Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1914-05-09
CHAPTER V.
Shannon the Shadow.

G. Mortimer Branton's apparent
anger was never deeper than the
surface. 1t existed in his demeanor,
and was used only as buffer. 1t
was never real. Policy would have
forbidden him to be angry even If
his natural inclinations had not been
the antithesis of ill-temper. He could
be oddly moved to laughter, at
times, and he was so then. But he
ventured no further opinion.
After he had laughed, he turned to
Shaughnessy.
"It's UP to you, now, Mr.. Detect
i've" he said with characteristic
you fellows weren't worth your salt.
Here is an opportunity for you to
prove that you are. Moreaux has
turned the tables upon me nicely.
What have you got to offer about
it?"
at seems plain enough to me that
you left the money in the seat you
occupied in the train that brought
you out here, Mr.. Branton," the OPP
erative replied with the cool assur-
ance of one who is convinced of the
correctness of the statement made.
"This is utter and abject nonsense,
of course"
"Let us see if it is. Have you tel
egraphed to tie conductor of that
train or to anybody, concerning your
loss ?"
"No. Of course | didn't leave the
cash in the car seat, but even If | had
done so, what would be the use of
telegraphing now? Pooh! If the
cash-envclope had been in that paper
| pulled out of the bundle and
didn't read it would have remained
in that paper when ] returned 1t to
the bundle If it had dropped out of
it, would have seen it, or heard it.
"The Occidental Express, due in
New York at one-eight was late to-
day." Shaughnessy remarked remi-
niscently. 81 was at the station
when it got in. ! know the features
of a good many crooks, and | saw
one that | did know leave that train.
| also know that the same man was
in the city last night so he couldn't
have come very far on that particu-
lar train.
"All of this is suggested by the
thought that Shannon-that's the
crooks name-might have gone out
on the twelve-forty with you, might
have secured the envelope, and
might have caught the Occidental
back to New York, at the next sta
tion beyond here, where it was, no
doubt, held up for orders. Such a
thing is barely possible, you know"
81 know it to be wholly absurd"
The angry mannerism had returned
to Mr.. Branton. what you say is
simply damfoolishness. There were
twelve passengers in that coach be-
sides me. Every one of them was
in front of me. There wasn't a soul
behind me in that car. | sat with
the bundle of newspapers on my lap,
all the way out to Monterey.
don't think that both of my hands
were off it at the same time all the
way out.
'Tf Shannon, as you call him, and
a dozen others like him, had been in
that car, they couldn't have got hold
of the cash. | didn't leave the seat
until the train got to Monterey. If
|, knew positively that Shannon was
in that car, I'd swear that he didn't
get the money, because he couldn't"
all d IlOIiltlS, odlu NlOttduN.
(Which end of the car did you en-
ter, at the station in New York ?"
"The rear. / got aboard just as
the conductor gave the signal to
start. / told him who | was, and d.
rected him to stop at Monterey to
let me off. The train was moving
when l sat down."
(Which end of the seat did you
occupy! Nearer the aisle, or the
window"
"Both. | sat near the window, at
first, but the sun came into it tri-
fe, so | shifted to get out of it. But
what's the use of all this? What
difference does it make which end of
the car-seat ! occupied? ?"
you're a large man, Branton.
You approached that seat from the
rear of the car No doubt you stop
ped at the seat with your hand on
the back Of the one in front of it,
and edged into your own place side
ways" Moreaux said, musingly: al
there had been a newspaper lying
upon that seat when you approached
it, you would have seen it."
what in the name of goodness
are you driving at now, Birge ?"
"Why, this: If Shaughnessy's
theory is correct, you probably sat
down upon another Herald that
somebody else had dropped there.
While the train was passing through
the tunnel, didn't you pull your own
paper from under the rubber band
so tat you'd have it ready to read
as soon as you were in the daylight
again? Wasn't that the time when
you laid your own paper down upon
the seat beside you?"
Maybe it was. | guess So"
"You shifted to the opposite end
of fba eaot after tho tro;n boJ n,eeoJ