The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-07-12

brand of tobacco. but now he seemed
| to look to the silver presentment of a
woman's head and bust, which orna-
mented the cover, for a solution of the
mystery.
| l awoke late, and when 1 reluctantly
piloted my sleepy way to my morning
bath l found Clarke was already away
About o'clock he returned. His
dark, handsome face was inscrutable,
and he vouchsafed no information fur
ther than that he had spent the major
portion of the day in Bottoms office and
had seen Nipple, Wiley and the file
clerk, whose name turned out to be
Bobus. / judged that he had not been
able to engage either OF them in a con-
versation sufficiently intimate to make
his peculiar third degree effective.
We ordered a $50 dinner; after it /
intended to so to the theatre.
AS soon as we were seated at the ia
BILE Clarke buried his face in his evening
paper, looking up but once to say:
''Boxboard is up 10 points. Did you
buy?"
| confessed that l had not.
Suddenly the telephone bell rang vio-
lently.
"Ah, I expected that; no theatre for
you tonight exclaimed Clarke, jump
ing up so suddenly that he sent river
ends of the conversation I caught were
as follows: Eyes, this is Carlton Clarke
wen be down right away-behind the
door of the private office-dont fear.
We shall come armed
Come on. Sexton; we're wanted" he
then said to me. while he took his ia
vorite revolver from the rack of arms
and handed me a weapon.
by the cars: it will be quicker than
I. -
I'm afraid I've made a terrible mis-
take. I've turned fiend loose on Boil
ton. His life is in danger God send
we get there in time. 1t will be all
right if he follows my advice"
| By this time we were on the car,
and my companion relapsed into Iac-
iturnity.
The great office building was almost
deserted when we reached it, Here and
there a light on the dizzy facade
showed where some belated worker was
closing up the days business. AS safe
| a place for a crime, l thought, in the
| heart of that cavernous structure, as
in the depths of an unbroken forest.
The one elevator which was still run
ming took us quickly to the floor, the
whole of which was devoted to the
offices of Bolton & Co. The outer
door was closed. Clarke silently opened
pared himself for such an emergency.
Quickly, noiselessly, and with knowl-
edge born of his previous visit, Clarke
guided me through the dark labyrinth
of small rooms until We reached the
door leading to Bottoms private office.
Within we heard the sound of angry
voices in dispute. The door was slight
ly ajar, and lifting a warning finger to
me Clarke applied his eye to the crew
ice. while / noted that he had his
weapon in hand with the barrel in line
with the opening.
Placing his mouth close to my ear
he whispered: He has my promise
not to interfere unless absolutely neces-
| Sary.'
From the heat of the discussion with
in, there was no danger of his being
overheard.
do you mean to tell me that / can
not read. sir? Do you dare tell me
you did not write those words?"
This was the first connected sentence
was able to distinguish The voice
was Bottoms.
you have brow-beaten me long
enough" answered his companion.
Come with me TO the vault and !
! will prove to you that every one of the
daily reports for years contains the
same line as that paper. Daily Report
from New York
1T is a farce. you scoundrel, but ]
will give you every chance to prove
your innoncence."
We heard them step into the vault
where the conversation was continued
in now muffled tones
Suddenly we heard a curse. a loud
cry. and the sound of a falling body.
Clarke was in the Office at bound,
with myself at his heels. He had
scarcely reached the center of the room
when a tall, angular, gray-bearded man
strang from the vault. With de-
monical laugh he swung the heavy
door shut. and rapidly spun the dial
which threw the combination. Then he
Strengthened up to find himself looking
into the muzzle of Clarke's revolver.
Nov, Mr.. Tobias Nipple. We'll have
that vault open at once, and let Mr..
Bolton out" said Clarke. in about the
same tone he would have used in ask
ing anyone to pass TIE butter.
"Who are you?" demanded the con-
fidential clerk. for little as 1 was able
to credit it, such he seemed to be.
Never mind who 1 am. Just quietly
run that combination. Mr.. Bolton wfll
be needing air.
This doubtless was true, as we heard
the imprisoned man. who evidently had
revived from the blow Nipple struck
him. gasping and beating wildly on the
steel door WIN MS ISIS.
I'm not open it," snarled Nipple.
You can shoot me but that won't get
him out I've been waiting thirty-five
years for this moment. and he can rot
in there I'll listen to his dying gasps
and il will be music in my ears. Ha,
ha, You can shoot me but you can't
get him out"
Suddenly Clarke's eyes blazed in
fury Cant I? Grab him. Sexton"
With a rush / caught the old man
from the rear, and pinioned his arm
Despite my advantage in years and
weight had no easy task. He strug-
gled and twisted and turned. and il
took all my strength to hold those
wiry arms. Gradually he ceased to
struggle and looking up / saw Clarke's
eyes shining like those of an animal
in the dark. He had thrown his revolt
yer on the table. and his rigid arms
were stretched forward almost to the
face of my captive.
Now then, you are coming down to
nv office in the morning" he said in a
low tense voice. You are opening the
vault Let's see; il is first to the right
to ST.