Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-26

sured him. and he remembered the odd
sentence which his aunt had used the
first night of their Journey, when she
/ expressed her laundering to match her
wits against those of frst-class Grim
inal
| I'VE didn't reckon on your turning
w, or the complication with Archie.
wish to God we'd taken the boys own
word! But now you know all about
1t, will you keep your hands on? That's
all we ask
"Well,"--the colonel examined his
finger nails, rubbing his hands softly,
the back of one over the palm Of the
other-"well, you haven't quite told
ME all. Don't, unless you are prepared
to have 1t USED against you. as the po-
lcemen say before the sweat-box.
What did you do to Keatcham to get
him to go with you so like Marys lit
| tie lamb?"
II learned OF little device that
looks like tiny curry-comb and Is 20
/ fiat and small you can bind it on q
| mans arm Just ova an artery. Just
press on the spring and give the
! least scratch, and the man falls down
III commissions. showed him . rat
had had fetched me, and killed 1t like
a flash. He had his choice Of walking
out quietly with mel had my hand
on his arm-or dropping down dead.
He went quietly enough"
THAT was the meaning Of his look
at me, was it," Winter thought. He
said only: Did Endicott Tracy know
about that?"
"Of course not" Mercer denied. do
! you reckon l want to mix the boy up
| in this more than have? And Arnold
only knew was trying some kind OF
bluff game"
Il will lay odds, though" the colo
mel ventured, in his gentlest tone,
tone, that Mr. Samurai, as Haley calls
| him, knew more But when did you
set rid of Atkins?"
"Mr. Keatcham discharged him at
| Denver. I met Mr.. Keatcham here;
| II. was arranged on the train. We had
IT planned out. II that plan had failed
/ had another"
Meat. Very neat And then you
became the secretary"
| Mercer flushed in an unexpected
fashion. Certainly mott" he said.
with emphasis. do you think would
take his wages and not do the work
faithfully? No, sub. assumed to be
his secretary In the office: that gave
| me chance to arrange everything.
But did it to ohige him. / never
touched cent of his money. paid.
in fact, for our board out of our own
money. 1t would have burned my I'm
gers. subj"
"And the valet? Was he in your
( plot? Don't answer If you"
Vie was, subj" replied Cary Mercer:
"He is right worthy fellow, and he
Thought, after he had seen to the tick
ets-which he did very carefully-and
| given them to me, he could 60 of on
! the little vacation which came to him
by his master through me-"
That's a little bit 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.
| HI aha~ M
expression, and Mercer answered read
ily: Il 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
| mile, but it was hardly pleasant
| smile. YES, sub, reading" he said
Il have had typewriter copies made
| If all the cases which discovered in
egard to his stealing our company.
3asoned that when he would get alb
o,utely tired Of himself and his own
thoughts he would just naturally be
,blished to read, and that would be
.eady for him. He tore up one copy.
Hmm can't say wonder. What
nid you do?"
Il sent him another. I expected he
/ would do that way. After a while he
| will go back to 1t, because it will draw
lin. He'll hate it, but he will want
10 know them all. l know his nature
| .-ou see."
What are you going to do with
i,;m?"
Let him go, after he does what we
want and promises never to modest
| any of us"
But can you trust him."
"He never breaks his word" replied
! Mercer, indifferently, "and besides, he
..laows he will be killed II he should
| lie isn't given to being scared, but
! les scared of me, all right"
What do you want him to do?"
Promise to be decenter ma. and
70 let Mr.. Tracy alone In future; mean.
| while, to send wire in his secret code
| saying he has changed his mild. 1t
1 IL ~