Evening star., 1909-09-10

XXV-Contiuued.

XXV-Continued.
"I don't know. 1 haven't seen the
keys, and nobody has asked about them
or the room. Those two rooms have been
closed up. you know, except when Mr.
Trafford or his men were there at work
or looking around. Perhaps it would
have been better II had spoken of this
before
"Oh, you needn't be alarmed said
Horace, bitterly. They've had brick
layers there. and. Til bet, torn the room
all to pieces. I'll warrant you they've
found the vault. the money and the pa
persv'
I'm inclined to think with you, Mrs.
Calden," said Beckwith, "that 1t would
have been far better IL you had spoken
Of this at once; at least. if you had taken
my advice as your counsel; but that Is
though I'd have liked to have had the
advantage of showing Trafford our con-
fidence by giving him thing of this
kind. Undoubtedly he has discovered the
vault long since. and I'm free to say that
l don't like the look OF It that he has
some way to take it up with him, for
we've got to know just what he has
found there. OF course there's room in
one of those old chimney stacks almost
for a stable, let alone vault six by
eight feet, and, Of course, he had the
chimney front cut into as soon as he saw
that there was only a make-believe fire.
place."
ION whose authority2' demanded Hor-
ace.
"A search warrant issued by a judge
on a certificate from Trafford that it was
necessary to the peoples proof. 1 could
have opposed it, of course. but 'twould
have put us in rather a queer position.
I thought, on the whole. 1t was better to
let it go by default, and l still think l
was right"
But If they got their hands on fifty
thousand in money" Horace began, only
to be interrupted by Beckwith:
money I'd have been notified at once. It's
the fact that they haven't found it that
they are counting on as significant, and
that Is making them keep the whole mat
ter from me. Still. there's a chance here
to be improved. I've been wondering how
I'd open up on Trafford. This gives me
the chance!'
ION Traffordr' exclaimed Horace. How
do you mean open up on him?'
II mean just this. Tranords working
to find the murderer of John Altenburg.
So are we. He can't want him half SO
badly as we do. I purpose getting to
work with him at the earliest moment
possible. It's hurt him that we weren't
working with him before. but it's hurt
us a laundering sight more
Mrs. Calden grew pale as she listened
to Beckwith, and he saw her press her
hand over her heart, as il to stop it's
fiuttering. The lawyer took pity on her.
1T isn't knowledge. it's ignorance we've
got to be afraid of, madam" he said.
'Weye never really succeeded in hiding
anything from him, but he knows lots
that we want to know, that we have, in
fact, got to know!"
The result of the consultation was that
letter was sent to Trafford that very
afternoon. calling upon him, In the name
of the heirs of John Altenburg. whom
Beckw1th represented, to pay into court
any money that had been found in the
court all papers discovered and in his
possession. 1t had the effect of bringing
Trafford to Beckwith's Office within an
hour of its receipt.
Are you people coming to your senses
at last?' he asked, tapping the envelope
containing the notice. which he held in
his hand.
Beckwith looked his irritation at the
mood of salute and his want of compre-
hension of the question.
II think fifty thousand dollars too large
a sum to be lying around loose" he said,
land while I've refrained from demand
ing possession of 1t ourselves, as l had a
perfect right to do, see no reason why
L.
you know as well as I do" retorted
Trafford. that il we'd found money or
papers the court would have received
them without your having to send this
notice.
but you've broken through the CHM
ney breast into the vault. There were
fifty thousand dollars there at the time of
the murder
''Then it's been takenAway SINCE" said
Trafford. positively. for there was not a
lo11n ty, fh4 c,,lk v1,4,~ rrDf 1I.<I
nor anything else excepting a mass of
rubbish Some old tin boxes, some paper
files and-that's ALL
And what?' demanded Beckwith. He
was looking coldly across his desk full in
the face OF Trahford, with that steady,
dominating look that had faced down op-
pOnents and prosecuting officers. even
judges. 1t was said. And what?' he re-
peated
"Mr. Beckwith," said Trafford. neither
slightest, what is your interest or that
of your clients, in this matter? To dis
cover the murderer Of John Altenburg
or to shield him?'
claimed Beckwith. TT is to find the
murderer. and at the earliest possible
moment"
Then let me for the present keep the
answer to your question secret, even
from the county attorney. When it will
be of use to that end I'll make it."
The two men sat In awkward silence
under the keen sense of being thwarted
which possessed Beckwith. and the equal
ly keen sense on Trafford's part that It
had been a mistake to bring matters to
the point where he felt compelled openly
to thwart the other. Trafford was the
first to speak again.
How close to the night of the murder
does your knowledge of the money being
in the vault cpme?''
There, as Beckwith of course under
stood. was the fatal weakness of their
position. Mrs. Calden did not even know
that there had been any money there
She had simply taken Altenburg's word
for it. at time when he was anxious
to make her think there was money there
as means to inducing her to make the
promise. Even her slight shred of evil
dence did not come nearer the time of
the murder than several months
You know whether the vault had been
recently disturbed" said Beckwith, with
out in terms refusing an answer, land
you know whether there was money or