The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-11-01
aooDvrlsht isos. the B0bbs-N.rrln Coz
CONTINUED from last issue.)
CHAPTER v.
Doddridee Knapp.

II was past ten o'clock of the morn
Ing when the remembrance of the
mysterious note ! had received the
preceding night came on me. took
the slip from my pocket, and read It's
contents once more. IL was perpleA-
ing enough, but it furnished me with
an idea. OF course / could not take
money intended for Henry Wilton.
But here was the first chance to get
at the heart Of this dreadful business.
The writer of the note, l must sup
pose, was the mysterious employer.
II could see her could find the way
of escape from the dangerous burden
OF Henry Wilton's personality and
mission.
But which bank could be meant?
The only names | knew were the
Bank of California. whose failure IN
the previous year had sent echoes
even into my New England home. and
the Anglo Californian Bank. on which
1 held draft The former struck
me as the more likely place of ap'
pointment, and after some skilful
navigating | found myself at the cor
ner of California and Sansome streets.
before the building through which the
wealth Of an empire had flowed
| watched closely the crowd that
passed in and out of the treasure
house. and assumed what | hopel was
an air of prosperous indifference to
my surroundings.
No one appeared to notice me.
There were eager men and cautious
men, and men who looked secure and
men who looked anxious, but neither
man nor woman was looking for me.
Plainly had made bad guess. a
hasty walk through several other
banks that 1 could see in the neigh
borhood gave no better result, and l
had to acknowledge that this chance
Of penetrating the mystery was gone.
| speculated for the moment ON what
the effects might be. To neglect an or
der OF this kind might result in the
Withdrawal OF the protection that had
saved my life. and In turning me over
to the mercies Of the banditti who
thought | knew something Of the
whereabouts Of boy.
AS | reflected thus, | came upon a
crowd massed about the steps OF a
great granite building in Pine Street;
a whirlpool Of men, 1t seemed, with
cross-currents and eddies, and from
the whole rose the murmur of excited
voices.
1t was the Stock Exchange, the
gamblers paradise. in which millions
were staked, won and lost, and ruin
and afluence walked side by side.
As | watched the swaying. shout
ing mass with wonder and amuse-
ment, a thrill shot through me.
Upon the steps OF the building,
amid the crowd Of brokers and specu,
lators, / saw a tall, broad-shouldered
man OF fifty or fifty-five. his face
keen, shrewd and hard, broad at the
and tapering to a strong jaw,
a yellow-gray mustache and imperial
and half-reveallng the
firm lines OF the mouth, with the
mark of the wolf strong upon the
whole. 1t was a face never to be for.
gotten as long as | should hold mem,
DRY at all. 1t was the face had seen
twelve hours before in the lantern
fash In the dreadful alley, with the
cry of murder ringing in my ears.
Then 1t was lighted by the fierce fires
Of rage and hatred, and marked with
the chagrin OF bafiied plans. Now It |
was cool. good-humored, alert for the
battle OF the Exchange that had al
ready begun. But l knew 1t for the |
same, and was near crying aloud that
here was a murderer.
/ clutched my nearest neighbor by |
the arm, and demanded TO know VINO
It was.
"Doddridge Knapp" replied the
man ciyilly. He's running the Chol-