Tensas gazette., 1916-11-24


came to Enoch Golden this morning.
tell you you're handing forty millions
to q bunch of crooks on q forged
order!"
The captain called to . couple Of
his men.
"Tierney, and you. Doolan. take this
bug-shooter in charge. And have him
held until see that he gets what's
coming to him!"
Then telephone to Stonington him
SELF" cried the frantic Manley strug-
Cling in the grip of his captors. Get
him on the wire himself. and see what
he says!'
Patterson" he called out Take
charge here, and don't let this motor
truck move an inch until I verify this
order of Stonington's." Then he
turned to Manley. You come with
me-" was his curt demand as he el-
bowed his way out through the black
mass Of the crowd. and Manley fol-
lowed at his heels as he made his way
to the nearest telephone.
The triumphant light soon went out
Of young Manley's face. however. as
he stood close beside the police cap
tain in the booth. He could hear that
offlcial call for the number. ask for
Stonington, and crisply demand of the
banker IL the order for the vault trans
fer was authentic or not He could
hear the captains grunt of assurance
as he listened. and his repeated grunt
as he hung up the receiver.
"Of course it's authentic! And
want to know what this game is!
What are you and your bunch out
there trying to put over?"
But Manley knew what he knew.
Il tell you that wasn't Stonington
that spoke. It couldn't have been!"
cried the desperate young secretary.
The captain was already on his feet
and fighting his way back to the fire
lines.
Then suppose you 60 up and tell
him he's been drearing." mocked the
irate official. Then get his affidavit
to that effect and amble back with it.
Manley himself was already darting
for the door.
That's Just what I'll DO" he called
out as he made 'or the corner of
Broadway on the run, and there. still
on the run. leaped to the running
board of an empty taxicab north
bound.
Get me to John Stonington's house
on Park avenue; get me there as soon
as you can," he told the startled
driver. And there's ten dollars in it
IL you do 1t quick"
Manley's wait ON Stonington's door
step was doubly disQuieting. Still
more disquieting. however. was that
obese bankers reply to the questions
SO fiercely hurled at him.
Il gave out no such order. And no
such telephone call ever came to my
house tonight"
Then get your phone. quick!" Man.
ley warned him. Get police head
quarters and stop that raid. Stop it in
side o. ten minutes or your bank'll
look like q last years bird nest!"
The excited man of finance, who
had been shouting to his servants. sud.
denly ran to the nearest desk phone
and struggled with the instrument. But
his struggles were fruitless."
My phones dead" he cried out TO
Manley. Il can't raise central!
cop't roiao anvfhtu0i"
YThen beat 1t for that bank Of
yours" advised Manley az he made for
the door.
Take me with you; for Gods sake
take me with you" cried Stonington,
catching up his hat and coat and fol-
lowing him.
Il can't. retorted the young man
as he darted for his waiting taxi. Tive
got to look for q crook called Oyster
Joel" And while the obese Stoning
ton danced back and forth along the
curb. waiting for his belated landaulet
Manley sped away on his wild-goose
chase for that accomplice of Legar {
who was known to him only as Oyster
Joe.
The police lines about the ruins oi
the Third National bank. as Manley
went scurrying through the streets lit
tie dreaming that q stranger had pre-
ceded him on that errand. had al
ready been strengthened by addition
al reserves as the great motor trucl
with its bank guards was piled higher
and higher with the gold from the
blistering vaults. Then came the cal
for "Gangway!" And it became more
and more evident that no timely in
Perception was to rob Legar and hi,
men of their spoils. The heavy trucl
was already crawling out from tn,
curb, its great wheels crunching ove
cinders and charred wood, as a mes
senger ran up to the officer in charge
calling him to the telephone.
That official held the receiver in hi
hand as the motor truck. gathering
speed as 1t threaded its way through
narrow aisle of open asphalt forme,
by surging humanity. rounded the col
ner into Broadway, thundered north
ward for three blocks. and agail
turned eastward.
By the time John Stonington's Ian
daulet reached the hank, following tn
warning already sent on from head
quarters, an empty vault lay amid tn
smoking ruins and Legar's galleon o.
wheels. loaded to the brink with it
stolen gold, had slipped away uncha
lenged through the darkness and al
trace Of 1t had been lost.