The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1916-02-03

! In September, 1918. Felix Hazard
received an urgent summons from the
New York Offices of the Sutherland
detective agency to come at once to
that city to assist the local operatives
in unraveling a particularly battling
case; a case, it may be added, that
still remains one among many of the
eastern metropolis unsolved riddles.
The circumstances tended to show
that on the morning of September 2
David Bardeene, master fnanc1er and
power in Wall street, had been
stabbed to death by a mysterious
woman who had not as yet been ap-
pretended and whose identity was
unknown to the police. Bardeene's
widow had enlisted the aid Of the
Sutherlands not only to find the wom-
an, but to clear up an unpleasant
scandal that, since the supposed muir
der, was beginning to cloud the dead
millionaire's name.
The summons fell in admirably with
Hazards plans, because his confrere
and friend, Helen Bertel, was spend.
Ing her vacation In New York, and
he anticipated some pleasant times In
her company. He reported promptly
at the New York office, where he was
supplied with full details of the case.
Almost at once Hazard was struck
by what he considered a suggestive
factor; this was the ease with which
the mysterious woman had gained &C.
cess to Bardeene's private Office.
Guarded by an army of clerks and
Office attendants, the f1nancier was
one of the least accessible Of men.
Unless by previous appointment, sell
dom if ever was anybody admitted to
his presence; strangers were barred
utterly.
The unknown woman, it would
seem; on the presentation Of her card,
had been instantly ushered into the
inner sanctum.
And here arose another singular cir
cumstance. It was no other than the
chief clerk himself who took the card;
but he could not recall the woman's
be found. AS for her appearance, she
had been stylishly gowned, she seemed
to be young, or not more than middle
aged, but her features were concealed
by heavy veil.
She remained with Bardeene per-
haps thirty minutes altogether. Some
thing like five minutes before she de-
parted the buzzer rang for George
Destin, the chief clerk, who went at
once into the private Office He reap
peared In the outer Office a minute or
SO later pale and trembling-in fact,
80 ag1tated that certain of the office
force noticed his perturbation and
commented among themselves that
1.-The old man had been giving Destin
q grtlling."
He was a much feared "old man."
Then minute or two later the
yelled woman reappeared and passed
at q normal gait through the outer
room, where tho Office force was en-
sconced. That was the last seen of
her.
During the next few minutes It was
noticed by his subordinates that Des-
tin was uneasy and f1dgety. He FUN
bled aimlessly and nervously with the
papers at his desk, and by and by he
rose with an air Of having steeled
himself to the performance of an I'M
pleasant task and went into the pr1-
vate Office.
Next instant he came reeling back,
white as a sheet and making queer,
tncoherent noises in his throat The
office was thrown into confusion; but
presently the others made out that he
was trying to cry "Murder!" And
then it was that the fatality was dis
covered.
Having ascertained all the details
from Heffernan, the New York opera
tive who had charge Of the case for
the Sutherlands, Felix Hazard meant
drst to find Helen Bertel and then
devote his attention to the dead finan-
c1er's Wall street Offices. He was just
starting for the elevator when an
Office boy came up and handed him a
sealed envelope bearing his name.
Hastily tearing it open, he found, on a
slip Of paper, the following typewrit-
ten message:
David Bardeene met only his just
deserts. If you value your peace of
mind don't, from a mistaken notion
Of duty, try to bring retr1bution upon
the miserable instrument Of vengeance
who killed him. This is not threat,
but wise counsel"
Hazard wheeled upon the boy.
"Where did you get this?" he sharply
demanded .
II found it In the letterbox among
the Office mail"
HIN! Then anybody could have
dropped It there at any time" He
handed the slip to Hehernan. Some
body wants us to keep hands of: as
far as you went, did you run against
any opposition7'' ~.:,. ....
Henfernan studied the uncompromis-
ing bit Of paper and slowly shook his
mead; q -. .~a,a, h.sss' 49,. ,.r,!,