Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-11

| 'tate! exclaimed Morrill,, while his despond-
ent partner slipped lower in his chair. Surely
you don't think I killed him!"
You or you partner!"
"Oh Lord!" groaned Sanborn.
And we have evidence" Cartley went on.
Let me state the case the facts appear to me
and my friend, the detective"
"A detective!" muttered Sanborn. "T can see
the Jail now"
Morrill, leaned a little more heavily against his
desk beside which he was standing, but said
nothing.
"This Englishman, Milbank, was wealthy" con-
tinued Cartley. "You have told us that your
self. He carried great deal Of money with him,
and he has been seen by practically no one ex-
cept two impoverished real estate men. You see,
have learned something OF your condition and
your temptation if, for any reason, he showed
disposition not to take the property. Well, he
died suddenly and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., you two
alone know, Even in death no one saw him You
say the body was shipped to Neenah, Wisconsin.
The law requires permit from the Health Dc
partment for such removal, as well as for burial,
and no such permit has been issued"
Eve were ignorant" urged Morrill, eve
didn't mean to violate the law"
"You didn't-at least not in that respect"
turned Cartley, "for it was not shipped at all.
We have the assurances Of both express and rail-
road companies as to that, and also dispatch
from Neenah to the effect that nothing Of the
sort arrived there This Englishman has
disappeared utterly and entirely from the face of
the earth, and so has his money"
"The safe-deposit vaults" fatered Morrill,.
"They've all been visited He had no box in,
any of them which makes the case stronger, for
it shows he kept his money with him. I find too
that all of the death notices were handed in by
you. There is no one else who knows one soli-
tary thing about the case. The dealings of this
man were entirely with you two; he was stran-
ger he had plenty of money; he rented his fiat
lfrnp hn T1laceG hunaelf vnIlr ha dad
unknown to anyone else; his death was an
nounced by you; all arrangements were made by
you; whatever he left was secured by you; and
you have lied about every detail OF the case in
an effort to conceal something"
"Oh how hate liar!" moaned Sanborn; and
this seemed to Morrill, so unjust that it gave him
new life. .s45
"I have lied" he said frankly, as the detective
got out two pairs of handcuffs and prepared for
business "I invented Milbank to keep you wait
ing while I sold the property to someont else.
Milbank is u man who never lived. It's hard to
have to admit this before we put the deal
through, but there's no help for it."
Cartley shrugged his shoulders incredulously.
"The neighbors tell US the flat has been occl-
pied he said. 'They have heard someone there
nights and your denial now will hardly Offset the
letters have received in relation to this English
man. Mr. Brown" to the detective. II think
you'd better take them in charge"
"Rut great Heayenl" cried the now thoroughly
frightened Morrill, "you can't arrest fellow for
killing man who never lived.
Take them along, Mr., Brown
"I'm the mani" Morrill, tried to explain.
"I know you arc.
"I mean Pm the man who occupied the fat
"Do you mean that you're the man who never
Iived?'
"Never lived? Mol I've lived whole lifetime
in the last hour, Lord! think of being hanged for
killing 6gment Of the imagination! Think OF
tHO 1aTfrfnr nj a
Think of penitentiary sentence for the assassl-
nation of bit of iction!' -,
"Tbink Of being ruined by a second class liar!'
added Sanborn reproachfully, but Morrill, was
too troubled to resent it.
There's no such man." Morrill, Went on, "and
no such patent. Telegraph Washington about the
patent if you don't believe mel"
"Good idea," admitted Cartley.
"And cable Birmingham about Milbank."
"Tll do it." ,.sf :,
Cartley was gone several hours, leaving the
partners in charge Of the detective When ne re
turned there was fourth man IN the otnce.
"Nell?" exclaimed the partners anxously.
"It's all right" said Cartley. There was no
such man; but you will naturally understand that
III have to take the property out OF your hands
as a result of this.
Cant" returned Morrill,. "Nlr. Conley, with
whom have been dickering for week or SO;
came in while you were gone, and we've closed
the deal with him at your figures. :,
Sanborn slowly disengaged himself from MS
chair, drew long breath, and shook his finger
at Morrill,. ,t
"Dick,' he said, "you're the most artistic liar
that ever lived but the mental and physical
strain of doing business that way is too great for
me. You'll have to cut it out"
"You bet I WILL" answered Morrill,, earnestly
"Rut, as IL turned out, it wasn't lie
"What was t?" demanded Cartley.
"Business strategy" replied Morrill,. "It will
make us so famous we won't have to do it any
more"