The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-01-13
Ills BROTHERS KEEPER

- the amount? Tell me the truth
"I-I-no more than 1 can afford,
if"
speak out. mani commanded
, How much2"
7 gripped him with my eyes, and I
held his wavering VIII. as firmly as
had held his shrinkiI. arm
He wriggIed, stan. red, sought to
elude my gaze. TheL- half-hypnOuzed
ne blurted out in scared defiance
six hundred and hfty-eight thousand
dollars"
| I recoued. aghast, incredulous: star
| ing at him in a wild dread lest he had
suddenly gone insane
six hundred and ffty-eight thousand
| dollars I stammered. You don't own
two thousand dollars on earth our
| mothers little estate is barely fifteen
/ thousand dollars. Surely I hurried on.
| aBXiously, you haven't tried to Dor
row any Of her tiny fortune 20 make
/ up this impossible sum.
He shook his head In dumb misery
n could see, scanning him closely. that
/ he was in earnest, that he was nos
mad that he was really juggling the
Z enormous sum whereof he had spoken.
| But I was I'll the more in the dark
| Again the very force Of my will seized
| and held his less aggressive mind.
Where did you get such an amount"
/ 7 demanded, speaking as a hypnotist 10
| his subject
Thin the form Of collateral" he
| suffered Il don't really put up the
| money I only hand over the collateral
| TO the brokers. stern q Warden. TO hold
/ as a safeguard TO themselves. They buy
| the stock for neon marEin-and-"
]
& brokers Their offices are on State
! street, II 7 remember right But that's
( Of no consequence This collateral you
! speak of-what is it,"
/ 'Its-it'S-"
/ "Out with it.
| Bonds
/ -Bonds2" 7 echoed What bonds
/ have yOu2 And where could you bor-
row the use OF bonds TO the value Of
/ S65s. 0002 It's all absurd
/ Then in a deadeulnE white light -
! certainty, the truth came TO me-so vile
a truth that I fought vainIy against its
belief
Mark" I gasped. You don't mean
( that was what Vaughn limited at IN
/ his speech2 Tell me YOU DON'T
/ He nodded; then collapsed In a chair
and hid his face I'm his hands
! Three men, 7 went Oh, reuorSeIess-
fly. have the combination Of the paper
| safe at our branch Of the Aaron Burr.
! Those men are you, myself, and Kari
Z Vaughn, the cashier You have taken
/ from that safe a sheaf OF bonds valued
/ at S55S. 900. And your motive was 20 win
! enough mo1ey-5y gambling with stolen
1 funds-to marry HHda Graves. To
! prove yourself fouIIy unworthy OF her
in order TO win her"
; You shan't speak so-' he cried, I
did not steal I borrowed the bonds
as a mere acknowledgement
You stole them" I coutradicted-
! Don't lie TO yourself 4 mans own
self is the one person he ought 20 be
most honest with You stole them
That IS what has been playing the
/ deuce with your conscience and your
nerves. and made You 20 OF your head
tonight when Karl Vaughn spoke at
random about the combination Of
/ safes
1T wasn't az random" shuddered
| Mark. He knows. Hugh. he knows
'Is that conscience, fear. or faCt2-'
1t IS fact. worse luck He was at
the safe JabuIatinE papers at noon
/ yesterdsy- II thought they wouldn't
1 be ta5Uiated again for a month. They
/ aren't generally. you know. So. at ..
IL borrowed those bonds. Vaughn
passed BY as closed the safe An hour
later. I saw him tabuIatinE the papers
again He must know. or suspect
and
Then why didn't he report at once
to Mr.. GTaves2''
That's what I can't make OUT
moaned the lad oh. it's horrible.
! Horrible
! At noon Yesterday I unused Then
you brought the bonds on 20 Boston
with you2'
| Yes
we didn't reach Boston TIL this
ieveniuE." I pursued. The brokerage Of
lflCe must have been closed by then. IN
fact. we drove straight from the
South station TO this hotel
7 vas 70 take the bonds TO them to-
u-orrow morning faltered Mark
Thank heaven I exclaimed. a
weight of my heart We may stu be
in time. # you have them with you
are they here
No he answered I"
A shout from the next room. a Wild
stamping Of fee. q. cIamor Of excIama-
tons. and the curtains shutting or the
alcOve were ripped aside, letting in a
rush Of binding Night
The Continuation Of This Story VIII
BE Found in Tomorrow
Issue Of The Times.