The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-02-13

l1g4::t Oh "a rich mans Ordinary life
all this had occurred as swiftly ar
with as little warning as scene shift
on the stage.
Mrs. Rebecca Winter may have Il
credit for this bouleversement y,
plans. BY an astonishingly early no,
the next morning she was awake ar
downstairs, where Kito and TRAD
were making coffee. toasting bres-
and admiring the oatmeal which ha
cooked, while they slept, in the, Fir
less Stove. Tracy had planned gu
prise of brown bread, but through
fault of the Fireless, owing solely
his emitting what he called "the pic
me.up," commonly known as soda
an accident, as he truly said, whi-
might happen to any lady-the brea
was rather too adhesive" The breal
fast, Notwithstanding, was a cheerf,
one. because Miss Smith reported th
patient shade better. She locke
smiling, although rather heavy-eye,
Mercer and the colonel had take
turns sitting in the adjoining room T.
bring her ice or hot water or be
service outside.
The colonel had suggested calm
a doctor, but Aunt Rebecca had d,
INJURED: "Janet can do everything;
is just a question of his heart: an
she has digitalis and nitroglycerin an
strychnine, the whole outfit of whip
She has dressed the wound with ant
septics. Tomorrow will be 500
enough for the medical TALENT
was she. however. who, as soon a
breakfast was over, took first MERGE
and Tracy, then the colonel. apart an
proposed calling up Keatcham's con
fidential associates on the long dis
lance telephone. Strike, but hea
me, nephew" she said. languidly. smil
ing at his bewilderment. Our onl.
chance now is to exhaust trumps. Yes
terday the game was won. keatchan
had surrendered. he had his partner!
In the deal to make no fight on Tracy,
election; they could get what they.
wanted without the Midland; he ad
vised them TO cover their shorts ant
get ready for bull MARKET
"How did he do all that when he had
lost his private code book"
How would you do it? You woult
use the long distance telephone. We
caught them at Seattle. where his mer-
had gone for the meeting. I don't TN
derstand why they needed me to sug
gest that. There the poor man was
as your Harvard stove agent calls
rubbering about the library. trying to
find The Fortunes Of Nigel in the
edition barley had illustrated; Of
course, 1t wasn't there. He had lost.
IT. just before he came to the Palace
he thought. It seems his old cipher
needs a particular book, that kind. No
doubt in my mind that your theory is
right and that Atkins stole it and
perhaps thought he stole the key, but
didn't get it. He took memorandum
Of ciphers which looked like key.
There keatcham was. with millions
hanging on his wires and his modern
substitute for the medieval signet-
ring that would enforce the message
quite lost. What to do? Why. there
was nothing to do but get another
cipher! They made up temporary
one, right in that library, yesterday
afternoon"
"But how could Mercer be sure
keatcham would not play a trick on
him? Did he hear the conversation 2"
Certainly not. He took keatchams
word. Whatever his faults, keatcham
has always kept his word. Mercer was
sure he would keep it. He went out
OF the room. He was in the library
when Keatcham was stabbed"
The colonel drew long, difficult
breath. "Then you don't believe Mer.
Ger did it,"
I'm sure he didn't. He didn't hurt
him. Why should he kill him after
he had surrendered? He had nothing
to gain and considerable to risk, If
not to lose. We want that bull mar
ket"
But who did. then? Atkins? But
he is trying to rescue him."
"Is he? How do we know? The
rescue was only our supposition. I'm
only certain none of our crowd did II"
"Kito?"
"No. Kito keeps absolutely within
his orders; he knew how things stood
when he went away. Mercer saw him
go. He couldn't get in, either; he had
to signal to be let in. They we're as
careful as that. Now, assuming they
are all innocent, isn't it the best plan
to telephone to Seattle to Keatcham's
next friend there?"
He hasn't any family, has he? His
wife died and there we're no children.
I think
mo. and II he ever had any brothers
or sisters they died when they were
little; his business associates are the
only people Cary knows about. He is
anxious to have word sent at once, be-
cause there are important things to do
in Keatcham's own interest; he came
to California and he has employed
Cary in big Portland cement invest
ment; Cary has been working all the
time on it for him-I beg your par
DOH" for the colonel had raised his
hand with a little gasn