Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-02-12
No forgery" frowned J. Rufus.

"NO forgery" frowned J. Rufus.
"Whats the matter with your" de-
manded Blackie impatiently. "l'm go
Ing to get you an electric coupe and a
foot warmerw Wallingford was study
ing the letter with interest.
"Mr. Lundy looks forward with
pleasure to a meeting with Mr.. Hutch"
he read. $50 they never met"
"Then I'm the missing heir!" an
nOunced Onion Jones with eagerness.
''NO. Onion" said Blackie, you don't
get speaking part in this. All you
do is hop train for Chicago and mail
letter from the missing heir. stating
that he's on the way"
"GOOd dopeT Walllngford's approx
al was instant and hearty. I'VE only
use the signature to throw a scare into
Hutch. But l don't see how that res
cues the balance Of the Lundy for
tune"
"You don't?" Blackie was sitting on
a corner Of the dresser, dangling a spi-
der-like leg and grinning with sardonic
joy. "Well, Jim, it's the good old safe
and sane and sanitary way. The chief
ingredients are your winning personal
ity and a brick"
Two mornings later they were sit
ting In Hutch's office, watching the
door. 1t was about time for that Chi
cago letter, and they were Willing
away the time with tales which had u
point and moral.
Bob Simmons was so crooked he
could see the back of his own neck" !"
laughed Blackle, but he was the boy
for quick action"
"And no piker," added j. Rufus. "He
ran an American branch of London
leather firm and at the end of the first
year he'd spent so much Of the firms
money that the Bank Of England began
to sag; so they came over to see about
It,"
Low down trick" drawled Blackie.
when a mans used to spending a
trust fund the owner has no business
to sneak In on him"
"That was BOb's idea Of It," Wal
lingfOrd went on. THE first he knew
that the end was near was when the
British brothers got wedged in the Gus
tom house and had to telephone for
help. Bob didn't evea stop TO think"
Jim paused to light one Of his fat black
cigars. 1t was Percy who broke the
silence.
"What did he do?" he asked.
"Emptled the safe, rushed down to
the bank and converted everything of
the firms he could into cash, and while
the British brothers waited for help
Bob sailed for South America"
Mr.. Hutch laughed and relaxed In
his chair. He had been sitting up
rather stlfliy.
"Say, fellows, let's so to South Amer
lear suddenly proposed Blackie Daw.
'To whlchY smiled j. Rufus. "FoT
whatT
"Play the ponies" urged Blackie,
with carefully graduated enthusiasm.
'Why. the slOwest horse in race down
there goes so fast he's safe to put your
money on! What about It, Jlm?"
Get your hat promptly responded
Wallingford. "If you're on the level
whens the next boat?" And he reach,
ell in his pocket for the morning paper
Percy Hutch binked, He was learn.
ing by degrees to be sport, but this
was too swift for him.
"YOu can lose enough money in little
old New York. he observed. wonder
ing il they were actually in earnest
There's a boat at O'clock" an
nOunced Wallngford. "Blaclie, look
up the number of this steamship com
pany, and I'll make the reservations
Better come along, Hutch
"At 3 o'clock!" gasped Percy.
"Three's a lucky number" Blackit
assured him, lcafng through the tele
phone book. Here's your party. Jim.
There was a thoughtful silence while
Wallingford secured his connection