The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-09-29
CHAPTER XXI.

for Chiawassee Consolidated, had fewer
nightmares; and by the time he had
been a month in undisputed command
at the general office he had given over
searching for a certain packet of pa
pers which had mysteriously disap-
peared from secret compartment in
his desk.
Later. when the time for the return
Of the younger Gordon drew near, there
was encoura ging news from Europe
Dyckman had not failed to keep the
mails warm with reports of the Gordon
& Gordon success; with urgings for
the return of the exiled dynasty; and
late in May he had news of the home
coming Intention From that on there
were alternating chills and fever. II
Colonel Duxbury should arrive and re-
sumo the reins of management before
Tom Gordon should reappear, all might
yet be we'll. If not-the alternative
impaired the bookkeepers appetite, and
there were hot nights In June when he
slept badly.
When Toms advent preceded the
earliest date named by Mr.. Farley by a
broad fortnight or more, the bookkeep-
er missed other of his meals, and one
night fear and a sharp premonition of
close pressing disaster laid cold hands
on him; and 8 o'clock found him skulk-
ing in the great train shed at the rail-
way station, a ticket to Canada in his
pocket, a goodly sum Of the company's
money tightly buckled In a safety belt
next to his skin-all things ready for
flight save one. the courage requisite
to the final step taking.
The following morning the promini-
ton became a certainty. In the Cor
donia mail there was a note from the
younger Gordon, directing him to come
to the office of the pipe foundry. bring
ing the cash-book and ledger for a year
whose number was written out in let
tiers Of fire in the bookkeeper's brain.
He went, again lacking the courage
either to refuse or to disappear. and
found Gordon waiting for him. There
were no preliminaries.
Good morning, Dyckman," said the
tyrant. pushing aside the papers on ais
desk. You have brought the books
Sit down at that table and open the
ledger at the company's expense ac-
count for the year. / wish to make a
few comparisons" and he took a thick
packet of papers from a pigeonhole OF
the small iron safe behind his chair
Dyckman was unbuckling the shawl
strap in which he had carried the two
heavy books. but at the significant
command he desisted, went swiftly tc
the door opening into the stenograph-
er's room, satisfied himself that there
were no listeners. and resumed his
| chair.
You have cut out some OF the pre-
face, Mr.. Gordon; I'll cut out the re-
mainder." he said. moistening his dry
| lips. 'Yoa have the true record of tho
expense account in that package. Tn
down and out: what Is 1t you want?'
L want a written confession of just
what you did. and what you did 1t for,
was the direct reply. You'll find Miss
Ackerman's typewriter in the other
room; I'll wait while you put 1t IN
type"
| You're not giving me a show. Mr.
Gordon; the poor show common muir.
derer would have In any court of law
You are asking me to convict myself
Golden held up the packet of papers
Here is your conviction. Mr.. Dyck.
mantle original leaves taken from
those books when you had them re-
bound. 1 need your statement of tn,
facts for quite another purpose"
And If refuse to make 1t? A cor.
nered rat will fight for his life. Mr.
! Gordon"
IF you refuse I shall be reluctantly
| compelled to hand these papers over Il
our attorneys-reluctantly 1 say. be-
cause you can serve me better just nov
out of jail than In It."
It's an unfair advantage you're tax
| ing; at the worst. 1 am only an acces
sorry. My principals win be here In
| few days, and"
| Precisely" was the cold rejoinder
TT is because your principals are com.
ing home. and because they are not We
here, that 1 want your statement
There was no help for II, or none ap
| parent to the fear-stricken; and 70
the twenty succeeding minutes tn.
typewriter clicked monotously in thu
small ante-room. Dyckman could hel
his prosecutor pacing the floor OF TIL
| private office, and once he found him
self looking about him for a weapon
But at the end of the writing interva
he was handing the freshly typed shee
| to a man who was yet alive and un
hurt.
| Gordon sat down at his desk to rea,
1t. and again the rowing eyes OF tn
| bookkeeper swept the interior OF tn
larger rooms for the means to an end
sought and found not.
The eye search was not fully con
Guided when Gordon pressed the cleo
| trio button which summoned the youni
man who kept the local books OF tn
I Cshfa MI M a 10 IVA Will
he waited he saw the conclusion OF tn
| eye-search and smiled rather grimly.
You'll not find 1t. Dyckman," h
said. .divining the desperate purpose o
the other; adding. as an after though,
"and IL you should. you wouldn't hav
the courage to use 1t. That Is the IA
tai lack In your makeup. 1t Is VIVA
kept you from taking the train las
night with the money belt which yol
emptied this morning. You'll neve
make a successful criminal: it takes
good deal more nerve than it does to ID
an honest man."
Hereupon the young man from tn
office across the pike came In, an
Gordon handed a pen to Dyckman.
II want you to witness Mr.. DyoS
| mans signature to this paper. billiard.
| he said, folding the confession so ina
it could not be read by the witness
and when the thing was done. tn
young man appended his notarial at
testation and went back to his duties
"Weli?" said Dyckman, when the
were once more alone together.
That's ALL" said Gordon, CURLY. "A
long as you are discreet. you needn'
lose any sleep over this. II you don
mind hurrying a little. you can max
the 10: 40 back to town."
| Dyckman restrapped his books an
made show Of Fastening. But befor
he closed the office door behind him h
had seen Gordon place the typewritte
sheet, neatly folded. on top of the THO
packet, swapping an elastic band owe
the whole and returning it to ics pig
eonhole IN the small safe
Ito be continued.l