New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-06

Willingly. his acting in the little drama was
quite as important as mine was.
~Thc day began well. | went downtown
in my usual disguise, with the carefully
trimmed white beard, shortly after banking
hours had begun. This was 10 get look at
Barringcr. to sec how he was dressed for the
day. lie wore. | could see rs | glanced al
him through the receiving tcllcr's window, a
modest, checked suit, with gray tie, white
spats Chat was his one weakness, and tan
shoes. His hat was a gray Fedora, new one
for him, and a detail that | must supply I'm
mcdiatcly
$50 lar, so good There was only one
more personal article that must duplicate.
and that was Barringer's vaIisc, suitcase
with many European travel tags, which |
had seen him take to the bank and away on
several occasions | could not see whether
that was under his desk or not but must
take q chance on that, for it was a vital part
Of the arrangements. Anyway, | cumtorted
myself bv thinking the valiSc was always
kept at the bank in his Office, being brought
back by him empty some mornings, and il
by chance nc had not left it there the night
before this dav the fact of his returning with
|
any notice probably.
"For it was absolutely necessary that Bar
ringer should leave the bank during the
afternoon, and had planned that. have
not referred t. one detail in the mans life
with which had become acquainted; tor
| | have not been irving 10 SANDER him 10 you.
| However, there was a detail that had shown
| Barrngcr TIP 10 me in anything but agrcca-
bic colors. He was q whitcd scpulchcr.
| THE world knew him as an extremely
godly man, prominent in his church; one OF
| the fashionable ones, Of course | knew him
rs q hypocritc; for had discovered, early III
NV acquaintance with his valet, the exist
cnCc OF 70 certain Madcmoiscllc Nina Fabre.
| The mere name is suggestive of-cr-shall
We call 1t a romance, Very well, She lived
i'm Il magnificent apartment uptown. No, |
had never been in the place; but Made
moiscllc Fabrc had maids, and maids will
talk. They had told me a great deal, all that
| should have needed to know had been a
blacllmailcr; which, am proud to say, |
| have never been. learned of the beautiful
diamonds, gorgeous clothes, and lavish hats
the lady had. The maids told me Of the lux
TRY of her apartments, To fit up which had
cost & fortune. | myself saw her in her vari-
| OTIS tutolnoDllcN rs Snc robt out through the
| park and along the Riverside Drive; but
never, of course, with Barringcr
The maids did not know him as Bar
ringer, either. But they did know Of a gen
tlcman Madcmoscllc Fabrc's fiancG, and |
knew, Of course that it was Barringcr. 1t
Wa Il very useful thing to know because
was about to apply the knowledge to con-
| Summatc the one detail that had worried
me getting Barringer away from the bank
| this afternoon. What | didn't know was
| that Fate was about to attend To that part
Of the affair for me, and save me the trouble.
| wish | had known it!
7 WENT to my lodgings and proceeded to
make the Transformation in my appear
anCc, having stopped on the way to buy a
gray Fedora, the counterpart of Barringcr's.
! donncd my checked suit, the duplicate Of
his, the white spats, the gray cravat every
thing he wore, not forgetting the white linen
handkerchief with the r. b. embroidered
in one corner, which obtruded from the
breast pocket of the coat. Then | lighted
q cigar-Barringer' favorite brand-and,
with my travel-marked suitcase in my hand,
the one with K. b. on the end of it,
went out, walking down the stairs lest the