The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1908-06-03
CHAPTER v.
Doddridue Knapp.

ing when the remembrance OF the
mysterious note | had received the
preceding night came on me- l TOOK
the slip from my pocket, ana READ It's
contents once more. IL was perpieX-
ing enough, but il furnished me with
an idea. OF course | could not take
money intended for Henry Wiiton
But here was the first chance TO get
1T the heart of this dreadful business.
The writer of the note, l must sup
pose, WAS the mysterious employer
If could see her 1 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 Anglo-Californian Bank. on which
I held a draft The former struck
me as the more likely place OF ap-
pointment, and after some skilfu!
navigating l found myself at the cor
ner of California and SansOme streets,
before the building through which the
wealth of an empire had flowed.
= I 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 l had made bad guess. A
basty walk through several other
hanks that | could see in the neigh
:borhood gave no better result, and
had to acknowledge that this chance
of penetrating the mystery was gone.
4 specuiated 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 liz turning me over
. 20 the mercies Of the banditu who
thought / knew something OF the
whereabouts of a boy.
As 1 reflected thus, | came upon a
crowd massed about the steps of a
great granite building in Pine Street;
a whirlpool of men, ii seemed, with
.cross-currents and eddies, and from
the whole rose the murmur of excited
voices.
= Ii was the Stock Exchange. the
gamblers paradise. in which millions
were staked. wCn and lost, and ruin
and affluence walked side by side.
As l watched the swayirg, shout
ing mass with wonder and amuSe-
nent. a thrill shot through me-
Upon the steps of the building,
amid the crowd of brokers and specu-
lators. | saw tail. broad-shouldered
man of fifty or fifty-five. his face
keen. shrewd and hard, broad at the
temples and tapering to strong jaw,
a yellow-gray mustache and imperial
halfhiding and half-revealing 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 mem
ory at all 1t was the face | 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 batied plans. Now ii
was cool. good-humcred. 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 a murderer.
l clutched my nearest nelshbor By
the arm. and demanded to know who
it was.
"Doddridge Knapp replied the
man civilly. He's running the Choi-
i. lar iea. I:ow. anu If could only guess
which side he's On. Id make a for
tune in the next few days. He's the
King of Pine Street
While l was looking at the King
of the Street ard listening to my
neighbours tales Of his operations.
q Doddridge knapps eyes met miEe.
To my amaZelnent there was a look
of recognition in them. Yet he made
no sign, and in a moment was gone.
This, then. was the enemy I was
10 meet. This was the explanation Of
Detective Coogan's hint that l should
be safer in Jail than free on the
streets to face this mans hatred or
revenge.
l must have stood in a daze on the
busy street, for l vas reused by some
one shaking my arm with vigor.
Come! are you asleep" said the
man. speaking in my ear. Can't you
hear?"
4 Yes, yes" said l, rousing my at
tention.
The chief wants you" His voice
was low, almost a whisper.
The chief! Who? Where?' asked.
AT the City HaIl?" l jumped to the