Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-02-02
CHAPTER x.

We'll on nice ZUO acre tdrm ioE WulCu
he pays no rent.
CHAPTER x.
The Hundred Thousand Dollar Robbery.
~ WANT the whole affair kept un-
official and secret" said Harris.
the bank manager.
November Joe nodded. He was
seated on the extreme edge Of chair
In the managers private Office, looking
| curiously out Of place in that prim.
fichly furnished room.
"The truth is." continued Harris. I'VE
bankers cannot afford to have our Gus
toners minds unsettled. There are,
as you know. Joe. numbers Of small
depositors. especially in the rural dis
tricts, who would be scared out Of their
seven senses If they knew that this in
fernal Cecil James Atterson had made
of with a hundred thousand dollars.
They'd never trust US again"
"a hundred thousand dollars is a
wonderful lot of money" agreed Joe.
"Our reserve Is over twenty millions,
two hundred times a hundred thou
sand" replied Harris grandiloquently.
"Have you ever seen Atterson"
mo"
II thought you might have. He al
ways spends his vacations in the
woods, fishing usually. The last two
years he has 6shed Red river. This Is
what happened. On Saturday l told
him to so down to the strong room to
/. fetch up fresh batch Of dollar and
FIVE dollar bills, as we were short. 1t
happened that In the same safe there
was a number of bearer securities. At
terson soon brought Inc the notes l had
sent him for with the keys. That was
about noon on Saturday. We closed at
l o'clock. Yesterday. Monday. After
son did not turn up. At first thought
nothing Of 1t. but when 1t came to
afternoon and he had neither appeared
nor sent any reason for his absence |
began to smell rat. went down to
the strong room and found that over
100000 in notes and bearer securities
were missing.
II communicated at once with the
police. and they started to make In
ouirIes. The constable ut Roberville
replied that q man answering to the
description of Atterson was seen by
farmer walking along the Stoneham
road and heading north on Sunday
morning early"
At this point clerk knocked Mt the
door and, entering. brought In some
letters. Harris stiffened as he noticed
the writing on one Of them. He cut 1t
open, and when the clerk was gone out
he read aloud:
| Dear Harrls-I hereby resign my splen-
did and lucrative position In the Gr;ind
Banks Of Canada. 1t Is dogs dirty life.
Anyway 1t Is so for man OF spirit. YOU
can give the weeks screw that's owing
to me to buy milk and bath buns for the
next meeting Of directors. Yours truly.
C. J. ATTERSON.
"What's the postmark?" asked Joe.
"Rimouski. Sunday. 9:30 a. NJ"
1T looks like Atterson's the thief"
remarked Joe. "I'm inclined that way
because Atterson had that letter post,
ed by a con-con-what's the wordT
| "Confederate7'
"You've got 1t. He was seen here IN
town on Sunday at 1890, and he
couldn't have posted no letter IN RI
moush in time for the $50 q. IN. Oh
Sunday unless he'd gone there on the
Z o'clock express on Saturday evening.
Yes, Atterson's the thief. all right.
And If that really was he they saw
Stoneham ways he's had time to get
thirty miles of bush between us and
him, and he can 60 right on till he's
on the Labrador. l doubt you'll see
your 100000 again. Mr.. Harris"
"H'mr' coughed Mr.. Harris. my
directors won't want to pay you 81 a
day for nothing"
1.-TWO dollars a day?" said Joe in his
gentle voice. II shouldn't "a thought
the two hundred times hundred thou
sand dollars could stand strain like
that!"
laughed. Look here. November
I think I'd like to make this bargain
for you. I'll sell your services to Mr..
Harris here for S. day II you fall
and 10 per cent of the sum you recov-
er II you succeed. Well. Harris. Ia 1t
on or Off, asked.
"Oh. on. suppose. confound you!
said Harris.
Twenty hours later Joe. u police
trooper named HObson and were
deep in the woods. We had hardly
paused to interview the farmer al
Roberville and then had passed or
down the old deserted roads until at
last we entered the forest, or, as IT Is
locally called. the bush"
"Where are you heading for?' Hob
son had asked Joe.
"Red river. because If 1t really was
Atterson the farmer saw l guess he'll
have gone up there. None of them
trappers there now In July month, SO
he can steal canoe easy. Besides.
man who fears pursuit always likes to
get into country he knows. and you
heard Mr.. Harris say how Atterson
had fished Red river two vacations.
Besides"-here Joe stopped and point,
ed to the ground-"them's Attersons
tracks," he said "Leastways. it's a
black fox to lynx pelt they are his"
"But you've never seen him. what
reason have you?" demanded Hobson
when first we happened on them
about four hours back. while you was
Iightin' your pipe" replied Joe. "they
come out Of the bush. and when we
reached near Cartier's place they went
back into the hush again. Then q
mile beyond Cartier's out Of the bush
they come on to the road again. What
can that circumventin' mean? Fellel
who made the tracks don't want to be
seen. No. 8 boots. city made. nails In
'em, rubber heels. Come on"
will not attempt to describe oul
Journey hour by hour nor tell how
November held to the trail. following
It over areas Of ha.d ground and rock
noticing scratch here and broken
twig there. The next morning Novem
ber wakened us at daylight. and once
| xv, bo cfapaH fnrwnrd