The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-07-08

of minutes before you let him in. Then
60 over to Kneeland's detective agency
and have him send good man over"
Bailey vanished, and Farnsworth
turned to Miss Clarendon.
"Was Bob in Boston Tuesday"
She flushed and hesitated, then an
swered steadily, Yes"
"In this officer
Eyes"
"Came early, before I got hereT
EYES,"
Bob knew that that check was COM
ing from Hartzell. He may have
known that it would be mailed on the
18th. Watt"
He opened the door and looked into
the outer Office.
"Mr. Hartzell!'' he called. "Come in"
A slender, keen eyed man of forty
entered.
when my nephew called on you a
month ago about the Gorham deal, did
you mention any date when you would
probably settler
Hartzell stroked his chin
81 may have mentioned the 18th"
said he. II told you over the phone"
You told me the 20th." said Farms
worth, unless I've forgotten. But
what did you tell him? That's the
point"
81 think l said that Gorham would
probably pay on the 18TH"
VERY good. Did you call at the Corn
on your way up here?"
yes; they're looking the matter up
Farnsworth sat down to the tele-
phone and called up the Corn. There
was a brief conversation, at the close
of which Farnsworth pulled open a
tall drawer in his desk and took out a
check book.
"Well," said he at last, "here's the
joker. A leaf containing three checks
signed in blank has been cut from this
book, and | didn't notice 1t. Shrewd
work, Hartzell. You see, that check
of yours was too big to be safely ham
died at your bank, so the rascal de-
posted it in mine. That gave me a
balance of $4,700 more than l knew
about, SO Of course l wouldn't draw
against it. Then our thief filed out
my blanks to bearer and cashed them
at my bank. The way l play this
game, Hartzell, any smooth fellow can
cash bearer check of mine at the
Corn for couple of thousand without
ever being asked to indorse it. / pre-
fer to make some Of my payments that
way, and the bank knows it,
"Indeedr said Hartzell, and he
stroked his chin again I'm afraid
you're stuck, Farnsworth."
He turned to go, and Farnsworth did
not detain him. AS he passed out
James Kneeland, the detective, entered,
and he gave the departing form half
glance
"Do you know Hartzell?' said
Farnsworth.
II met him some years ago." re-
sponded the detective thoughtfully.
"Has Bailey told you about this
game that's been played on me?'
Kneeland nodded and winked his
eyes behind his big round spectacles.
"Now, the point of it." said Farms
worth, ''is that Hartzell's letter, with
the check, was intercepted and opened
in this Office"
eff it ever came here" said Knee
land.
II tell you the thing was done here.
Checks have been taken from my
book. Who could have done that ex-
cept some one who knows the ropes
here?'
| II could have done it." said Knee
land complacently. "a good many peo-
pie know where you keep that book"
'But the forged understandable
do you account for that?'
Probably traced. You haven't the
check, of course?''
Eyes. Hartzell brought it up from
his bank Here it u.s."
s'Hartzell left it here" said the de-
tective. "Well, that's good evidence"
"Evidence?'
'NThat he didn't do the trick himself. y
"I'll tell you who did do it." said
Farnsworth 'My nephew did it. It's
uO lIOuUl0 LUZ 11lI W lOlSS LILY AdAAC.
Ask this young lady here. Is Bob's
writing like miner"
Remarkably So" said Miss Claren-
don calmly.
Important coincidence" said Knee
land "Have you got specimen of
his hand? am tolerably familiar
with yours"
"Theres letter from him some
where here" said Farnsworth.
| Miss Clarendon went into the next
room and returned Immediately with
an open letter.
Here is a sample of Mr.. Robert
Farnsworth's writing" said she and
gave page to the detective, who read
Us follows, Farnsworth reading over
his shoulder:
"You know he lent me $500 to settle
some matters in the west, and was
paying it back at the rate Of $40 every