The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-02-19
BY
EDGAR FRANKLIN
Author Of THE White Streak of Disaster The House Of Suspicion
Chicago by Thursday" The Burden of the Billions, Etc.

per to rattle. Steps were clicking on
the floor. here and there.
Hungerford watched the clock anx-
iously. And surely enough, at the ex-
piration Of fifteen minutes the page
came TO his door with:
Gentleman to see you, sir. He says
you're expecting him
Mr.. Bovine entered.
Mr.. Bovine looked like nothing in par
ticplar. Certainly he did in no way
resemble the popular conception of the
shrewd detective He lacked the keen,
piercing eye, the aquiIine nose, the
thin mouth, and all the rest Of it.
BOwne's stock in trade. IN fact, lay IN
the trick Of looking like nothing in
particular. He might have been a well
salaried office man, he might have been
a travelling salesman, on the other hand
he might have been prosperous grocer,
or real estate agent, or almost any
thing else that carries a living income
with 1t.
But Bovine. in spite Of his lack Of
the spectacular, was the gentleman to
whom the eminent turned when in
trouble and received results-and paid
for them.
Mr. Bovine sat down with a vague
smile when he had closed the private
office door. and inquired:
well
HuugerfOrd hitched closer.
Bovine, somebody tried 70 murder
the Waterman here last night.'
They did, eh?'
Yes"
XIII him?'
No"
Where is he uow2'
In the hospital
Going to oliver"
4 don't know.
who did ito"
Il don't know
wei, why did they DO it?"
'T don't know"
Mr.. Bovine sat back with a chuckle.
Then what the dickens are you wor-
| rying about
/ well
Unpleasant sort Of thing to have
! happen IN first-class bank, Ell? Well,
= guess It is, when one comes to think
/ OF il Was anything stolen, Mr. Hun
| gerford?'
Il don't know"
! But" Bovine snapped his fingers
in distinct exasperation-and then
caught himself 1T would really be a
good idea to find that out, you know,
| Mr.. HungerfOrd-t
| Il presume So" The president licked
his lips. What time is it,"
| Getting on TO half-past g."
80 it is. Er-L-Hungerford pressed
/ q button, and IN a very little while the
( page entered.
I zFa-ebRe1d ICvyv, 20
/ yes, sir"
! ASK him TO step here"
| Marshfeld, with his inevitable alb
/ sorbed expression, arrived IN a minute
or two, rather annoyedly, it seemed.
and with a thick sheaf Of papers in
/ one hand.
rs there anything out Of the way
| around here this morning, Marshfield?'
Hungerford inquired, sharply, as the
/ door closed.
'T-beg pardon, sir?'' The cashier
eyes opened. I certainly haven't no
I ticed anything I just got here, and
/ I've been in the small safe on this floor
after these
How about the big vault down
/ stairs?"
Il haven't been down there. sir. The
| time lock doesn't work until Q O'Clock.
'Well-have Il look at it, any way,
| Marshfeld. I'm a little nervous about
/ things this morning.
The cashier stared
Has anything happened, Mr., Hunger
/ ford?"
/ Hungerford stared hard at him.
I ''Yes,' he said. And you MAJ as well
/ forget il as soon as you hear t. Temp
/ llins was more than half killed here
some time during last night in the
/ Offices upstairs.
And the place was entered2" Marsh
! field gasped-
Unless TOmpkins blackjacked him