The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-08-13
CHAPTER Xxx.
Broken Links.

pistol-buying incident in Simmons &
Kleifurt's that Broflin, wishful for soil
tude and a chance to think in perspec
tive, took to the woods
A letter from the New Orleans Of
flee had reopened the account of the
Bayou State Security robbery. The
mail communication was significant
but fnconclusive. One Patrick Shee
han. st. Louis cab driver, dying. had
made confession to his priest For a
bribe of two hundred dollars he had
aided and abetted the escape of a
criminal on day and date correspond
ing to the mid-April arrival of the
steamer Belle Julie at st. Louis. After
ward he had driven the man to an up.
town hotel name not given). He could
not recall the mans name But the
destination address. "Wahaska, Min.
nesota," was submitted with the con-
fession.
Broffin felt himself short.sighted
from the very nearness of things. The
single necessity now was for absolute
and unshakable Identification. To es.
tablish this three witnesses, and three
only, could be called upon OF the
three. two had failed signally-Miss
Farnham because she had her own
reasons for blocking the game, and
President Galbraith That was an
other chapter in the book of failure.
Broffin had learned that the president
was stopping at the De Soto Inn, and
he had Unanswered to bring Mr.. Gal
braith face to face with Griswold IN
the Grierson bank on the day after the
pistol-buying. To his establishment
and disgust the president had shaken
his head irritably, adding rebuke.
INA. ma, man; your trade makes We
over-suspicious. That's Mr.. Griswold,
the WATERMAN and friend of the
Griersons. Miss Madge was telling
me about him last week. He's no more
like the robber than you are. Haven't
told We the man was bearded like a
tyke?"
I With two of the three eye.witnesses
refusing to testify. there remained
only Johnson. the paying teller of the
Bayou State Security. Broffin was
considering the advisability of wiring
for Johnson when he passed the last
of the houses on the lakeside drive
and struck into the country road which
led by cool and shaded forest wind.
ings to the resort hotel at the head of
the southern bay. Presently vehicle
overlook and passed him 1t was Miss
Grierson's trap. drawn by the big Eng
fish trap-horse. with Miss Grierson her.
self holding the reins and Raymer
lounging comfortably in the spare
seat
Half an hour later Broffln had fol.
lowed the huge footprints of the
great English trap-horse to the drive.
way portal of the De Soto grounds
where they were lost on the pebbled
carriage approach Strolling on
through the grounds into the lake
fronting lobby of the inn, he went in
search of Miss Grierson He found
her on the broad veranda, alone. and
for the moment unoccupied How to
make the attack so direct and so over
whelming that it could not be with
stood was the only remaining ques-
ton; and Broffin had answered it to
his own satisfaction. and was advanc-
ing through an open French window
directly behind Miss Grierson's chair
to put the answer into effect, when the
opportunity was snatched away. Ray
mer, his business apparently conclud-
ed, came down the veranda and took
the chair next to Miss Grierson's.
Broffin dropped back into the writ.
ing-room alcove for which the open
French window was the outlet ard sat
down to bide his time.
'It's shame to make you wait this
way. Miss Madge. McMurtry said he
had an appointment with Mr.. Gal.