Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-04-11

He had got rid of the country clothes
in it and thought he would like to take
back one of those suit cases which he
saw so much used. Going to a shop.
he bought n secondhand one at re-
duced price. Besides being second
hand, it had the letters ~. r" painted
| on the end. He was told that Il red
headed man wearing glasses and Il
striped waStcoat had turned it in as
part payment for new one That was
| a lie. The man bought q new one and
left his old one to he put in the cellar
beverly got it cheap. took it to his
room. put his belongings in it and
went to the train. a man took seat
beside him who kept CHANGING out of
| the corner of his eye at him.
How are v, Torbert?" he said pres
| emily in Il low voice.
How did you know my name was
| Torbcrt?" asked Jim. suspectinG CON
| fidencc game.
BY several things-initials on suit
case. red head
We'll, suppose l am Torbert. What
them
Got the stuff in the case!'
Suppose | have"
"I'll be on hand at \. to take 1t off
your hands. Three days. Better not
hurry. Say Friday. II at night"
"Where:"
"Why. at the Mortified House, you
| know. as arranged"
The man got up and left the car at
| the first stop. While the train was roll
ing through the city limits a couple of
men came down the aisle. looking
here and there at passengers. Bevcr-
| ly'S suit case was on end before him.
| One of the men looked at the letters
| on the suit case. then at him suSpi-
| ciOusly.
III trouble you to open that case"
said one of the men.
Beverly dcmurred at first, then open
| ed the case. There was nothing in it
| but the remnants of a few under
| clothes. The man looked disappointed.
you've got a red head he said. land
| the letters on your case are V. T., but
you're not the man
| ''Of course he isn't the man." said his
| companion. II know the man We
| want. That's not him.
| Now. it was on the tip of Jim'S
| tongue to tell the whole story so far as
it has been told here. but it may he
| judged from his dialogue with the man
| who had sat beside him that he was
| better adapted to receive than to give
| information. so he held his peace. The
| men went on. and Jim got out when
the train reached his station.
| Jim took into his confidence Il couple
of detectives. and they all went to y,
three days later Jim entered the
| Mortified House half an hour before
| II o'clock, but he was not Jim Bever-
| ly; he was Il man with white hair and
| beard. He sat down in one of the of
| fee chairs. 1t was not long before he
saw the man who had sat beside him
on the train come In. He, too, sat
down and. taking up a newspaper.
| read it till n man with Il red head
| glasses and a striped waistcoat enter
| ed. carrying brand new suit case.
| The latter went to the desk and called
for a room.
A little later the other man arose
| yawned and. going to the desk. looked
at the register and went upstairs
Beverly went TO the door. called in his
men, and. noting the number of the
room assigned the newcomer. the
three went upstairs. Five minutes
later they knocked at his door and. re
ceiving no response. kicked it open
They found him taking S15O,OOO out OF
his suit case. They arrested him. anj
he turned out to be Vincent Torbert
absconding cashier of the -th Ma
tional bank.
Jim Beverly pocketed $4,000 reward
by the transaction and. going back tC
the city. thought he would see if il
would be easier to get on there with
money in his pocket than without. He
got position in the bank to which he
had restored it's lost funds, the presi
dent promising to advance him. jim
proved capable and became cashier
He married the daughter of one of the
directors. She inherited her fathers
stock in the bank, and this eventually
made Jim president. He Is now mana
ger and part owner of a trust company
and is noted financier.
The question is, What would have be
come of Jim Beverly had he not gone
into certain shop on certain day
and bought certain secondhand sui
case? The chances are that he would
have been a tiller of the soil, up be
fore day, out in storm and sunshine
selling his best products and living OF
his poorest. He would have beef
Farmer Beverly instead of James G
Beverly, millionaire.
/ ELINOR T. BOYD.