Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-03-26
CHAPTER XVI.

AFTER pacing up ana down his office Tor
half an hour, without coming to any con-
clusion about anything except to keep his
mouth shut, Hartley suddenly determined
to send for his carriage and drive up to
DR.. Ramie's II Douglas went to Europe
he and the doctor would be the only ones
left They should have an understandings
The doctor took Hartley into his private
room and locked the door. Yes, he had
seen the papers and had recognized the
ring. He did not seem as much excited
about the matter as Hartley had expected
but he was insistent on the Importance Of
their keeping quiet.
DR.. Ramie explained that he had never
seen Fletcher before that dinner at Green's.
and that he knew him only as friend OF
Maynard. How long Maynard had known
him, or where he had met him, the doctor
had no idea. The whole thing looked to
him now, he said. as II Maynard had been
marked for a victim for some time past
and that Fletcher must be an adventurer
Of some kind. These views so closely agreed
with Hartley's own that he came very
near making the mistake OF telling the
doctor that he was quite right. Catching
himself just in time, he went to the other
extreme, and tried to put the doctor off
the track
But why should Fletcher kill Maynard
for the money doctor, when he was to get
It anyway by being allowed to rob him
of it?'
That is what is pulling me-" answered
the doctor slowly. Think that Fletcher
must have excited Maynard's suspicious
at the last moment. These fellows often
get too eager when the game is near an
end you know, and Maynard may have
hacpuna al 10 Cd tn
go somewhere else. cannot see how they
got into the same cab unless that was the
case. I thought Fletcher was to be at the
hotel beforehand, so as to be ready to
rob Maynard as soon az he arrived. They
probably had words in the cab, and
Fletcher, seeing the game was up, threw
off all disguise and grabbed Maynard by
the throat, or stabbed him, or something.
He must have had confederate on the
box, driving the cab, unless he killed the
driver, too"
But what would excite Maynards sus-
picions? You don't suppose that he had
found out Fletchers real character do you,
and was afraid to carry out the scheme
we had agreed on? think perhaps that is
why the pocketbook was empty. Maynard
may not have liked to trust himself with
so much money in the company OF a
forger."
"A forger! What do you mean?"
Mr.. Hartley turned very pale. He saw
the slip he had made. - l didn't mean a
forger. mean an amateur thief, you I'M
derstend. 1 was thinking that we had
agreed it was to be a forgery or some-
thing of that kind"
The doctor evidently did not understand.
He looked at his visitor so critically that
Ia Init
anything further to say. It flashed across
Hartley's mind to take the doctor into his
confidence as to his dealings with Johnson;
but that would at once betray the fact that
he had acted in shockingly bad faith with
regard to the wager.
We'll, doctor" he said at length what
are you going to do about It? 1t seems to
me that we are all IN a nice mess"
"Do?" said the doctor as II coming out
of dream about something. do nothing.
Keep absolutely quiet Ask no questions
Make no mention of either Fletcher or
Maynard to any one. None of our. friends
knows that we have ever met Fletcher
You met him as my guest only. Ever see
him anywhere else?"
mo. How about your part Of It? II the
whole thing comes out, where do you
stand%"
Il am not worrying. have your checks
in the safe there, and 1 expect to collect
800 from you on the side"
"Oh, you do. Ell? guess not"
Il certainly do. Look here. Hartley. You
are unnecessarily excited about this affair
because you have guilty conscience. That
makes you forget how little other people
know l never lose sight of the fact that
trouble must find you, unless you go hunt
I'M IL
alarmed about? They have found a cab
and parts Of a body. The body has not
even been identified yet
why. that ring gives the whole thing
away"
Did you recognize It the moment you
saw the picture Of it,"
well. Douglas won't tell any one else
He called me up on the phone and asked
, me II had seen the picture OF the rims
, IN the papers. 1 turned the conversation
, at once, because you never know who Il
e listening at a telephone. I sent him
\ note Immediately, warning him to keel
/, his mouth shut"
3 Hes going 10 Europe this afternoon
$ 1T does not matter where he goes. W,
are going to stay here. At least I am. w,
e must remember that the police have no
yet established the fact that It was May
Y nard that was killed in the cab. They ar,
s also a very long way from finding on
t. who It was that was In the cab with him
o II it were not for the pocketbook / shoul,
e be willing TO bet that Fletcher did no
know anything about the cab, / have rea,
, the newspaper accounts very carefully
a and what ], as a doctor, cannot for tn
life of me understand is why a murdere
should stop to cut up a body in a cab
with the THERMOMETERS below freezing. in
n stead Of throwing the whole thing into tn
river. To hack off the head would hav
destroyed the identity. 1 have mad som
experience in amputatons, and that 10
on the dock, If II was done on the dock
, must have taken an hour. Then / canno
see how a man In a cab could carry on
% such a piece OF work without the knowl
edge and assistance OF the cabman. Their
must have been an acComplice. Then an
other thing Is that Fletcher would surcl
e never have been so foolish az TO return t
% Green's to deliver an empty pocketboo
II he had just committed a murder"
u But there was blood on the pocketboo
p when YOU got Il, you remember 70