The Washington times., 1909-03-30

- A
v Y found, greatly to his disap-
pointment that his friend
was not in.
The office was closed and a sheet of
paper pasted on the inside of the glass
panel announced that Steve would not
be back before p. m
As ii was out of the question for
| Wilbur to wait until that hour he
went away, wondering what he should
do next
4 suppose I'll have to go 10 head
quarters and summons the police" he
| reflected. IF I don't. Frank Barring
| ton will probably notify them by teIe-
phone. so it would do no good for me
TO disObey his orders
I wish that Steve was here to ad-
wise me. l can't bear the thought Of
that poor girl being draggeG~to a cell,
and yet
A joyous look came into his face
at the thought that had suddenly en-
tered his mind. In his excitement over
the dramatic scene he had just wit
messed in the office he had forgotten
all about the conversation between
Arthur harrington and the viHainous-
raced Italian which he had overheard
in the cafe
CURED tC him that here was a simple
and practical solution Of the problem
OF how TO prevent the marriage OF
Arthur harrington and the girl fro n
taking place that night.
If the girl was arrested and locked
up 1t was evident that she would be
unable to marry Arthur harrington
for few hours, at least.
or course. the junior partner when
ne heard what had happened To Miss
Hamilton, might endeavor to get her
out on bail and thus be able to carry
out his plan 70 we'd her that night.
but 1t was probable that the bail de-
manded in her case would be high. and
II so 1t was not likely that Arthur Bar
rington would be able TO furnish IL.
1t Is desperate remedy" rpused
wilbur, but after all II IS better for
the gin TO be locked up than 10 be
InarTied TO that scoundrel. and. besides.
she De arrested anyway, 1 suppose,
even II don't carry Frank Barrington's
message to the police. He seems d.
tel mined to press this charge against
her
He turned in the direction OF noI,c.
headquarters, and started to walk
briskIy.
Il wonder If she really did steal those
diamonds he unused. Il can't believe
mat she could be capable Of such a
/ crime. And yet Frank Darlington
found them in her handbag. How on
earth did they get there. unless she
put them there7''
Then, suddenly. fragment NJ tho
/ conversation he had overheard in the
cafe arose in his miEd and caused him
to see a great light
My brother has his own peculiar yva,,
OF going about things" Arthur Rar-
rlhSton had said TO the villainous faced
I italian He hasn't shown his hand vet.
Dut' nevertheless. I feel positive that he
mas got something up his sleeve and
, mat his game il the same as ours re-
garding that girl"
This, Of course, was the real ex-
P!ahation Of the matter Wilbur told
/ hlinSet. Arthur Darlington had
guessed right-his brother Frank did
nave something up his sleeve and that
something was cruel and dastard;y
/ attempt to fasten the crime Of robbery
upon this unfortunate girl
Wilbur fully believed now that the
girl was innocent. He felt certain
that the alleged diamond robbery was
all myth-that Frank Darlington had
himself put the diamonds in the poor
girls handbag in order TO bring dis
grace upon her.
The more lie thought about the mat
ter the more convinced he became that
he had hit upon the truth.
why should Frank harrington have
pOunced 50 suddenly and so deliberately
upon the girls handbag unless he had
known In advance that the diamords
were there?
And why had the senior mariner in
4 trusted the girl with the secret of the
combination OF the safe in the first
place.
lie had never given that combination
10 any OF the StenOgrapherS previously
employed I'm the Office. There was NO