The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-14
BY w. M. 3. FERGUSON.

Kindly hold him If you can. I'll be W
in fifteen minutes"
Then thanking Mr.. Morey for his
prompt service, | swung out of the
A. bank.
When I entered Mr. Andrews private
Office he was in conversation with a
slightly built gentleman of medium
height, blond. curly hair and a Van
Dyke beard. He wore spectacles, a Fee
dora hat and a long loose, paddock
OveTcoat. 1t is my business to be OBJ
servant of trifies and details.
MIR. Browning-Captain Smith OF the
secret service" said President Andrews
with dramatic quietness.
Not a shadow passed over the slim
gentleman's face. He nodded to me
with polite Indifference Circumlocu-
ton is one enc of my attributes.
Mr.. Browning" I said CURLY, Il
must ask you to explain how that bond
you presented for security came to be
in your possession"
Am I to infer"
Anything you like, Mr.. Browning
That bond is stolen property. You will
have to clear yourself of q charge OF
conspiracy. If not actual robbery"
Mr.. Browning eyed me with cold dis
favor and then passed a slim, we'll
that, though a blonde, the eyes behind
the glasses were quick and dark.
Il am entirely innocent of any
wrongdoing," he said with dignity. He
spoke in Jerky. little sentences. Il am
a man of means and standing in the
west. Last week, in company with my
wife, I came to New York. My wife is
in i'll health. We stopped at the H
House. While there 1 made the &C
quaintance of Mr.. and Mrs. J. Lans-
ing Fownes. He is a capitalist with
vast holdings in southern lumber
tracts. Mr.. Fownes and 1 got quite
friendly. Finally il developed that he
had an odd hundred thousand he would
like to invest in some gilt-edged secur-
ity. I interested him in the Balvanera
Mining company of Mexico, Of which /
hold control. He agreed to purchase a
block OF stock for S125.O00 Then he
asked me if I had any objection to
United States gold bonds bearing inter-
est at 4 per cent. Said it would save
him the trouble of selling them and
the brokers' commissions. I agreed. He
paid me the first $50 900 bond yesterday.
I was temporarily short Of ready cash.
Today I opened negotiations with the
A. bank for loan, the bond and
my note as security. I assure you, gen.
fecty legitimate.
Very good, Mr.. Browning" 1 said.
However, for the present you must
consider yourself under arrest. Mean
time you will kindly accompany me to
your hotel and personally identify Mr.
Fownes."
With pleasure" said the slim gen.
tleman with unruffied courtesy.
At the desk of the H House. half
an hour later. the day clerk, after in
quiry. informed me that Mr.. Fownes
was out
When did he go?" asked.
Don't know. sir. He didn't leave his
key"
rs Mrs Fownes in?" I asked
NO, sir. Left her key here an hour
ago. Said if any one called to say she
would be back at O'Clock. Any mes
sage. sir?"
NO I said CURLY and turned to Mr.
Browning. Il am compelled to bring
you to headquarters. Mr.. Browning" l
explained. your bail will be agreed
upon and then you can be paroled in
custody of your counsel. I Will see Mr..
FoWnes a. soon as I can"
Mr. Browning shrugged his shoulders
with polite disgust.
This IS all very inconvenient and an
entirely unnecessary outrage. But I
suppose you must do your duty. Per-
nit me to explain matters to my wife
She IS not IN very good health, and /
hardly wish her to think me a Grim
inal. My suite is on the second floor,
No. 254. You can come up with me or
stand guard at the elevator, If you
think I contemplate trying to evade the
law" and he smiled with polite sar-
casm."
The lobby will do quite as we'll" !
said dryly. You can have ten min
utes"
With graceful bow he stepped into
the nearest elevator. while l took a
seat, secure in the knowledge that /
commanded the situation of all the ex-
its. I waited five minutes l waited
ten. l waited fifteen minutes. No Mr.
Browning. Then ] strobe to the dssk
Kindly phone to Mr. Browning's
suite and say that Captain Smith is still
waiting"
mo Mr.. Browning registered here,
sir"
Mr.. BrOwning-the gentleman who
was with me. Suite 254, second floor. ="
I explained angrily.
Very sorry. sir. There must be some
is occupied by Mr. Fownes
and mis- wife"
Like a thunderbolt long DELAYED.
light broke in on me. With a hasty ex-
PLANTATION TO the clerk and a fash of my
shield. I seized a bell boy and literally
carried him in rush to the elevator
and up to suite 254 And then my
worst fears were realized. The rooms
were empty. How, when and where my
polite Mr. Browning had gone
couldn't pretend to say.
At the desk ELECTED the information
that Mr.. and Mrs. Fownes had regis
tered I'VE days ago They had two
dress suit cases with them, and ex-
planned that their baggage, while on
The way from Chicago, had gone
lstray. 1t was expected every moment.
They had registered from that city and
paid two weeks in advance. The clerk