The Mena weekly star., 1913-08-07

in front. but between Georges house and the next there was a court eight feet in width, running to the dividing wall between the bank property and his own A grille gate protected this court George had a key. The gate opened readily enough. His intention
 was to enter by the basement-door. But he suddenly paus cd. To his amazomcnt he saw just below the library curtain a thin measure of light Light! Some one in the house! He did the most sensible thing pos sible. he stood still till the shock left him. Some one in the house, some one vho had no earthly or heavenly business therel Near the window stood a rubbed bay-tree Cautiously he mounted this, holding the ledge of the window with his fingers. That he did not instantly topple over with grg1t noise was due to the fact that j.. was temporarily paralyzed Here was the end of the puzzle The riddle of the United Romance and Ad- venture Company was solved. At last he understood why Mrs. ChedsCye had sought him, why Ryanne had kid mapped him. But for his continuing his journey upon the German-Lloyd boat he would have come home week too late; he would have missed being a spectator (already an inno- cent contributor) to one of the most daring and ingenious bank-robberies known in the pages of metropolitan crime. There was Mrs. Chedsoye, in- trusively handsome as ever; there was her rascally card-sharper brother, that ingrate who called himself Ky anne, and three unknown men. The impudence of 1t; the damnable inso- lence of 1t! And there they were, toasting their success in a brace of his own intage-champagne! But the wine was, after all. inconsequential. It was what he saw upon the floor that caught him by the throat His knees weakened, but he held on grimly to his perch.
 White bags of gold. soiled bags of gold, and neat packs of green and vel low notes; riches! Twenty bags and as many packets of currency; a mil lion, not a penny under that! George was seized with horrible desire to yell with laughter. He felt the each mnations bubble in his throat. He i swallowed violently and gnawed his I IDS. They had got into his house un- oer false pretenses and had tunneled * oack into the Merchant-Mechanic
 Bank, of which Horace's brother was
 president and in which he, George P.
 A. Jones. always carried a large pri-
 vate balance! It was the joke of the century.
 AS quietly as he possibly could, he stepped down from his uncertain perch' In the fine fury that followed HIS amazement, his one thought was .o summon the police at once, to con .roht the wretches in their villainy;
 out once outside in the street, he oooied. Instantly he saw the trial in Oourl' Fortune as witness against her
 o"h mother. That was horrible and
 not to be thought of. But what could
 M ne uo! He was shaken to his soul
 ne stupendous audacity of such a
 pan TO have worked out every de-
 ,all' uoWn to the altering of the key
 noie to prevent surprise! He saw
 .ne automobiles. They were leaving
 ,nat night. If he acted at all, it must
 ue within an hour; in less than that
 ulle u they would be loading the cars.
 l.s mind began to rid itself of its
 ooulusion- Without the aid of the
 to'ce and presently he saw the way
 to do it.
 ,. ne was on at a dogtrot. upon the
 Uslls or his feet, silently. Within five
 ro'TStes 10 iSe he was mounting the steps # Morumer home. anG Tn anOthei
 mute was inside The others saw Al. E pened
 v.u', "nat the trouble. George? House
 r'shedF a,s asked Mortimer.
 nave you got a brace of revolv.
 sr said George quietly.
 nc, n"o automatics. But
 toro o''e them to me-" less evenly in
 Sos., 0re, Will you call up Arthur wada.
 tS'n' President of the Merchant.Me.
 manic Bank?n
 & The bank?n