The Press., 1911-04-19
We did not know the amount, but toI v1r0xy{1o1 fo,, AI,;a

We did not know the amount, but had provided for this.
 You alone know the amount at present, but since we know that this property has passed into the posses. sion of Memo we can at any time dis cover the exact amount If we dis cover that he has withheld any of it we may reopen the case"
 Vechi stood wavering. Whether he was hesltating as to the amount he would return or whether to defy us l don't know. Presently he said:
 Il will buy your autograph, gentle men, but l have not the price here. You must go with me to my house."
 We went with him, as he suggested I walking on one side of him. Hunt on the other, Hunt and I each having a hand on revolver concealed. When we reached the house Vechi took us into room, locked the door and said:
 ''What guarantee have I that you will keep your word?'
 ''None whatever" said Hunt. You must rely on the promise of a gentle man.
 Making a virtue of necessity, he opened closet door, exposing a safe timbedded in the wall. The safe being painted like the wall, only its keyhole was perceptible. Introducing the key, he opened the safe door and took out a large bundle of securities. looked them. over and knew the value of most of them. I judged they were worth be- tween $350,O00 and $4OO,O00. They were mostly coupon bonds, not the same property that had been trans ferred by Driscoll to Vechi.
 'Is this all?" asked Hunt.
 "Everything," replied Vechi. "I have no desire to leave anything amiss that will reopen this matter"
 Perhaps my friend" said Hunt, ''may wish to know the hold you had on Driscoll."
 q have no such desire" said. "The property is returned, and that is suff1- cient. The secret of blackmail if told might bring distress on an innocent family. Goodby, MT. Memo. So far as this matter is in my possession you may consider it closed"
 We went from the shop to the Dris- coils, where Mrs. Driscoll answered my card in person. I said to her:
 Madam, I have an important an- nouncement to make to you, and de- sire that you call into the room your sons and daughters to hear it.
 Surprised, she complied with my re- quest, and her children, mostly grown, were summoned. When they were all assembled l told the story of my pur- chase of the desk and the finding of the paper in the secret drawer. Then I entered upon Hunts investigations (some of them recognized him) and lastly told of our visit to Vechi's shop. It was interesting to watch their fea- lures during my recital of our inter- view with the blackmailer, they grow ing more and more intent till the de- livery of the property. When the re- cital was finished I took the securities from my pocket and handed them to Mrs Driscoll saying:
 '"There are securities affording an annual income of $20,OOO, in considera- tion of which we have taken the lib erty of giving indemnity against prose cution for bIackmail and"-
 shrank from speaking the dreadful word murder.
 Every member of the family ap- 1roved of all had done and acknowl- Ddged in every possible way their in- debtedness for the great favor had done them Before left the house every one of us took an oath never to reveal anything of what had hap pened.
 Mrs. Driscol1 afterward informed me that so far as she could discover the equivalent of all the securities her husband had possessed was returned. Some $8,OOO in cash was unaccounted