Charlevoix county herald., 1908-04-25
CHAPTER v.
Doddridue Knapp.

It was past ten o'clock of the morn
ing when the remembrance or the
mysterious note | had received the
preceding night came on me. l took
the slip from my pocket, and read lts
contents once more. 1t was perpieX-
ing enough, but it furnished me with
an idea. OF course | could not take
money intended for Henry Wilton.
But here was the first chance to get
at the heart of this dreadful business.
The writer of the note, must sup
pose, was the mysterious employer.
If [ could see her l could find the way
Of escape from the dangerous burden
of Henry Wilton's personality and
mission.
But which bank could be meant?
The only names | knew were the
Bank OF California, whose failure in
the previous year had sent echoes
even into my New England home, and
the Angio-Californian Bank, on which
1 held draft. The former struck
me as the more likely place OF ap-
pointment, and after some skilful
navigating | found myself at the cor
ner OF California and Sansome streets,
before the building through which the
wealth of an empire had flowed.
watched closely the crowd that
passed in and out OF the treasure
house, and assumed what | hoped was
an air of prosperous indifference to
my surroundings.
No one appeared to notice me.
There were eager men and cautious
men, and men who looked secure and
men who looked anxious, but neither
man nor woman was looking for me.
Plainly had made bad guess.
hasty walk through several other
banks that l could see in the neigh
borhood gave no better result, and l
had to acknowledge that this chance
.of penetrating the mystery was gone.
| speculated for the moment on what
the effects might be. TO neglect an or
der OF this kind might result in the
withdrawal of the protection that had
saved my life, and in turning me over
10 the mercies of the banditti who
thought | knew something. of the
whereabouts of boy.
AS [ reelected thus, l came upon
crowd massed about the steps OF
great granite building in Pine Street;
whirlpool of men, it seemed, with
cross-currents and eddies, and from
the whole rose the murmur OF excited
voices.
It was the Stock Exchange, the
gamblers paradise, in which millions
were staked, won and lost, and ruin
and affluence walked side by side.
AS | watched the swaying, shout
ing mass with wonder and amuse
ment, a thrill shot through me.
Uron the steps of the building,
amid the crowd of brokers and specu
Iators. | saw tall, broad-shouldered
man of fifty or fifty-five, his face
keen. shrewd and hard, broad at the
temples and tapering TO a strong jaw,
a yellow-gray mustache and imperial
hslfhiding and half-reyealing the
firm lines OF the mouth, with the
mark of the wolf strong upon the
whole. 1t was face never to be for
gotten as long as | should hold men,
ory at ALL 1t was the face l had seen
twelve hours before in the lantern
fash in the dreadful alley, with the
cry of murder ringing in my ears.
Then it was lighted by the fierce fires
Of rage and hatred, and marked with
the chagrin of bafiled plans. Now it
was cool, good-humored, alert for the
battle of the Exchange that had al
ready begun. But | knew it for the
same, and was near crying aloud that
here was q murderer.
clutched my nearest nelghbor by
the arm, and demanded to know who
IL was.
''Doddridge Knapp" replied the
nan ciyilly. Hes running the Chol-
lar deal now. and if could only guess
which side he's on, I'd make for
tune in the next few days. He's the
Ring of Pine Street"
While I was looking at the King
Of the Street and listening to my
neighbor's tales of his operations,
Doddridge Knapp's eyes met mine.
To my amazement there was look
of recognition in them. Yet he made
90 sign, and in a moment was gone.
This, then, was the enemy was