Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-02-09
he STORYof theMSSINC SUIT CAsF:

| face showed no emotion. When he
| spoke II was with less energy than be-
| fore.
| You seem positive"
| Sure you have betrayed yourself by
| your sense OF humor."
Bucknshams stare was a stimulation
| of innocence.
when you decided to send the suit
| case back you made mistake" said
| the chief. And when YOU put the visit
| Ing card In the envelope with the bag
| gage check you sealed your own fate
Any man of ordinary discernment could
| see that IL was a specimen of card and
| type sent out by an engraving and
| printing house. The only traits re-
| quirod to trace II were industry and In
finite patience, and flatter myself that
| have both. visited the establish
| ments of 16 printers today. Some had
| type like this and some had cards like
this; but not until ] struck the six
| teenth man did ! find the combination
| of card and type, He readily recog-
| nized 1t as one of q number OF samples
| he had sent out during the week. He
had a list OF 10 persons to whom the
samples were mailed. When saw your
! name among the number didn't bother
| with the others
| Very clever" said Buckingham, with
| the characteristic curl Of the lip But
| there Is nothing about IL TO SHOW that
1 have this~-this wonderful letter
book
ooh, you have the book all right"
| chuckled the chief.
| We'll" with a sudden burst of anger,
seven II had you don't suppose I'd be
| fool enough to keep it on the premises,
| do you?"
During this unexpected show of
feeling, Barnes eager eyes had
been searching the apartment,
l ,,1t
eral rows of shelves. filled with books,
by the side of the nat top desk. A
little three step footstool. such as are
found in libraries. was on the hoor
next to the shelves. AS the sound OF
Buckingham voice died out, the
| ed up the three steps of the STOOL.
Before his companion realized what
| he was doing, he reached UP 10 the
| fifth shelf and from between two
volumes Of Maoaulay's essays pulled
out a thin. black. official looking
| document.
1t was Frank Lanes letter book.
| Yes" said tho chief triumphantly
answering Buckingham's query. - Y on
| were fool enough TO keep 1t on the
| premises. For normally shrewd man
you have committed all kinds of blum
| ders. why, you even directed me TO
the hiding place of this little book.
The expressionless eyes gave no sign
| OF intelligence. Barnes continued
You were looking at the book
when j came in the house. You might
have destroyed II and possibly ruined
| this young man; but the same faulty
| which induced you to send back the
suit case and to enclose the visiting
card also prompted you to hold on
to this book and to gloat over the
mere possession of II. When your
servant came UP stairs followed him.
and / heard the scraping sound Of the
| footstool when II was moved next To
the bookcase in order to permit you
to conceal this valuable bit Of prop
erty on the top shelf. The more haste
the less speed. have eyes, and when
l came in the room ! used 'em, and it
didn't require any wonderful amount
of brains to know that shabbily
bound book of this kind was out of
place between two arlktocratic looking
copies of Lord Macaulay."
Buckingham dropped his eyes He
was nearing the end Of his rope. He
looked up presently with the air of a
man about to plead for mercy. But
those eloquent hands told different
story. They twitched nervously. OPEN
ing and closing repeatedly. Barnes
was standing by the side of the foot
stool, Buckingham approached him
with an air OF great humility. Sud
denly the fat hands shot out and the
stubby fingers closed about the mock
of the customs official. Just when
Barnes was becoming purple In the
face the villain gave him a shove and
threw him head first over the foot
stool where he lay all in a heap on
the floor. Buckingham grabbed his
hat and hurried down the stairway,
two steps at time. In the hallway
he met with an unexpected obstruo-
ton. Something glistened ominously
in the dim light. and something cold.
touching the tip Of his nose, sent n
SILVER down his spinal column. The
ever faithful Clancy wac back OF the
shining barrel, and when he spoke it
was through his closed teeth:
IF you dare to move I'll shoot, and
If do you'll be sorry"