The Irish standard., 1909-01-30
ARID the valet? Was he in your


ets-which he did very carefully-and
given them to me, he could go off on
the little vacation which came to him
by his master through me-
THAT'S little hit evasive. How
ever. haven't the right to ask you
to give away your partners, anyhow"
He was peering at MERGERS face be-
hind his glasses, but the pallid, tired
features returned him no clew to the
thoughts in the head above them.
What have you done with Mr. Keatch-
am?" he concluded suddenly.
The question brought no change of
expression, and Mercer answered read
lily: 81 put him off by himself, where
he sees no one and hears nothing.
read a good deal about prisons and
the most effectual way of tanning men,
and solitary confinement is recon-
mended by all the authorities. His
! meals are handed to him by-by me-
chanical device. He has electric light
some of the time, turned on from the
outside. He has comfortable room
and his own shower-bath. He has
comfortable meals. And he is supplied
with reading"
"Reading?" repeated the colonel, his
surprise in his voice.
For the first time he saw Mercer
smile, but it was hardly pleasant
(: smile. yes, sub, reading" he said.
81 have had typewriter copies made
i of all the cases which I discovered in
regard to his stealing our company. I
reasoned that when he would get ab-
solutely tired of himself and his own
: thoughts he would inst naturally he
oblighed to read. and that would be
4: ready for him. He tore up one copy"
! "Hmn--I can't say wonder. What
: old you do?"
IT sent him another. 7 expected he
would do that way. After a while he
will go back to it, because it will draw
| him. He'll hate 1t, but he will want
! to know them all. know his nature,
i you see"
/; What are you going to do with
| him?"
I; Let him go, after he does what we
F.; want and promises never to modest
any of u.s.
But can you trust him.
He never breaks his word" replied
Mercer. indifferently land besides. he
knows he will be killed If he should.
He isn't given to heing scared, but
| he's scared of me. all right"
What do you want him to do?"
! Promise to be decenter MAJ and
! to let Mr.. Tracy alone in future: mean
while, to send wire in his secret code
saying he has changed his mild. 1t
will not surprise his crowd. He never
confides in them, and he expects them
to obey blindly anything in that code
language. reckon other telegramA
are just for show, and they don't no
tice them much"
The colonel took a turn around the
room to pack away this information
in an orderly fashion in his mind. Mer
Ger waited patiently; he had said
truly that he was used to waiting. Per,
haps he supposed that Winter was try,
ing the case in his own mind; but in
reality Rupert was seeking only one
clew, as little diverted from his pur,
pose as bloodhound. He began to
understand the man whose fixed pur.
pose had his own quality but sharp.
ened by wrong and suffering. This
man had not harmed Archie; as much
as his warped and fevered soul could
feel softer emotions, he was kindly
intentioned toward the lad Who had
carried him away, then? Or was he
off on his own account, really. this
time? Or suppose Atkins, the missing
secretary discharged at Denver, com.
ing back for another appeal to his EN-.
ployer. finding Keatcham gone. but. let
one say, stumbling on some trace OF
mystery in his departure; suppose
him to consider the chance of his hav.
ing his past condoned and rosy fu-
ture given him if his suspicious should
prove true and he should release the
captive-wouldn' such prospect spur
on a man who was as cunning as he
was unprincipled? Mightn't he have
watched all possible clews, and might.
mt he have heard about Archie and
plotted to capture the child, thinking
| uo WOulu US td5ly puIlipeu! udt
would presuppose that Atkins knew
that Archie was at the Arnolds' Or
no, he might only have seen the boy
on the street; he knew him by sight:
the colonel remembered that several
times Archie had been with him in
Keatchams car. It was worth con-
] sidering, anyhow. He spoke out OF
his thoughts: DO you think Keatch.
am could have told the truth, and that
code of his be lost or stolen? Why
couldn't Atkins have stolen 1t? He
had the chance, and he isn't hampered
by principle, you say"
Mercer frowncd; 1t was plain the
possibility had its argument for him.
He might" he conceded, but doubt
It. Why hasn't he done something
with it? He hasn't. They wouldn't
have postponed that meeting If he had
wired his proxy and his directions in
the code. He'd have voted his en-
ployer's stock He's got too much at
stake. happen to know he thought IT
sure tin to sell short, and he has put