wholly unfore
seen, but looming large when it actually
presented itself.
The memorandum in Philips handwrt
ing on Eyelyn's letter was now thrice
precious. He hurriedly scrutinized it,
and at once commenced to practice the
words.
'Devonshire" and "Sharpe" gave him
the capitals for Dear Sirs." lie was at
a loss for a capital &C" but he saw that
Philip used the simplest and boldest out
lines in his caligraphy, and he must risk
"C7' without the upper loop. In Lady
NJ" too, he had the foundation of the
c" to precede the requisite figures.
Soon he framed letter in the fewest
words possible
Yours of today's date received. Kindly
sell consols value Gl50000, and place
the same to my credit"
He copied it again and again, until it
was written freely and carelessly. and
every letter available compared favorably
with the original in his possession. Then
he posted it, thus saving a day, accord
ing to his calculations.
With this missiye committed irrecov-
erably to the care of his majesty's mails,
Victor Grenier's spirits rose. Now, in
deed, he was in the whirlpool Would
he emerge high and dry in the Ell Do
RADIO of gilded vice which he longed to
enter. or would f0rtune consgn him to
Portland again--perchanee to the seat
fold? He could not say. He would not
feel safe until Philip Arson was a myth,
and Victor Grenier a reality, with many
thousands in the bank.
Already he was planning plausible lies
TO keep Mason out of his fair share of the
plumber A few more forged letters
would easily establish the fact that he
was unable to obtain bigger haul than,
say, 100000
And what did Mason want with CPS
600? He was n gnarled man, with crude
tastes Twenty, fifteen, ten thousand
would be ample for his wants The
sooner he drank himself to death the
better
With each fresh cigar Mason's moiety
shrank in dimensions. The murder was
a mere affair of vengeful blow, but this
steady sucking of the millionaire's riches
required finesse, dashing adroitness, the
superb impudence of Cagliostro.
But If his confederate's interests suf-
fered, the total fixed in Greniers original
scheme in nowise became affected
He meant to have hundred thousand
pounds, and he firmly decided not to go
beyond that amount. His letter to the
bankers named fl50,000, and he calcu-
lated that by stopping short at two
thirds of the available sum he would not
give any grounds for suspicion or per
sonal inquiry.
Yet he would shirk nothing Mr.
abingdon and Miss Atheriey must be
avoided at all events; others he would
face bIthely. He took care to have ever
on the table in his sitting room a goodly
supply of wines and spirits
II anyone sought an interview it might
be helpful to sham slight degree of in
toEication The difference between Philip
drunk and Philip sober would then be ac-
counted for readily.
But rest-that was denied him 1t was
one thing to harden himself against sur
prise; quite another to forget that dis
Inquired corpse swirling about in the North
sea
He wished now that Philip Arson had
not been cast forth naked. It was a
oiunder not to dress him, to provide him
with means of Identification with some
unknown Smith or Jones'
When he closed his eyes he could see a
shadowy form wavering helplessly in
green depths. Never before were his
hands smeared with blood. He had
touched every crime save murder.
Physically, he was a coward In plot
ting the attack on Philip, he had taxed
his ingenuity for weeks to discover some
means where he need not become Masons
actual helper. He rejected project after
project. The thing might be bungled, SO
ne must attend to each part of the I'M
uertaking himself, short of using
bludgeon
He slept again and dreamed of long
lights through space pursued by demons.
How he longed for day. How slowly the
hours passed after dawn, until the news
papers We're obtainable, with their col
hmns of emptiness for him.