The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-11
The Deuce of Diamonds

him, of course. But that g young Mar
tin-shim and Billy was doubles. Un-
less you stood 'em up side by side, or
knew the little peculiarities of each
you couldn't tell 'em apart. Lots o.
people been fooled that way round here.
But that's Martin. all right"
Martin whoY' quered Valentine.
he ever gave7"
What became Of him7 Is he here
now7"
The Warimoo chief shook his head
sorrowfully, implying the worst.
"Let me tell you how it was" ha
went on. "This Martin boy was
high roller and free spender. He had
tearing over the roads like the fiend
possessed. Sometimes he'd get Billy
to 90 along-down to St. Paul for in
stance-and then they'd have lots o.
fun on account Of their wonderful re.
semblance to each other. Well, sir,
about the time Billy Merwin skedaddled
this Martin boy vanished also. At first
we thought they'd gone off together.
But n month ago, when the ice. went
out of th river here, some boys fishing
off tn highway bridge spotted a motor
car bottom up in ten feet o. water
When tn car was raised all that was
left Of Martin was only fit to bury.
Oh, yes, it was Martin all right"
Valentines logical mind was busy
piecing together the bits of the puzzle.
All stood out clearly to him now. After
striking down old Windell and leaving
him for dead, Billy Merwin had prob
ably tried for O quick getaway. Per
| haps he had taken Martin into his con-
fidence; perhaps not, Anyway it was
more than probable that the fugitive
had entered the motor and that Mar
tin had "opened her up wideS as was
his habit. In the darkness he must
have crashed into the bridge masonry,
throwing Merwin out insensible, while
the man at the wheel went TO his death
in the icy river, his body pinned under
the heavy car.
Dazed by the blow on his head-Va]-
! entine recalled the story of the scar
and robbed of his memory, Billy Mer-
win had probably wandered back to
into friendly freight car, from
whence he emerged perhaps week
| later in New York, half starved, dazed
and very hungry,
The summary pleased the great elu-
cidator, but TO make sure he now ac-
quainted the chief with all the facts
that had come to him from Mrs. Ben,
son, Parkes, and the man without
memory.
''No doubt yon are right about Mar
! tin Benson Valentine ended "lt
will pretty nigh break his mother g
heart, but she III have TO know the truth
some time, and / think she g half pre-
pared for the worst.
But what about the other one: am
l justified in telling him who he is9
"Herc's how it shapes up to me, -
said the Warimoo chief. "The man
who had that deuce Of diamonds in his
pocket with the half of Roby Owen 8
T. O. U. on it is the sure enough Billy
Merwin. for my money, You go back
and hail him by that name and see if
it don t work out as say You on,v
need word or two IN these loss of
memory cases, anyway. And if that
don't work, fetch him out here to me
and LII throw a scare into him that II
bring him to his senses,'
Finney Valentine went back east with
the fatefu deuce Of diamonds in his
pocket The sound of his rigbtful
name was enough to restore Billy Mer-
win to his identity; he was able to
confirm the story of the deuce of dia-
monds and of his friendship with Mar
tin Benson without prompting there
after. Six months later, having come
into his property, he and Sylvia Gala
way were married.
Next week: "The Ten Thousand
/ Dollar Bill ~