The Washington times., 1915-12-20


munity Of human rabbits, mer
who needed money and needed 1t sc
badly that they were ready to pay any
price to get it. Grant did not grow fat
on their needs, but his bank account
did.
When a man must have money, he
is willing to pay high to get it. And
hundreds Of men had for years been
paying George Grant an unbelievably
big rate of interest on the cash they
borrowed from him.
He was the city's most prosperous
loan broker, which meant he was also
the city's most heartless loan shark,
His offices were forever crowded with
needy clients. His big desk was full
of tabulated pigeonholes. And every
pigeonhole was stacked with a piteous
array of promiSsory notes, of mortgages,
of sight drafts. and similar sorry docu-
lnents.
In that desk lay the material to ruin
dozens of unlucky men: men who In
s an evil hour had put bheniseHes in in
debt records that spelled financial ship
wreck. More than one pious debtor
used to pray that Grants office and
Grants desk might some night be de-
stroyed by fire; to wipe out these rec
ords and set the loan sharks victims
free. And at last. in odd fashion, the
prayers were answered.
One day-it was the same that Max
l.amar caught his fieeting glance OF
the red circle on a womsn's white hand
as closed automobile whizzed pas,
him George Grant got up from this IA
nous desk in his private office
stretched his lean arms lazily. and wen,
into the adjoining room where stood
mis- capacious steel vault. He wanted
a record that was filed in this vault
And. instead of sending clerk for it
it was decidedly private paper-h<
went himself
Entering the vault and switching or
the electric light. he began to search
through the tiers of compartment.
wanted was not easy to find; and his
search continued for several minutes.
At last he discovered what he sought
or two notes from it on the back or ar
envelope; then switched off the Iign
and turned to leave the vault.
But, instead of the sunshine from tn
onice beyond, he faced black darkness
The vault door had been shut. SO 81
lently had it closed that engrossed II
his search, he had not observed It wal
no longer open.
1t did not yield to the pressure. 1t hat
been shut tight. The lock had beer
sprung. And it could not be opened
again. except from the outside.
his brows contracting. he paused for 1
moment in .perplexity. The door wa
heavy. 1t always required more or les
Effort to open or close It. Therefore: i
wind or swung shut from i'll balanced
hinges. A human hand had closed an.
locked it. Why?
Grant did not believe anyone in hi
employ would dare play a trick OF
MIN; for all his underpaid office stat
held him in cringing fear. Perhaps
some clerk. passing by and seeing tn
empty and had pushed the steel porta
into place.
Grant drew in a deep breath AM
shouted at the top Of his lungs tn tn
low. But the thick walls obsorbed tn
sound With his fists he beat upoI
the, door until his knuckles bled. NJ
Within a few yards of him. his em
overlord. seemed in danger Of smoth
"ring. because he could not make hi
cold sweat of terror broke out all owe
this man who so long had made bette
men sweat at his orders
Turning back into the vault an
switching on the light once more. h
pulled out steel cashboN from it
compartment and, using it as blud
geon, began TO hammer with desperat
torce on the unyielding door. .punctu
atng his blows with shouts for help.
After an interminable time, clerk
John Saals by name-who chanced t
pass through the adjoining room, clos
to the vault. heard a muffed tappin
and paused to investigate. The tappin
seemed to come from the far side o
the steel door. Saals was curious; an
decided to investigate. He called tn
,oshier., who alone of the employees
knew the vaults combination. Tn
whole office force gathered inquisitivel
around the cashier as he unlocked an
threw open the door: Out reeled Grant
more dead than alive; his lank fac
wit mi
bulging with terror:
Who did that?" he sputtered, hoarse
ly What fool shut that door on me
speak up or WI III tife f,,e The Hs. whole worth
There was confused mumbling fror
the scared employees. Grants ratlik
eyes searched every face. He read ther
nothing but blank bewilderment; tspIi
acting too cleverly 10 be detected. Wit
snort. Grant stamped back to his ow
private office.
he slumped into his desk chair. Blu
suddenly. as II the chair We're upho
stored with hornet-stings. he leaped
his feet again; with yell that brougt
his employees in the outer Offices crowo
ing wonderngly to the door.
Neatness was one George Grant
hobbies. His desk was always ker
in apple-Die order. But. his yer
first glance now revealed that it wa
IN a Condltlon that woulo nave shame
his incompetent clerk.
Papers were scattered in every d
rection: and drawers and pigeonhole
were open-and empty. FeVerishly
Grant looked from pigeonhole TO pig
eonhole.
Every last one OF them had bee
ransacked: and every document ha
been stolen from them!
Cleaned OUT" croaked Grant da1
edly. Robbed IVe--I've been robbed
Then the numbed brain reawok'
These stolen documents were tn
rromissorv notes, the drafts. etc. tina
gave him his limitless power over a
army of debtors. Without such ev
dcnce he had no legal hold over III
~~@T RIetchCs who had so long bee