The Mena weekly star., 1909-05-20

IT other-"well. you haven't quite told mo all. Don't. unless you are prepared 10 have 1t used against you, as the DO. Il. smen say before the sweat-box. Y hat did you do to Keatcham to get Tn to go with you so like Mary's lit ta lamb?"
 q learned of a little device that 1~eks like a tiny curry-comb and is so frt and small you can bind it on tan's arm just over an artery. Just lfass on the spring and give the least scratch. and the man falls down fl, convuIsions. I showed him a rat rad had fetched me. and killed it Ike . flash. He had his choice of walking ct quietly with mel had my hand cn his arm-or dropping down dead. c went quietly enough"
 That was the meaning of his look at me, was it?" Winter thought. He i'd only: Did Endicott Tracy kno,, isout that?"
 "Of course not" Mercer denied. Do you reckon I want to mix the boy up in this more than haye2 And Arnold c9ly knew I was trying some kind of bll1 game"
 T will lay odds, though" the colo. nel yentured. in his gentlest tone, tcne, that MT Samurai, as Haley calls Linn, knew more. But when did you set rid of Atkins?"'
 "Mr. Keatcham discharged him at Denver l met Mir. Keatcham here; 1t was arranged on the train. We had il planned out. If that plan had failed had another"
 Neat Very neat. And then you became the sccretary?"
 Mercer flushed in an unexpected fashion Certainly noti" he said. with emphasis. Do you think would take his wages and not do the work faithfully? No, suh. assumed to be his secretary in the office; that gave ne a chance to arrange everything. But l did 1t 10 oblige him. never touched cent of his money. I paid, in fact, for our board out of our own money. It would have burned my fin gers, suhl''
 And the valet7 Was he in your plot? Don't answer if you---'
 He was, suh," replied Cary Mercer. He is right worthy fellow, and he thought, after he had seen to the tick 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 bit evasive. How ever, l haven't the right to ask you to give away your partners, anyhow" He was peering at Mercers 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 Mir. Keatch- am? he concluded suddenly
 The question brought no change of expression, and Mercer answered read fly: T put him off by himself, where he sees no one and hears nothing read good deal about prisons and the most efiectual way Of tanning men, and solitary confinement is recom- mended by all the authorities His meals are handed to him by--by q me
 
 some of the time. turned on from the outside. He has a 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 hlaf mt smile. Yes, sub, reading he said. nave had type-written copies made oi all the cases which discovered in regard to his stealing our company. reasoned that when he would get ab- solutely tired of himself and his own thoughts he would just naturally be ooilghed to read, and that would be ready for him. He tore up one copy"
 Hmn--I can't say I wonder. What oid you do?"
 sent him another. I expected he would do that way. After a while he VIII go back to it, because 1t will draw nm He'll hate 1t, but he will want 10 know them all. I know his nature, you sec"
 him?"
 Let him go,. after he does what we want and promises never to molest any of us."
 But can you trust him2" :. lie never breaks his word" replied ,Mercer, indifferently. "and besides, he nnows he will be killed if he should 's isn't given to being scared. but hes scared of me, all right" what do you want hin to dof" rromise to be deceater maa and so ie' MT. Tracy alone in future: mean wnlle' to send wire In his secret code saving he has changed his mind. Ii ""i not surprise his crowd. He never toh"aes in them, and he expects then. " obey blindly anything in that cods 'ahsuage I reckon other telegrams are just for show, and they don't no "ee them much.
 me colonel took turn al ound tho ,oom 10 pack away this information :" an orderly fashion in his mind Mer M ,s waited patiently: he had saic hny tnat he was used to waiting. Per ,, ,apa ne supposed that winser was try ~s sae case in his own mindI but 1T