Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1916-11-09

she had studied?
I made no progress after mailing the
lie upon Mrs. Pixley and at last deter
mined to make her acquaintance and
by pretending as friend, or to be
smitten with her, to get the secret from
her. Under pretense Of being bank
examiner I became familiar with the
treated her with Difference and SYM
pathy. One day when she was leaving
the bank after business hours l joined
her and walked with her. Passing
restaurant, told her that was going
In to take lonely dinner Would she
help me out with her company? She
consented, and, selecting table in
corner where we could converse with
cut being overheard by others. we dined
together.
l commiserated with her at having
such husband, expressing wonder
that any man should desert SO charm
ing woman. She seemed to feel very
bitterly toward him. but of course. If
she were thief as we'll as he, it
might be part of her game to fcign
this. / asked her If she suspected who
was the woman with whom her hns
band had gone away, and she said she
felt sure Of the person. got nothing
out of her, but was impressed With
the belief that there was a good deal
in her, whether for good or for evil,
though 1 did not feel that it was for
evil. After dinner l escorted her to
her home and left her at the door. IL
the same time receiving an invitation
to call upon her.
Despite all my efforts I found Moth
ing to implicate Mrs. PiXley, and there
was no evidence at the bank to prove
that she was purloining it's funds.
though the president had put Carter
on the watch for this. After a time
Carter said that, whatever was her
way of taking money, it was SO sub
+ tie that it was beyond his penetration.
However, the cash on hand was con-
stantly deficient, and Carter suggest
ed that Mrs. PiXley be simply dis
charged without any reason being CIV
en- her. The president communicated
this to me, and | suggested that he
put the matter off. | had become con-
yinced that Mrs. PiXley had g secret.
| was steadily gaining her confidence,
and / hoped in time she would let
out something. To this he assented.
a couple OF days after this ! re-
ceived note from Mrs pixley, as fol-
lows:
Dear Mr.. Dctective-You are oil the
wrong track in shadowing me. Conceal
yourself under the steps leading up TO
tho bank tomorrow night Cor, rather, the
next morning) at / o'clock and wait ill
l come. NJ d. p
l cannot tell why, but | was not so
much astonisAed at this ass might be
expected. was certainly reioiced, be-
cause l knew important Developments
We're to come. AT the appointed tine
| went to the bank and waited in the
shadow of the steps. Ten minutes
later Mrs. Pixley went up the steps.
joined her. She tapped at the door,
and it was opened by the watchman.
We went in behind the counters Mrs.
Pixley opened a safe, took out Scno
heavy account book, which l laid on a
high desk for Her
How is it that you can come here
at such time and open this safe!" !
asked her.
The Waterman is in my secret. |
am allowed the combination of this
safe, which contains only books
And here began the revelation. am
something of an accountant, this being
one reason why I was put on the Job.
Mrs. Pixley spent two hours with me
over a set of books, showing me that
Carterhad manipulated them to conceal
certain peculations. And the entries
bearing upon them were so doyetailed
into certain entries in set of books
that had been kept by her husband us
to make it appear that Pixley was the
defaulter. And l could not see how
Pixley could have shown that he was
innocent in the matter looked aside
at Mrs. PiXley and asked:
"How about the woman with whom
your husband decamped?"
~ was the yelled woman who went
with him to collect the money owed
him, but didn't go away with him.
One day he discovered how Mr.. Carter
to conceal his regulations, had manil5u.
lated these books. He came home so
broken down that l, fearing he would
make poor showing under an inves-
tigation, concocted this plan whereby
might have an opportunity to study
out the problem for him. The watch
man, Callahan, has always been my
husbands friend and at the risk of
losing his job has admitted me here at
dead of night. have had an expert
accountant with me at times, and to.
eether we have unraveled this conspir.
acy and can make showing such as !
have given YOU
Where did you get your knowledge
of bookkeeping?"
II studied it after my husband left
| The person you sent to find out about
that caught me unawares But at the