The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-10-19

that Philip used the simplest and bold
est outlines In his caligraphy. and he
must risk &C" without the upper
loop. In Lady NJ" too. he had the
foundation OF the It" to precede the
requisite figures. Soon he framed
letter in the fewest words possible:
Yours o. today's date received Kindly
sell consoIs value El5o.o00 and place the
same to NV credit.
He copied il again and again. until
ii was written freely and carelessly.
and every letter available compared IA
vorably with the original In his posses
sion. Then he posted IL. thus saving a
day, according to his calculations.
With this missive committed irrey-
ocably to the care of his majestys
mails. Victor Grenier's spirits rose.
Now, indeed, he WAS in the whirlpool.
Would he emerge high and dry in the
Fl Dorado OF gilded vice which he
longed to enter. or would fortune csai-
sign him to Portland again-perchance
to the scaffold? He could not say. He
would not feel safe until Philip Arson
was a myth and Victor Grenier a
reality, with many thousands In the
bank
Already he was planning plausible
lies to keep Mason out OF his fair
share of the plumber, 4 few more
forged letters would easily establish
the fact that he was unable to obtain
bigger haul than, say. 100000.
And what did Mason want with f25.-
600? He was a snarled man, with
crude tastes. Twenty, fifteen, ten
thousand would be ample for his
wants. The sooner he drank himself to
death the better.
With each fresh cigar Mason's mole
ty shrank In dimensions. The murder
was a Isere affair of vengeful blow,
but this steady sucking of the million
aires riches required finesse, dashing
adroitness, the superb impudeace OF
| Cagliostro.
But IL his confederate's interests suf-
fered, the total fixed in Grenier's origi-
nal scheme In nowise became affected.
He meant TO have a hundred thou
| sand pounds. and he firmly decided
not to go beyond that amount. His
! letter TO the bankers named f15o.ooo.
short at two-thirds of the available
sum he would not give any grounds
| for suspicion or personal inquiry.
Yet he would shirk nothing, Mr.. Abb
ingdon and Miss Atherley must be
| avoided at all events. Others be would
| face blithely. He took care to have
ever on the table in his sitting room q
goodly supply of wines and spirits.
If any one sought an interview, IL
might se helpful TO sham slight de-
gree of intoxication. The difference
| between Philip drunk and Philip sober
would then be accounted for readily.
But rest-that was denied him. 1t
was one thing to harden himself
against surprise, quite another to for
get that disfigured corpse swirling
about in the North sea.
| He wished now that Philip Arson
had not been cast forth naked. 1t was
blunder not to dress him, to provide
him with means of Identification with
some unknown Smith or Jones.
| When he closed his eyes he could see
q shadowy form wavering helplessly
in green depths. Never before were
his hands smeared with blood. He had
touched every crime save murder.
Physically he was coward. In
| plotting the attack on Philip he had
taxed his ingenuity for weeks to dis
/ cover some means where he need not
become Mason's actual helper. He re-
jected project after project. The thiag
might be bungled, so he must attend TO
each part of the undertaking himself
short of using bludgeon.
| He slept again and dreamed OF long
flights through space pursued by de-
mons. How he longed for day! How
slowly the hours passed after dawn
until the newspapers were obtainable,
with their columns OF emptiness for
| him.
A letter came from Evelyn. 1t was
a tribe reserved, with an impulse to
/ tears concealed in It,
/ / asked mother for ESQ so the Blue
! Atom incident has ended, but / don't
| think I will ever understand the mood In
| which you wrote your last telegram.
| Perhaps your letter now In the post-I
| half expected 1t at midday-will explain
matters somewhat.
He consigned Blue Atom to q sultry
cline and began to ask himself why
Mr.. Abingdon had not written. The
| ex-magistrate's reticence annoyed him.
/ letter even demonstrating with him
I would be grateful This silence was
| irritating: 1t sayored of doubt, and
doubt was the one phase of thought he
wished 10 keep out of Mr. Abinsdon's
| mind at that moment.
As for Evelyn, she mistrusted even
his kilograms. while a bank had ac-
| cepted his signature without reserva-
ton. He would punish her with zest
| Philip Anson's memory would be pois-
oned in her heart long before she real
/ ivai 49,. /.