Evening star., 1914-01-11

ently and fro the short width of the deck his short
legs moving restlessly and his short feet with their pat
ent leather shoes and white CATERS almost tWlnkng
as they struck the planks.
"Who in the deuce can Lester be, anyhow" he asked
himself in perpexity. 3Where did he from? He
was there shn the first time saw him. and had old
Skaggs and Flay for his only friends and sort of got
the idea that he just week clerk out
on vacation. Then he made me think he there
for his health and liked the outdoors stuff. But he's
been there moren year and half save for trip
off somewhere about in three four months, and
he to have money to blow around the club,
and he amt never short of money, and he don't do
nothn at all except make love to Arabea, and-hang
him! wonder if he had finger in this game?'
For quite time he debated this feature and at last
to the conclusion that Lester nothing more
than dawder of just sufficient income live modestly
in some isolated situation like Port Hatch. 1t
chance alone that had brought the crash of the card
castle he had lived in long, successfully, and
happily.
THE boat drew slowly into dock at Seattle, and he
walked down the gangplank with suitcase in hand,
and so distracted that he failed recognize the
Captains friendly parting salute to deliver his scant
luggage to the porter who had always welcomed him
a find. He walked the tracks to the railway
station, and frowned at the timetables that
venently hung frames for the benefit of travellers,
and his sharp eyes rapidly down the column devoted
to through trains, eastward bound. He the old
Burmah Jones' again covering his tracks, and thinking
that he must first take local train and ticket to
nearby station, then suddenly change his mind drop
off, take through train, and disappear There
plenty of trains that would his purpose, and he
made a mental selection.
Now he must go to the different banks in which he
had scattered his deposits and draw closely he
dared, and he already formulating the glib excuse
that had often served h-that of requiring cash to
satisfy unreasonable customer with whom long
transaction going through Also he would drop the
hint, in ofhand way, that the bank might be COM
PEELED to meet drafts in he called East.
Then from Chicago he would draw upon them for the
larger sums, and from there also would telegraph the
Colonel that he had been unexpectedly called away
big deal and would within three weeks.
That would give him ample time to get away to South
America Europe before the wreck the Colonel
still had some shred of faith in him. Of that he had
small doubt, because the Colonel would decline to be-
ieve anything i'll of him until he had been given chance
defend himself He laughed at himself for these pre-
cautions; for quite well he knew that he had done
nothing unlawful: only he had the craving to retain
their confidence to the last possible moment the
fidence with which he so loath to part
A STRANGE indecision mastered him as he turned
out to visit the first bank, and at the very doors
of the big granite building facing Pioneer Square he
paused, irresolute. No, he would first go to the Com
merca Bank where he had long cultivated the friend
ship of William Shoemaker, the cashier. He could get
away with it better there, because they believed in
him. Then at the doors of the Commercial he thought
of the trust granted him by that cear-eyed little
cashier, and hated to betray it. Here another
who believed in him. Better try other bank, be-
he wanted Shoemaker to respect him as long
possible. He decided to leave the suitcase in cigar
stand, and in this palace of nicotine compelled
listen to conversation between old Alaska pros
pectors recounting how pair of partners had lost their
lives.
Everything showed, of them, gray-haired and
da6 o11
venurer in the silent Places 4that Tim could have saved
hir,aSef he .uol,1da,t AIillar