The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-03-04

the success of this venture. 1t took.
him ten minutes to crawl from tho
summer house to the veranda, and to-
have detected this approach JONES',
had he been watching, would have
needed searchlight. Beggs Rugged
the lattice work for another ten min!
utes and then drew himself up and
wriggled to one of the windows. Here
was an operation that needed all his,
care and skill; to lift this window with-i
out sound. But he was an old hand,
and windows with ordinary locks were!
playthings under his deft touch. He
raised the window, stepped over the,
sill into the library, and crouched.
down. He did not close the window;
house thieves never do. They leave
windows and doors open, because,
sooner or later. they have to make
their escape that way.
Presently he stood up, flashed his.
torch, found the library shelves, and
tiptoed toward them. He then selected
three or four volumes, opened them
at random and laid neat packages of
money between the leaves. 1t was
not real money, but only bank clerk
could have told that. This done, he
moved toward the window again.
''Stop!" said Jones quietly.
Spider Beggs gasped, it was so
unexpected; but at the same time al
most instinctively he plunged head
long through the window, and the bull
let which followed shipped lock Of
his hair. He threw himself OF the
veranda and scurried across the lawn,
zigzag fashion. But no more bullets
followed.
Jones turned on the lights and In
vestigated the room, but he could not
find anything disturbed, and naturally
came to the conclusion that the in
truder had been interrupted before he
had begun his work. He turned on
the lights and sat up the major part
of the night. Nothing more happened.
Florence came down, but he sent her
back to bed, explaining that some one
had attempted to enter the house and
he had taken shot at him.
Spider" Beggs had letter to WRITE.
He was in high feather. He had.
tackled difficult job and had come
away without a scratch. But he had.
the misfortune to write his letter to-
the secret service officials in a hotel.
often frequented by Norton. And So
Jim, on finishing his own letter, blotted.
1t and casually glanced at the blotter.;
A single word caught his eye. Being:
an alert newspaper man, always on the
hunt for stories, he examined the blot
ter with care. It was an easy matter;
for him to read writing backward:
having fooled away many an hour in:
the composing rooms. The word which:
had awakened the reportorial sense
in him was counterfeit" He held,
the blotter toward the mirror and
read enough to satisfy himself that
the Black Hundred had become active
once more. And this was one of the
best ideas they had yet conceived.
Hargreave had always been some.
thing of a mystery to his neighbors.
Where he had lived in other days was
unknown; neither had any one the re-
hottest idea from what source his
riches had been obtained. And MOTH
ing was known of Jones or the daugh-
ter. 1t was very shrewd method
Of clearing every one out of the house
and leaving 1t to be examined at leis-
ure. And he had fallen upon this
thing; he, Norton, all because his
tailor had written him sharp note
about his bill and he had been pro-
voked to reply in kind! Counterfeit
money. There was quite furry these
days over certain issues of spurious
paper. It was so good that only ex-
perts could detect It, There were two
plates. one for ten and another for a