The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-02-12

80 the yeraHda, and x
have detected this approach Jones
had he been watching, would have
needed a 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 hif
| care and skill; to lift this window with
| out sound But he was an old hano
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
SOuiu nave tOlQ ludI. L LID uohS, AS
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 off 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 off
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 a difficult job and had come
away without a scratch. But he had
the misfortune to write his letter to
the secret service officials in hotel
often frequented by Norton. And SO
Jim, on finishing his own letter, blotted
it 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 1t 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 |
best ideas they had yet conceived.
Hargreave had always been some |
thing of 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 it to be examined at leis-
Ire. And he had fallen upon this
hing; he, Norton, all because his
ailor had written him sharp note
lbout his bill and he had been pro-
voked to reply in kind Counterfeit
money. There was quite furry these
lays over certain issues of spurious
aper 1t was so good that only ex-
,erts could detect it. There were two
lates, one for ten and another for a
wenty. For a while he was pulled be-
ween duty and love. Well, it would
My add another interesting chapter
D the general story when he published