The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-04

/ made no progress aIter naming TIC
lie upon Mrs. Pixley and at last deter
mined to make her acquaintance and
by pretending as a friend, or to be
smitten with her, to get the secret from
her. Under pretense Of being bank
examiner I became familiar with the
employees, she among the number. !
treated her with Difference and SYM
patty. One day when she was leaving
the bank after business hours Joined
her and walked with her. Passing
restaurant, I told her that was going
IN to take lonely dinner. Would she
help me out with her company? She
consented, and, selecting a table in a
corner where we could converse with
out being overheard by others, we dined
together.
I commiserated with her at having
such a husband, expressing wonder
that any man should desert so charm
ing q woman. She seemed to feel very
bitterly toward him, but, OF course. II
she were a thief as well as he, 1t
might be a part of her game to feign
this. asked her II she suspected who
was the woman with whom her hus-
band had gone away. and she said she
felt sure of the person. l 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 I did not feel that 1t was for
evil. After dinner I escorted her to
her home and left her at the door. at
the same time receiving an invitation
to call upon her.
Despite all my efforts l found moth
ing to implicate Mrs. Pixley, and there
was no evidence at the bank to prove
that she was purloining its funds,
though the president had put Carter
on the watch for this. After time
Carter said that whatever was her
way Of taking money, 1t was so sub
tie that 1t 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 1 suggested that he
put the matter off. l had become con-
WINGED that Mrs. Pixley had q secret.
I was steadily gaining her confidence,
and l hoped in time she would let
out something. To this he assented.
A couple Of days after this I re-
ceived note from Mrs. Pixley, as fol-
lows:
Dear Mr.. Detective-You are on tho
wrong track in shadowing me. Conceal
yourself under the steps leading up to
the bank tomorrow night Cor. rather, tho
next morning) at 1 o'clock and wait till
I come. NJ. d. p.
l cannot tell why, but was not so
much astonished at this as might be
expected. was certainly rejoiced. be-
cause knew important developments
were to come. At the appointed time
I went to the bank and waited in the
shadow Of the steps. Ten minutes
later Mrs. Pixley went up the steps.
I Joined her. She tapped at the door,
and 1t was opened by the Waterman.
We went in behind the counters. Mrs.
Pixley opened safe, took out some
heavy account book, which 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. I
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 mo
over a set Of books, showing me that
Carterhad manipulated them to conceal
certain populations. And the entries
bearing upon them were so dovetailed
into certain entries in a set Of books
that had been kept by her husband as
to make 1t appear that Pixley was the
defaulter. And / 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?"
Il 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 populations, had manipu.
lated these books. He came home SO
broken down that 1, fearing he would
make poor showing under an inves.
tigation, concocted this plan whereby
l might have an opportunity to study
out the problem for him. The watch.
man, Callahan, has always been nv
husbands friend and at the risk OF
losing his job has admitted me here al
dead of night. l have had an expert
accountant with me at times, and to
gether we have unraveled this conspir
acy and can make a showing such as j
have given you"
Where did you get your knowledg,
Of bookkeeping?"
Il studied it after my husband left
The person you sent to find out abou
that caught me unawares. But at tn,
time | did not know she came from
you"
Mrs. Pixley," said admiringly, tax
ing from under my coat my badge O
Office and handing 1t to her, T re
| sipn In vnur