The Washington times., 1907-12-29
$7,OOO,OOO
In Securities
Stolen
From Desk
Left Open
By Financier

cu the desk. sir2"
Not only that. but I left the desk
wide open, BY George The fellow
that sent me the telegram did me a
bad tlrn. fear"
1T looks so. sir. but" Parker
having nothing at stake. vas recover
ing his senses rapidly. Most likely
your papers are all there yet. sir. safe
and sound"
Grafton pulled himself together with
a strong effort. and a FAINT. drawn
smile appeared on his Hps-
1.-THE notion rather staggered me
FOR minute. Parker" he salo. But
or course they are They must be.
They would be OF hardly any use to
any one save myself-st least, very
few people would dare attempt 10 use
tfem. But 70 me they mean about
everything on earth, However, well
~sqon have them now II they're at
hand"
Very uncertainty. he walked across
70 the desk and stared at Il with
such an effort as he would have be-
heved hardly possible. ne was trying
10 brace himself for the search
through the desk Nttsr-a search which
might end In finding himself 'n the
worst predicament OF his hfe
HIS hands shook violently As he
raised one document and then an
other. He would know that little Col
son bundle IN an instant, Ey the red
tape about Il and the pecullSrly heavy
white paper; and he knew, too. an
other thing: that # should have been
there before him, on top OF the heap,
The papers had not been disturbed
ny him since leaving at s. While Els
ford sat there, across the Office, he had
touched nothing on the desk
He hunted on and on. and as the
outlook became worse. Grafton grew
more calm. He worked his way down
TO the polished surface OF the desk
and the ColsOn papers did not appear!
Find them. sir2"
Not yet. Parker"
IN one Of the small drawers. may
be2"
Il haven't opened one OF them to
day-Tm positive Of that, said Grafton
slowly.
But he pulled them out, one after the
other. until ell lay before him. Not g
thing had been disturbed: old bills, old
records. old notes. returned checks. all
were there and perfectly classified -
ever. The Colson notes were not
ITS very PECULIAR muttereo GrSf-
ton.
1T is indeed. sir" said Parker sym
patneticaIly. You have looked In the
pigeon-holes?"
I've looked everywhere In the sn-
tire desk
Can I help your"
Grafton turned. half stupidity. Per
haps excitement had sent his eyes
askew; perhaps he had somehow over
looked the bundle among tbs other
papers.
Parker" he Eaid, ~ycu Just 90
through that pile OF STUFF and see II
you're able 10 locate a little pOckaEe
q documents, about 80 long and 80
wide. made OF very heavy bond paper
and tied with a bit OF res SILK tape.
The watchman obeyed silently; his
employer followed his every move
with a sort OF terrified fascination.
calm though he had become cne By
one. the odds and ends were sssOr.eA
Parker piled them .deftly at the side
and hunted and hunted and hunted FOR
a sign OF red tape.
At the end OF FIVE minutes he stood
up and faced Grafton
There is nothing OK the sort here.
sir. so far as I can see"
No. said the other in a low, cholzed
voice. 7 was right, Parker-they'
been takeDw
But who would take them. sirT''
'T can't say that, but gone they GER
tainly are. and unless they come back
within
Ha broke of abruptly. Hands IN his
poe kets. he turned ard walked Up and
down the office.
Tile whole thing was too incredible
oezpIte all the evidence before him,
despite - fact that his precious
papers were enufefJ gone. he could
not admit the situation. Why, II Il
were really so what wouldn't Il mean7
Il must have been wrong. Parker"
he said harshly. Never IN my life
have I done such a fool thing must
have locked them up. and forgotten II
in my hurry-thats all"
And you think they're IN the safe
still, strY"
Il know itr'
''The Lord only knows. I hope soF@
breathed Parker.
Grafton took new grip on himself
and went to his spherical safe Try
as he would. his hands tr4cbled vio-
lently; hope as he would. thers was a
stckening feeling OF the uselessness OF
the preceding. But he twIrled the knob
backward and forward. and within a
minute or two the door was released
''Therei This little drawer is where
they belong" he said. as his keys
jngied against the steel interior.
Here's where we shall md them.
Parker. I'm pretty sure"
The Shock of Realization.
The small box was laid upon hls
desk. and Grafton sat down before Il
and tried TO belicre that all was stfl
we'll
The last lock was opened and the
cover thrown back Grafton, for =
space OF many seconds. stared into tbs
box.
Nothing under the sun In there but
those old papers relating to the Main
waring estate" he muttered.
(To Be Continued Next Suudav.l