Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-07-28

from his vest pocket and laid on the
table before Anderson the little steel
1 Disc
Before Rand could speak, the por-
there's parted and in the opening
stood Marie Anderson, very white and
drawn up to her full height In one
hand she extended the packet with
the typewriter slip still on the end.
Father" she said slowly in low,
tense voice, there are the bonds. By
accident just found them in a jar
on the sideboard"
With surprising quickness Ander-
son drew out a drawer in the table
at which he sat- snatched up a revolv-
er, and fired point blank at Rand, who
had vaulted the table to reach him.
But the Indian was before him and
knocked up the muzzle of the
revolver from behind The bullet
struck the ceiling and the next in
slant Anderson was on the floor, help
less in the bearlike clasp Of the big
red man.
"Take the gun away from him and
set him on the chair again, Tom"
said Rand, as if nothing had happen
ed. He returned to his own seat, and
We too sat down.
In fifteen seconds the smoke float
ing about the ceiling was the only
sign of the crisis just passed. Rand
began again:
I'm order to give you an opportu-
nifty to recover your composure be-
fore you begin writing, Mr.. Anderson,
and to prevent your indulging in any
more foolish lies, will tell you the
evidence against you. You helped
your brother-in-law, Nelson, make the
time-lock on the vault ordered for the
Municipal Bank in 1890 You insert
ed in the journal of the main stand
ard of the clock works steel disc
instead Of a brass one, knowing that
the steel against steel would make a
friction that would wear out both in
several years time. BY means of a
second time-lock accurately duplicat-
ed, and which, If am not mistaken,
is ticking away in that black box on
the mantel behind you, you were able
to tell very nearly the very hour
when you could turn back the bolts Of
the Municipal vault without let or
hindrance. When your brother-in-law
died, you sold his patents to the COM
pany, returned to New York, and be-
gan to live for the hour when you
could help yourself to whatever you
wished. You stopped drinking and
settled down. You went into the real
estate business, because you could
obtain in that manner a permanent
hold on Hanahan, the Waterman at
the Municipal, whom you already
knew. When you found that about
the time you were ready to make
your haul, George Rhodes would be
the young man in charge of the vault,
you called him to the house on a pre-
text and made him acquainted with
your daughter and encouraged his
visits that you might get from him in
your chats, bit by bit, knowledge of
just what to put your hand on in the
short time you were in the vault, and
how to conceal the theft long enough
for you to convert the securities.
Your one mistake was in giving SO
f1imsy a pretext to Mr.. Duncan for
calling him up and retaining him.
What you really wanted was to be
able to have constant information
from Mr.. Duncan SO that you would
always know how close he was on the
track of the real thief Few men pay
attorneys $500 retaining fees to per-
suade young men who really love
their daughters from dragging them
into a scandal which does not essen
TALLY concern the daughters at best.
'On Sunday night a week ago you
went to the bank, as your duplicate
time-lock showed you the steel disc
was worn so thin a jar on the door
would cause the standard to drop and
the lock to release. Hanahan, as he
told me an hour ago, went across the
street for some tobacco that Sunday
night, leaving you in the bank. IL
ninety seconds you had opened the
vault, taken the right packet, opened
the case of the time-lock, replaced the
disc with a brass one, closed the case
and closed the vault, but-you care
lessly dropped this worn disc on the
floor!
t'You used the bonds as collateral
to buy stock, not as a speculation,
but as an investment that would con-
ceal the bonds, and by chance chose
Overland Pacific at low figure and
it rose. You thought best to take
your profits, and only your greed pre-
vented you from returning the bonds
to Rhodes by mail. You hid the
bonds in jar, just like a foolish old
woman. Mr.. Smith does not wish to
prosecute you and expose his specu-
lations. Since Mr.. Smith and Mr..
Duncan doubtless have other engage
ments tonight, kindly write as I re-
quested few minutes ago."
Muttering objurgations in his ma
tive tongue, Anderson wrote the two
drafts, Rhodes being for more than
one hundred thousand, and both
Rhodes and Smith receipted. Smith
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