The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1912-09-23
CHAPTER v.
A Staggering Blow.
= ARKER stood open-mouthed.
Such n statement coming frul


such a man as Grafton, q crea-
ture of system from the soies Of
his shoes to the top Of his head, was not
to be assimilated in a moment.
Tit can't be. sir" said Parker. with
much conviction.
"It's the fact" groaned Grafton. II
recall II all quite clariy now. There
was-a telegram for me, just q minute
or two before 6. II happened to DO quite
a surprise and necessitated q GOOD deal
Of hurrying. The papers were IN my
hand and I laid them down, meaning
to open the safe and then get my coat
Yes, that's II exactly. remember put
ting on tho coat and looking at the
clock. Then saw how Internally little
time had, and rushed out Of the office.
telling Jenhison that I should not be
back until morning. I remember the
whole thing clearly now"
And you Just dropped the papers on
the desk, sirf"
mot only that, but I left the desk
wide open. BY George. the fellow that
sent me the telegram did me Dad turh'
at looks 90, sir. but" Parker. hay
ing nothing at stake, was recovering MS
SENSES rapidly. Most likely your pa;
pers are all there yet, sir. safe ana
Grafton pulled himself together with
q strong effort, and a faint. drawn
smile appeared on his lips.
'Tt-the notion rather staggered me
Of course o s. they are. They must be. They
would be Of hardly any use to anyone
save myself-at least. very few people
would dare attempt to use sss MEM ON
now IL they're at hand"
Very uncertainty. he walked across to
the desk and stared at II , Wn sf hand Nv
possible. he was trying to brace himself
for the search through the desk ntter-a
search which might END In finding him
self in the worst predicamens OF ni rsi nne
one document and then another. He
would know that little Cofson bundle
in an instant. by the red tape about
i and the peculiarly n neawy WINE sh,n
II should have been there before MIN. on
The papers had not been disturbed
s p sat ' tSss. s ssTG.s se oss Re hsd
touched nothing on the desk.
He hunted on and on and as the out
look became worse, Grafton grew more
polished surface OF the desk-and the
c9F FiSa P them. s sn@ "'' appear
mot yet, Parker"
In one of the small drawers may
II haven't opened one of them today
I'm positive Of that" said Grafton.
But he pulled them out. one after the
other. until all lay before him: Not q
thing had been disturbed; old bills, old
records, old notes, returned checks: all
were there and perfectly olss sni a.
ITS very peculiar" muttered Graf
Ut Is. indeed, sir" said Parker, sym
patheticaiiv. you have looked In the
fye looked everywhere in the en-
Can I help your
excitement had sent his eyes askew;
perhaps he had somehow overlooked the
bundle among the other papers:
PARKER" he e.. said ., You ~, ;u: It. E e
you're able to locate . little package Of
documents. about SO long and 30 wide:
made Of ven. heavy bond paper and tied
with bit Of red SIX dh., tape. ",,.,,,v. III,
employer followed his every move with
q sort OF terrified fascination. calm
though he had become. One by one.
Eer piled them deity at the side and
hunted and hunted for sign OF red
At the end of Ave minutes he stood up
There is nothing of the sort here.
sir, 30 far as / can see."
mo" said the other IN a low. choked
voice voice ,,S vi was right. Parker-they've
but who would take them. sirT'
IT can't say that, but gone they GER
tainly are, and unless they come back
He broke OF abruptly. Hands in his
pockets. he turned and walked up and
down the office
The whole thing was 50 incredible.
Despite all the evidence before him. de.
spite the fact that his precious papers
the situation. Why, II It were really SC
what wouldn't 1t mean! =,
II must have been wrong" he said
such a fool thing. l must have locked
them up and forgotten it in my hurry
ri; 2, you u think they're in the safe
Il know II"
'The Lord only knows. I hope so!'
breathed Parker. :,
Grafton took a new grip on himself
and went to his spherical safe. Try as
he would, his hands trembled violently
hope as he would there was a sickenina
feeling of the uselessness Of the pro-
ceeding But ne twirled the knob back.
ward and forward. and within q minute
There! This little drawer Is where
they belong" he said. as his keys jim.
gied against the steel interior. Here's
where we shall find them. Parker. I'm
pressy sure"
The small box was laid upon his desk
and Grafton sat down before It anc
tried to believe that all was still we'll:
The last lock was opened. and the
cover thrown back. Grafton, for q space
OF many seconds. stared into the box.
Nothing under the sun In there bu
those old papers relating to the Main
waring estate!' he muttered.
Did you. find them. sir2"
mo. Parker"
"Not stolen from the safe. certainly
II was a sort o: forlorn hope to believ'
that they were there at all. but whethe
they were or not, the lock hasn't beel
tempered with. No, they were takei
from my desk!'
"That-thats terrible. SIR"
EVERY rule has its exception" NUT
tered Grafton DULY, land every mar
however careful, makes at least on
slip. But to think that mine, after al
these years, should come in such SHAY,
as to carry Off all I've made before"
He ended in groan and sat starin
at the box, his head upon his breast.
II was too absolutely terrible for be
lief. The notes, evidences Of Colson'
entire debt in the matter of the Ken
yonville Traction Company and OF al
Crafton's own millions, were utterl,
gone, What would be the result?
He could forecast that quite easily