The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-04-06

dian vaults at o clock. No one need
know. you are suspect 1t will save
searching your ROOM
."l'n do it," said Mercer calmly,
His mood had changed. 1.-THE keys! |!
There they are" lie took from his
pocket a wallet and picked two keys;
, handed them to me; his finger touched
mine; it was like ice
You are not TO leave your rooms
until you arc ready TO go to the vaults,
doctor. Nine O'Clock. -
DR.. Mercer stared at him. Nine
o clock he repeated, vaguely. | well
remember the words.
Whispering Smith, detailing one OF
Colleran's men at the door OF the sos
suite, followed TO my room and threw
himself on the couch. ! sent for cof
rived A cupful was hardly necessary
to keep me awake ill day. At break
fast barely tasted food Whisper
ing Smith ate for time with apparent
unconcern, Then of sudden he threw
down his paper. looked spryly at me,
passed his napkin across his lips. aud
pushed his chair from the table. by
George, III be back in minute he
exclaimed, rising. "Sit still.''
For five minutes / sat alone A
man walking rapidly into the dining
room came straight to my chair.
Mr. Smith would like to see you
quick at $685. he whispered
I caught the elevator and made my
way around into the sos corridor, Col
| leran s man behind me. Whispering
| Smith stood with Dave. his ear at the
| door
Whats IS the matter''' I asked.
- We made n mistake
1tHe's gomez"
"No. 1 heard him in there minute
ago. Just the same. ! shouldn t have
left him alone. - He pounded with
both hands on the door Doctor, -
he called. as loud as his ragged throat
would carry; 'open up or III smash
you in" Without another word he ran
TO the end of the corridor. ! heard
crash of glass, and in moment he was
back with fireman s axe.
"StopI' said |. "Would he shoot
through the door?'
He has no pistol
Glow, in God S name, do you know
everything?"
"ft's my business. Get back, will
your Stand clear there"
He swung the axe like a sledee and
sunk it into the oak Again he landed
on the knob and on the bolt; the door
gave and he ran into the room. The
blinds were closed, the shade drawn.
Whispering Smith sprang to the win
dow, tore the shade from the roller,
and ierked open the blinds.
''He's here said he, trying the bed.
room door "and locked in Give me
the axe, Foley. Get that crowd Of
| rubbernecks out of the hall Damn
it., shut the door, Without looking
to see his orders executed, Whispering
Smith smashed at the inner door AS
it gave way he caught the knob. 7
pushed forward, but he held me back.
Don Z take any unnecessary chances.
Just a second
While Foley kept the mob in the
hall, Whispering Smith pushed into the
gloom Of the inner apartment; mo-
ment later an electric button snapped
and lamp lit the room. Kneeling
across chair, almost ut the feet Of
the little detective as he turned from
the switchkey, I saw the figure Of n
man, his head fallen over the side Of
the chair between his arms, Whisper.
ing Smith, stopping. lifted his head.
but he dropped it with start: it al,
most parted from the body, Stepping
behind and catching the shoulders, he
lifted the head back. The face was
Mercer s. He had cut his throat.
Whispering Smith, like a whirlwipd,
inventoried the room. He had the
whole story a minute later, when he
handed me note, incoherent in terms,
but addressed TO me, saying that the
missing money was in the Western Ma
tional deposit vaults.
There, an hour later. we found 10
the safe rented by Mercer, not six
inches from Fuller's empty box. the
packages of bills that covered the trail
of so much crime and horror.
How could he ever have done its'
stammered in amaze, sitting in the
coupon room with Whispering Smith
as we told over the bills.
"Not so difficult. after all He got
hold Of the colonel's keys; just how,
will be buried with him; but he evi-
IDENTIFY got them, and made this dupli-
cate He held up key which he
had unearthed under the silk lining Of
hypodermic case. 1t opened Fuller's
box.
But with the double tumblers, and
unable to visit the box without IN at
tendant, who opens it with his own
key?' I exclaimed.
He cut me Off impatiently. "Yet it
is done. Suppose he runs in here
q new clerk opens for him. Fuller 8
box was 409S; Mercer g own, right next
to it. d072 whats your number,
doctor? says the clerk. a09S, says
Mercer, and flashes the key, opens it,
carries the safe to the coupon room
there you are. He had only TO carry
The Doodle away with him in an in
strument bag, and the next day bring
il back 10 his own box
That night, seated at Colonel Full.
cr's bed with Willis Howard, he told
MS some, not all, of the details. OF
how he had first found from the list
of the Guardian Vault patrons that
Mercer bad box there under an as
sumed name After that it was only
time and Whispering Smith against
helpless man under surveillance at ev-
ery turn. Afraid TO leave, and in ter
ror while he stayed, an accidental theft
in his room had thrown him into the
steel trap which had lain so long open
for him.
''By the way, Mr.. smith, faltercd
Colonel Fuller, as the little man started
cl06S fhe Liver