The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1911-04-13

/ olIdhSSis cApeSt me U dnbNSF suCu y
query as that? l don't know you, sir.
and must refuse, sir--unqualifiedly!"
Il rather thought you would" / re-
joined. But I'm going to ask you to
do something else, and that is, don't
honor any cheque bearing any of those
numbers unless you are perfectly sure
that 1t is presented in the course of
legitimate business.
Quite impossible, my dear sir,
assure you," was the emphatic an
swer. THE cheques of Mr.. Dallas we
shall be glad to honor for any amount
always provided, of course, that they
are genuine"
We'll, be sure they are genuine" !
| retorted as l turned to the door, and
with this parting shot left Mr.. Ander-
ton. $50 far honors are even,"
thought. "One success, one failure.
Now for the jackal himself" Calling
a hanson to the curb, ], gave the ad-
dress in Lombard street which the
embassy had given as being the latest
lair of Col Biddle. found the office
easily enough-a suite of three rooms
comfortably furnished There was in
the air an aroma of rich tobacco.
Col Bidder" l inquired of the Of
fee boy, who responded by nonchalant-
ly motioning with thumb over shout
der, and laconic:
les in there" So / stepped
through the middle room to the last
Of the series, literally following my
nose. The colonel himself, in the act
of strapping bulky portmanteau, rose
to his full height and faced me, rath-
er suspiciously.
Col. Biddle, presumed"
That's my name, sir" was the
prompt answer. What can do for
you?" He made no motion to sit down
himself, nor did he offer me chair.
Instead: II must ask you to be brief.
as am leaving town right off, and my
time is limited" AS he spoke he
turned and took from the top of his
desk lighted cigar from which the
smoke had been rising in blue spirals,
and restored it to one corner of his
mouth. / could have sworn it was a
La Madria!"
Il wished to consult you about some
mines in the States concerning which
/ am told you are an expert authority,
Col Biddle," l said, dropping into a
chair, thus compelling the adversary
to do likewise.
my friends say I do know some
thing about the subject" admitted the
colonel modestly. whats your prop
osition-gold, silver or "copper""
The latter-Montana," l answered
laconicallysa
Are you buyer or sellerg inquired
Biddle.
Buyer" was the prompt reply
THAT is, if everything is straight and
the price is not too high. AS to which
| had hoped to be guided by your ad-
vice."
'Id be delighted to go into the prop
osition with you," said the colonel, lat
some time" his suspicious apparently
allayed. do you smoke? Yes? Try
one of mine," handing out a cigar the
exact mate of the four then reposing
in my easel"
Cant you give me an early appoint
ment?" queried.
Not an hour to spare before next
week." responded the colonel. I've
just got back from little-er-
yachting trip; and I've got to make up
for lost time!" There seemed to be
more humor in this remark than the
words warranted and the colonel
threw back his head laughing hearth
ly, showing a set of teeth with Pc
culiarly square edges, displaying a
gaping cavity in the left upper jaw
caused by the loss of two molars
Into this cavity, his merriment over,
Col Biddle carefully restored his
we say this day week, then?" l in
quired nonchalantly, as ] rose.
"At your service" bowed the colo
mel. l reached the street in a fer
ment The strange cigar-stub found
in Dallas room bore the imprint of
exactly such teeth as were possessed |
by Col Biddle. The dual proof of the
brand of cigars and the teeth-marks
were conclusivel Biddle and none
other had been in Dandy Dallas cham
Der on the night of the millionaires |
disappearance! But what to do with |
the information now that had it was
the burning query. l could not have |
the man arrested on mere suspicion. |
However, much | might suspect, l
could prove nothing-not even the |
fact that Dallas was absent other than |
by his own free will. But could and |
would have him Swallowed Clearly it |
was time to take some one into con- |
tidence, so l drove to the Yeomanry |
club, where hoped to find Sir George |
Kensett Meantime Col. Biddle pro
ceeded to catch the boat-train for
Southampton and Paris to wait for |
things to blow over" The great coup |
had been carefully planned and clever
ly carried out. With Dallas chequc
deposited in the colonel's bank, the |
transfer of the 100000 followed. |
Recalling Dragoo and Stoner, and pay
ing them off, left the colonel with free |
hands, and he rightly reckoned that |
Dallas would pocket the loss grace
fully.
When l reached the club l found |
Sir George nowhere about. There |
was, however, said the porter, a man
waiting to see him in the strangers
room.
You may imagine that Dandy Dali
las passed a dreary "a hours after Bid
die left him on the occasion of the