The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-11-04

to my Clay street office, but gave only
some laughing answer as he turned
back
But l was in far from a laughing
humor myself. The problem of pay
ing the men raised fresh prospects Of
trouble, and l reflected grimly that If
the money was not found l might be
in more danger from my unpaid mer-
cenaries than from the enemy.
Ten o'clock passed, and eleven,
with no sign from Doddridge Knapp,
and l wondered If the news I had car
ried him of the activities of Terrill
and of Decker had disarranged his
plans
tried the door into Room 16 1t
was locked, and no sound came to
my ears from behind it.
Il should really like to know"
thought to myself, whether Mr.. Dodd-
ridge Knapp has left any papers in his
desk that might bear on the Wilton
mystery.
l tried my keys, but none of them
fitted the lock. l gave up the attempt
indeed, my mind shrank from the
idea of going through my employers
papers-but the desire of getting a
key that would open the door was
planted in my brain.
Twelve o'clock came No Doddridge
Knapp had appeared. and I sauntered
1 down to the Exchange to pick up any
1 items of news 1t beheoved me to be
looking out for Doddridge Knapp'=
movements. If he had got another
agent to carry out his schemes.
should have to prepare my lines for
attack from another direction.
Wallbridge was just coming rapidly
out of the Exchange.
No. said the little man, hopping
the perspiration from his shining head,
quiet as lambs to-day. Their own
mothers wouldn't have known the
Board from a Sunday school"
l inquired about Omega.
Flat as a pancake" said the little
man. Nothing doing"
What Is it DOWN." I exclaimed
with some establishment.
Lord bless you, MOI" said Wall
bridge, surprised in his turn. Strong
and steady at eighty, but we didn't sell
in rush. Good-by. If you don't want
to buy or SELL" And he hurried of
without waiting for a reply.
So l was now assured that Dodd
ridge Knapp had not displaced me il
the Omega deal. II was a recess tC
prepare another surprise for the
Street, and l had time to attend to {
neglected duty.
The undertaker's shop that held thu
morgue looked hardly less gloomy il
the afternoon sun than in the light o
breaking day in which I had left i
when l parted from Detective Coogan
The Office was decorated mournfull!
to accord with the grief of friends
who ordered the collins, or the feeling
of the surviving relatives on settling
the bills.
Il am Henry Wilton explained tt
the man in charge. There was e bod.
left here by Detective Coogan to N.
order, believe"
"Oh, yes" he said. What do yol
want done with it?"
I explained that l wished to arrang
to have 1t deposited in a vault for
time, as I might carry 1t east.
That's easy DONE" he said; and h
explained the details Would you Xix
} to see the body?" he concluded. "W
embalmed 1t on the strength Of Coos
ans order"
l shrank from another look at tn
battered form. The awfulness of tn
: tragedy came upon me with hardl
less force than in the moment whe
I had first faced the mangled an
bleeding body on the slab in the deaC
room.
The undertaken was talking, but
knew not what he said. I was shakin
with the horror and grief Of the stu;
: ton. and in that moment l renewe
my vow to have blood for blood an
/. life for life, if law and justice were I
be had
Wen take it out any time" sal
the undertaken, with a decorous r
D Election of my grief upon his fac
Would you like to accompany the r
. mains?"
4 I decided that l would.
Well. there's nothing doing nov
We can start as soon as we hay
: sealed the casket''
AS soon as yoM can. There's not
l ing TO wait for"
The ride to the cemetery took n
; through part of San Francisco tbs
had not yet seen. But I paid littl
attention TO the streets through whic
We passed. Ny mind was on the frien
r wI~se name l had taken, wgose wor
was TO do. / was back with him /