The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-10-04

Within a month Grenier knew An
sons habits, his comings and goinga
his bankers, his brokers, many of hi
Investments, the names of his chic
employees, the members of his yachts
crew, the topography of his Sussex es
tate. Nothing was too trivial, no de
tail too unimportant, to escape a not,
undecipherable to others and a niche
in retentive memery.
He made q friend of one of Philip,
footmen by standing treat and listen
Ing reverently to his views on the mex
days racing. He persuaded one kitch
Fairfax Hall that he had waited all his
life to discover woman he could love
devotedly. 1t was most important
discovery when he unearthed In a din
gy hotel the man whom Philip had dis
missed for tampering with the locked
portmanteau. From this worthy he frs
heard Of the quaint adjunct to the be
longings Of the young millionaire, and
Judicious inquiry soon revealed that
there was hardly servant In Philips
employ who did not credit the Glad
stone bag with being the repository OF
the millionaire's fortunes.
Ordinary people will credit any non.
sense where diamonds are concerned
Even an educated criminal like Victor
Grenier believed there might be some
foundation for the absurd theory which
found ready credence among the do
mestics.
He never made the error of planning
burglary or adroit robbery whereby
the bag might come into his possession.
If 1t did contain diamonds, and espe-
cially If it contained unique specimens,
it was absolutely useless to him. But
his vitals yearned for Anson's gold,
and the question he asked himself in
every unoccupled moment was how he
might succeed in getting some portion
Of 1t into his own pocket
One day a quaint notion entered his
mind, and the more the thought of it
the more it dominated him. He was
tall and well made, if slim in figure,
and his face had never lost the plastici-
ty given it by his stage experience.
He had only heard Philips voice
once, but his features and general APP.
pearance were now quite familiar to
him, and he undertook series of ex-
periments with clothing and makeup
to ascertain If he could personate An
son sufficiently we'll to deceive any one
who was not an intimate acquaintance.
Soon the idea became a mania, and the
mania absorbed the mans intellect
To be Philip Arson for a day, a week!
What would he not give for the power!
One evening when Jocky Mason en-
tered Grenier's apartments he started
back, with an oath, as a stranger ap-
preached him In the dim light and
said:
well, Mason, and what do you
want"
The ex-burglar and man slayer SEEM
ed to be so ready to commit instant
murder that Grenier himself was
alarmed.
Hold hard, old chap" he said in his
natural voice. II am only trying an
experiment on you"
What tomfoolery is this?' shouted
the other, gazing at him with the sus-
picious side glance of q discounted
dog which has been startled by some
person familiar to 1t in ordinary guise,
but masquerading In outre garments.
"a mere pleasantly, I assure you.
Good heavens, man, how you must
hate this fellow Anson If you,are so
ready to STAY him at sight! From your
own story, he only acted as ninety mine
people out of hundred would have
done in helping the cop"
what I want to know is why you
are playing tricks on me. I won't
stand it. I'm not built that way"
snow, Mason, be reasonable. Can
ask anybody else If / resemble Philip
Arson when made up to represent
him?'
Perhaps not, but you ought to have
warned me. Besides, am worried to-
day."
what has happened nowT
II went to report myself at South
wark police station. Who should I find