Evening star., 1912-10-06


within four minutes, allowing a minute for
him to have put on his hat and got out of
the bank But the boy had scarcely left my
sight and given me time to withdraw into
the cab, my hand gripping the handle of my
suitcase, when | saw Barringer coming at
breathless speed from the direction of the
bank. did not stop to think that it would
have been impossible for him to have re-
ceived my note, read it, and got that far in
so short time. | only saw him pass my
cab carrying his suitcase, and disappear
down the street. The next moment | had
leaped from the taxi, given glance round
to see that Barringer was still retreating
from the locality, and after paying my
chauffeur sauntered up the street toward
the bank, my lips set, my heart standing
still, as braced myself for my final effort!
THE doors of the Fortieth National
loomed ahead of me. | entered, receiv
ing cordial but thought surprised, bow
from Michael, the outer watchman. | re-
turned the salute and crossed the marble
floor, eyes straight ahead, to the door lead
ing into my office. AS l reached it | saw
the messenger boy talking to Hazelton, one
of the paying telers
"'But Mr.. Barringer has just this minute
gone for the day. Hazelton was saying.
Then, as he caught sight of me, he added
with some confusion, oh, here he is! Mr..
Barringer, this boy has note for you per-
sonally, and
"The boy looked at me aghast Who,
him?' he blurted out. Why, dat's de guy
wat
"'I1l take it, I said quietly. I am Mr..
Barringer.'
"The boy looked at me with eyes popping
from his head, handed me the note, and went
out, whistling in stupid perplexity. passed
into my office, where my stenographer was
Just putting on her hat. As she saw me she
gasped:
"Oh, Mr.. Barringer!'
al found it necessary to return, l said;
but YOU needn't remain, Miss Gill
"But you looked so i'll when you got that
telephone message, said the girl, I'VE
thought-thought it must be something ter
rible'
"Nothing at all, | said.
Il tried to be at ease. | presume that |
was; for so far my actions did not seem to
have created any unusual attention. But if
they could have known what was going on
inside me! Barringer, then, had not waited
for my note! 1t was not that which had
made him leave the bank in such hurry,-a
telephone message that had distressed him,
and after which he had fled, as had seen
him.. What was 1t! Who had teephOned!
Pshaw What difference did it make? He
had left the field free for me. Luck, or Fate,
or something equally as propitious, had
done me good turn. | must pay it back
by doing my part! So outwardly calm and
businesslike, | placed my gray Fedora hat
on the peg where Barringer's had hung but
a few moments before, reached for the pen
that his hands had just laid down, touched
a button at the edge of his desk that his
hand had doubtless pressed many times that
dav, and waited for it to be answered. Ry-
der, Barringer's assistant, opened the inner
door and entered my office.
"Why,' he began, 1 thought
"'You were mistaken, l said. And it's
five minutes Of three. If you were going to
look after my affairs it's time you were doing
So
"Ryder blushed. I could see that l was
hitting home Doubtless, in Barringer's alb
sence, matters would have been handled a
trihe differently today. Ryder left the
office l reached to touch another button,
to summon the note teller from outside,
when the telephone on my desk rang. |
picked it up and answered. A woman's
voice, in extreme distress, cried:
"'Oh, Robert, is that you?'
AYES, | replied, as calmly as could, but