Alma record., 1914-09-17
BY F. A. Mitchell.

L nave not yet Oruereu III.
"Mr Harrington" said Erskine, may
/ have few moments conversation
with you?"
"Yes. Joe. wait outside"
When alone Mr.. Erskine said: This
information gives us fine advantage
We may possibly delay Mr.. Handiside
while some one leaves by the evening
train empowered to buy the Furtado
| property"
How delay Handiside?"
Let Joe give me the order for the
cab. l will manage the rest"
IL think | see your point"
Whom will you send?"
Whom will | send? Why. I'll go my
| self. Whoever gets the Furtado prop-
erty will own what turns the scale OF
a monopoly OF the oil product of Mexi-
co. The matter is altogether too i'm
portant to trust TO subordinate. Now
tell me how you propose to delay
Landslide"
The door was locked TO avoid inter-
ruption. and the two men went into Sc
cret conference.
Sue" said Hugh Erskine, who sur
prised his wife by going home to
luncheon. Il have bit of work for
you this afternoon"
What is it,"
Erskine told his wife Of the rivalry
for the oil property in Mexico. unfold
ed his plan TO delay Handiside and ex-
planned how he wished her assistance.
Then he lunched and went to the ga
rage in the rear OF his house.
Carl" he said to his chauffeur, II
wish you to take note to a man on
Staten Island. You needn't hurry
, Take the whole afternoon
When Carl had departed his master
began an examination of his cars. Sc
lecting a closed one, on which he be-
gan to make certain changes. He sent
for a locksmith whom he directed TO
fix the locks 10 the doors so that they
could not be opened from the inside.
This done. Erskine drove a nail into
the sash of every window so that it
could not be opened. Next he bored
hole fror behind the drivers seat
into the interior of the car. Having
finished all this. he went to a drug
store and purchased a rubber bulb and
tube.
Mr. Erskine then went to his dress
ing room. where he found his wife
with cosmetics ready to make him up
so that he would not be recognized for
himself. He was smooth shaven, and
his wife had no difficulty in fixing on
him a beard. His hair was light. and
she blackened it with pomade. Then
he got into a suit of his chauffeurs
clothes that he had brought from the
garage and. after surveying himself In
pier glass. went out to get the car
be had altered.
At the appointed hour Chauffeur
Erskine pulled up at the residence of
the representative of Sir Oliver Tis-
dale's British oil corporation. The
front door was opened. a gentleman
whom Erskine recognized as Mr.
Handiside came out. kissed his hand
TO his wife who appeared at an upper
window and got into the car. giving
his directions before closing the door
Mr.. Handiside was being driven
through a narrow street leading down
TO the Hudson river when there was a
puff and the car was filed with a fine
powder. AstOnished. he tried to let
down a window It could not be NOV
ed. Then he tried the one ON the 9TH
er side OF the car This. too, was
stuck fast. He raped on the parti-
ton between him and the chauffeur.
No response was accorded him. Last
~, he tried TO open "A door and failed.
Meanwhile Mr.. Landslide was breath
ing in the powder that filed the car
1t had been injected by the chauffeur,
who had squeezed rubber bulb, fore
ing it through the tube. an end Of
which had been inserted into a hole
bored in the partition. The man in
side began 10 feel languid. drOwsy, and
his efforts 10 get out of the car relaxed
/ Finally he passed into dreamland.
When Mr.. Handiside came out OF his
trance it was pitch dark. He was ly-
I ing on what was evidently a bed. but
his surroundings. being invisible. he
could not see them. He got up and
felt about him till he came to a door
and. turning the knob. opened ii and
looked into Il dimly lighted corridor
Returning TO the room. by the increas-
ed light he saw Il dresser. and on It
were matches. Lighting one, he stood
before an electric switch and turned
ON more light
BY this time Ii was evident to Mr.
Handiside that he was in hotel.
Pushing a button. be called for some
one from below. A bellboy responded.
who called the night clerk. and Mr..
Handiside was informed that the even
ing before a chauffeur had driven up
TO the hotel, said that he had a fare
who was i'll and begged to be permit
ted to leave the invalid till his family
could be communicated with. The
landlord had consented. and Mr.. Handi-
side had been carried I'm and nut 10