Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-06-08

] cHAPTER ri.
Tn 1oerpk Drawer.
EQRGEPANDOIRH CHESTER !.

), iCopyrt1hes 1919. by
4 cHAPTER xi.
The oserst Drawsn.
ssrhTULCoME to our family"
said Black1e cordially. Jim
has been telling me about
the reckless 1maginat3on
you've brought into the nm, AID a
soon asTead Jsssop takes your meas
urs wen Sign them paperR Come on
and educate me In antique furniture.
I'm to b the.sales person"
Thay went into the dim old rooms
and became better known 10 each 9TH
er amid the hoafy antiquities deposit
ed thsee- b. William ]. shuv1t and BY
niehEfaa they were 20 well aequafnt-
ed that Paul stopped whatever he was
doing evay time Biackie started to
say anything.
That dry had been unproductive.
though the place had been oveffun
with collectors who were willing to
bankrupt Themselves ON q iHoppendale
hixhboy or Thgletower table, but
staggered 1Rintty away On the ulu-
matum Of an or none.
About 9 O'Clock the next morning.
however, Paul buslIed back 10 Walhng-
ford. who was having fun with the
preparation of frog leg pie and took
down his oyercoat
III you don't need NO I think III
run into town to my boarding house
and peck up" he.suEsested
.All right" agreed Walfmgford,
openingsthe oven door to test the heat
what's your hursyT
your buyers here." explained Paul
briskly. ~Jwt Judging him from tho
outside, should say he was worth .
few hundred thousand dollars that are
hungry for company and are not par
ticular about their associates"
Washing his hands and slipping on
his coat, Wallingford strolled into the
front room in . grsvely preoccupAed
fashion and. found there In furtive In
spection Of the surroundings q one
eyed man whose broad mouth and
heavily wrnkled cheeks suggested that
ae would feel more natural with q
knife between his teeth.
II know but very little about s0ch
things," Blsckie was saying AZ Wal
lingford entered, and. in fact Mr..
wallingfoed II equally ignorant OF old
furniture. He only knows that thh IL
a very valuable collection and bought
it on spsculatann. Mr.. Wallingford
this = Mr.. Day, who has come to look
at the Bmher collection"
1T b . very nns collection" Wal
hngford gEavely a0ursd him. my
businesHae w1l give Jon every cp-
portunity to examdne II, and I feel
sure that. II Jon arc Judge Of such
things you VA b ready to talk bust
ness when you are through"
well, don't know" specuhted Mr..
Day. his ono keen eye rowing to the
erandfa4hers clock and to the what
not and to the ceifing. II hear that this
old Jonathan Bunker was queer case. !"
.He vas rather an eccentric charac-
ter, believe" agreed Wauingfoed.
Heard he was missf," went on
Mr.. Day. his greedy eye strayng into
the heavy black desk and to the book
ease and 10 the padded chairs
II thiuk that report was greatly ex-
aRxerabsd,s returned Wallhgford. with
a smile. The town went crazy over
finding q few odd coins scattered
about the grounds, and discovered q
few eosd pieces in tho ce1lar; bat come
to sift 4 down. I don't believe there
was moro than $500 hidden an told
I've made some inquiries, and I can't
find where Bunker could have obtain
ed my monsv TO hide"
Mr.. Days anxious eye returned from
a rowing voyage into the visible por.
tion Of the dining room. II suppose
NOT" he acquiesced sYour man tells me
You amt regular furniture dealer"
Hardly" laughed WaMngford.
This u my aEst o6snse. don't know
any more about furniture than . cat
does about building nest In tree.
only bought this place to oblige .
friend. Mr.. Daw, Tn afraid I shall
have to leave Mr.. Day entirely In your
hands have some business In town"
After Wanlngford had gone Blackie
also excused himseh on the plea Of
writing letter sod begged Mr.. Day
to conduct hi own tour Of Inspection
for aVhile, He went uRstGin % wFite
his letter md instead looked down into
the rihKasy through hole which had
been coovsni1nf1y boesd IN tho elab-
crate plastsr esntefpsecs Of the hang
ing lamp.
Mr.. Days A1st aetion. On being left
alone, was . wak through an the
rooms doWnstaiEs, to make sure that
they wses vacant: thsn he rstuned
hastily % The nbeaIy and pulled out
the dIswns Of the Cd desk. one BY
one, feeling into the vacant drawer
spaces with hi eye uptmned in a
painfully hopeful squfnt At last he
gave gEunt Of satisfaction, - b drew
forth sm.;;;; ;11ssz STs~~ a0zz -. :sss
Lase of IL 6esk behind the longer
ones, and Bhclda, whose tread was %
iight a . cats, arrived In the door Of
the library just % Mr.. Day was about
., replace tie receptacle.
what have you found theFeT de-
manded the stern B!ackie, adranclog
.-aAAa- A~>n era ana t~k&~O