The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1910-11-25

He and Louise had no conversation
together until that night Gertrude
and Alex mean Jack-had gone for
walk, although it was nine o'clock,
and anybody but pair of young geese
would have known that dew was fall
ing, and that it is next to impossible
to get rid of a summer cold.
At half after nine, growing weary
of my own company, 1 went down
stairs to find the young people. At
the door of the living room I paused.
Gertrude and Jack had returned and
were there, sitting together on
diyan, with only one lamp lighted.
They did not see or hear me, and
beat hasty retreat to the library
But here again l was driven back.
Louise was sitting in a deep chair,
looking the hanpiest had ever seen
her, with Halsey on the arm of the
chair, holding her close.
The next day, by degrees, got the
whole story.
Paul Armstrong had a besetting
| evil-the love of money. Common
enough, but he loved money, not for
what it would buy, but for its own sake.
An examination of the books showed
no irregularities in the past year
since John had been cashier, but be-
fore that, in the time of Anderson, the
old cashier, who had died, much
strange juggling had been done with
the records. The railroad in New
Mexico had apparently drained the
bankers private fortune, and he de-
termined to retrieve it by one stroke
This was nothing less than the loot,
ing of the banks securities, turning
them into money, and making his es
cape.
But the law has long arms. Pau
Armstrong evidently studied the situa
ton carefully. Just as the only good
Indian is a dead Indian, so the only
safe defaulter is a dead defaulter. He
decided to die, to all appearances, ant
when the hue and cry subsidized, ht
would be able to enjoy his money al
most anywhere he wished.
The first necessity was an accom-
plice. The connivance of DR.. Walker
was suggested by his love for Louise
The man was INSCRIPTIONS, and will
the girl as a bait, Paul Armstrong
soon had him fast. The plan was ap
parently the acme of simplicity:
small town in the west, an attack o
| heart disease, a body from a medica
college dissecting room shipped in
trunk to DR.. Walker by colleague il
San Francisco. and palmed off for tn
supposed dead banker. What wa
simpler?
The woman, Nina Darlington, wa
the cog that slipped. What she onl
suspected, what she really knew, W
Z never learned. She was chamber
maid in the hotel at C, and it wa
evidently her intention to blackma
I DR.. Walker. His position at that tim
was uncomfortable: To pay the won
an to keep quiet would be confession
e He denied the whole thing, and sh
:. went to Halsey.
d 1t was that that had taken Halse
to the doctor the night he disa
peared. He accused the doctor of tt
u deception, and, crossing the lawn, ha
d said something cruel to Louise. The
e furious at her apparent conniyanc
e he had started for the station. D
Walker and Paul Armstrong-the Ia
e ter still lame where had shot him.
z, hurried across to the embankmer
y certain only of one thing. Halsey mu
n not tell the detective what he su
sr pected until the money had been r
Z moved from the chimney room. The
stepped into the road in front of Il
H. car to stop it, and fate played in
Is their hands. The car struck the trai
n and they had only to dispose Of Il
rs unconscious figure in the road. TIL
they did as have told. For thr