Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-09-05


requisite figures. Soon lie framed a
letter In the fewest words possible:
Yours Of todays date received. Kindly
tell consols value ESQ 900 and place the
tame Is my credit.
He copied it again and again, until
1t was written freely and carelessly.
and every letter available compared IA
vorably with the original in his posses
sion. Then he posted it, thus saving Il
day, according to his calculations.
With this missve committed irrev.
ocably to the care of his maiesty's
mails, Victor Grenier's spirits rose.
Now, indeed, he was in the whirlpool.
Would he emerge high and dry in the
El Dorado of gilded vice which he
longed to enter, or would fortune colt
sign him to Portland perchance
to the scaffold? He could not say. He
would not feel safe until Philip Arson
was myth and Victor Grenier
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
a bigger haul than, say, 100000.
And what did Mason want with 100
600? He was a gnared 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 mole
ty shrank in dimensions. The murder
was mere affair of vengcful blow.
but this steady sucking of the million
aires riches required finesse, a dashing
adroitncss. the superb impudence of
Cagllostro.
But If his confederate's interests suf-
fered, the total fixed in Greniers origi-
nal scheme in nowise became affected.
He meant to have Il hundred thou
sand pounds, and he firmly decided
not to go beyond that amount His
letter to the bankers named El50,000,
and he calculated that by stopping
short at two-thirds of the available
sum he would not give any grounds
for suspicion or personal inquiry.
ingdon and Miss Atherley must be
avoided at all events. Others he would
face blithely. He took care to have
ever on the table in his sitting room
goodly supply of wines and spirits.
If any one sought an interview, 1t
might &c helpful to sham slight de-
gree of intoyication. The difference
between Philip drunk and Philip sober
would then he accounted for readily.
But rest-that was denied him. 1t
was one thing to harden himself
against surprise, quite another to for
get that diSGgured corpse swirling
about in the North sea.
He wished now that Philip Arson
had not been cast forth naked. 1t was
q blunder 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
shadowy form wavering hclplessly
in green depths Never before were
his hands smeared with blood. lie had
touched every crime save murder.
Physically he was a coward. In
plotting the attack on Philip he had
taxed his ingenuity for weeks to dis
cover some means where he need not
become Mason's actual helper. He re-
5ected project after project. The thing
might be bungled, so he must attend to
zach part OF the undertaking himself
lhort of using a bludgeon.
He slept again and dreamed Of long
lights through space pursued by de-
mons. How he longed for day! How
slowly the hours passed after dawn
until the newspapers were obtainable.
with their columns of emptiness for
him.
A letter came from Evelyn. 1t was
n triGe reserved, with an impulse to
tears concealed in It,
asked mother for $50, SO the Blue
Atom incident has ended, but i don't
think l will ever understand tine mood in
which you wrote your last telegram.
Perhaps your letter now in the post-I
half expected 1t at Inidday-will explain
matters somewhat.
He consigned Blue Atom to a sultry
CLINE and began to ask himself why
Mr.. Abingdon had not written. The
eXmagistrate's retcence annoyed him.
A letter even demonstrating with him
would be grateful. This silence was
irritating; it savored of doubt, and
doubt was the one phase Of thought he
wished to keep out Of Mr.. Abingdon's
mind at that moment.
AS for Evelyn, she mistrusted even
his kilograms, while n bank had ac-
cepted his signature without reserva-
ton. He would punish her with zest.
Philip Anson's memory would he pois-
oned in her heart long before she real
lied that he was dead.
ITO BE CONTINUED3
INSEI,FISHNFSS