Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-09-30
(Copyright, by Daily Story pub. Coz


each morning for the past five years.
He had acknowledged the landlady's
polite greeting with his usual curt nod,
had eaten in silence and had caught
the uptown car at precisely $40. At
nine o'clock Monday night the physi-
clan in the emergency ward at st.
Luke's hospital turned to the waiting
nurse with the one word, Dead"
William Morley was dead. At seven
o'clock he had come alone to the hos
pital, and had told the superintendent
he was dying. Three hours later the
undertaken had come and gone. When
questioned by reporter the physician
only shook his head, and William Nor
ley himself had not uttered one word
after entering the hospital.
At six o'clock Tuesday morning a
man in Denver, Col, sat up in bed and
read telegram. There was but one
sentence: William Morley is dead"
and no signature; but fifty minutes la
ter the man was flying eastward, fifty
miles an hour At Z: so the same morn
ing man in Austin, Texas, was
turning in at his Office. He paused, his
desk key in his hand, and read the
short sentence, William Morley is
dead" He dropped the unused key in
to his pocket and hurried out of the
building. Thirty-five minutes later he
was on north-bound train, speeding
toward New York.
At eight o'clock Saturday night
man was shown into the private Office
of Howall & Maillard, attorneys and
councillors at law, New York city. Mr..
Howall the senior member of the
firm, met the stranger
Il am very glad to see you, sir. You
got my telegram all right?"
Yes, left Austin on the next train
and came straight through. When did
Mr.. Morley die?"
Monday night at nine o'clock.
wired you an hour later. Those were
the instructions Mr.. Morley gave me
week before his death. 1t may seem
strange to you that we, his lawyers,
do not know what this all means; yet
that is just the case. Perhaps you can
explain?"
yes. but there should be some one
else"
You mean Mr.. Hilson of Denver?
wired him the same night / did you
He will arrive in New York tonight
on the eleven o'clock train and will
come straight here. In the meantime,
while we wait, perhaps you can throw
some light on this mystery"
The man from Austin did not seem
to hear the lawyers last words. He
had seated himself and, with his chin
resting on his hand, was gazing
through the open window down into
the brilliantly lighted street below.
Yet he did not observe what lay before
him; his eyes had an unseeing look,
and his lips were set in hard, straight
line. AS he sat there, the lawyer, not.
ing that his words had passed un-
needed, had good chance to study
him. He was still young man, per-
haps not over twenty-eight years old,
yet his hair was already touched with
gray, and there were lines in his face
that indicated an experience of the
world beyond his years. 1t was on the
whole a strong face, yet at the same
time hard and uncompromising one.
That the man had met and overcome
hardships was written in every fea-
ture. Yet with this there was a stern
ness. an almost cruelty, which indi-
Gated that, although he had had strug-
giles himself, there would be no pity in
his heart for the misfortunes of an
other.
Mr.. Howell coughed. The stranger
started and quickly turned his gaze
back to the lawyer.
Il beg your pardon he said Il had
forgotten myself for the moment"
And, after a short pause, he added
half-retrospectively so Bob Hilson
has been in Denver. It's the first
news I've had of him for a year"
You must remember" reminded
the attorney. that am entirely in the
dark in this affair. had never heard
of William Morley until two weeks
ago, and my first knowledge of yours
and Mr.. Hilsons names was Monday
| niBhb wien OHNhtu lily Stdltu III
structions. Even then | only knew
your names and addresses. This pack
ct" he placed his hand on sealed en-
velope on the desk beside him, was
to be opened tonight in the presence
OF you both. have proceeded thus far
knowing almost nothing about the af
fair in which am engaged; / cannot
go further without some more definite
knowledge
The man from Texas looked flxedly
at the lawyer before replying.
Il can easily appreciate your posi-
ton, he said. yet hardly feel at lib
erty to speak. IL Is very delicate
matter, and Hilson as we'll as myself
Is concerned. We're | alone involved
IL would be different. However. IL
may be assured of your absolute Sc
crecy-"
"Of course" the lawyer broke in
that is understood. am actingas YOU
attorney, and what you say will be con