The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-10-11

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Here was cold, clear fact, however
-$49,950 short. The sub-treasur,
agent looked over the opened package
casually inspected the coverings, ant
calmly called attention to three facts
that were incontrovertible: the string
was not government string, the wa1
in the seals was not government waz
and the paper enclosing the package
did not bear the government water
mark. In other words, the govern
ment disputed ever delivering the
package to the Unity National. Some.
one had substituted the one contain.
ing the one-dollar bills month back
two, three, six-or yesterday, or to-
day. 1t was the duty of Alison Ran
some to guess how it could have been
done, for he was responsible for the
deeds and misdeeds of the depart
ment.
Resilius Marvel had been called in.
1t took him a day to decide that no
body in the bank had worked the sub
stitution. When he came to examine
the wrapper that had enclosed the
substituted bills, he found that it had
been discarded covering for some
other package at one time, such as
were thrown into the waste room
The figures had been changed, but the
official stamp helped through the i'm
position. AS to the seals, they had
been broken in opening the package,
so their recent real condition could
not be estimated.
AT the time ! was a silent lounger
in dark corner in Marvels private
Office when he held a rapid fire col
loquy with this same Alison Ransome.
| felt sorry for the young fellow, for
he was so artless, so distressed, so
clear in his statements, that there was
not false note palpable in what he
said. He had brought the visitors
register with him. Spread out on the
same glass-topped table where l now
confronted Marvel, the twain went
over it line by line.
There were foreign and sightseeing
visitors, soon disposed Of The repre-
sentatives Of country banks came un-
der cynosure with no results warrant
ing suspicion. Every name on the
register was Tailed off quite satisfac-
torily until they came to a delicate
line announcing Miss Vera Tithenor
Credited to whom?" Marvel had
challenged, keeping his finger on the
penciled initials after the name and
looking Ransome squareIy in the face,
who flushed like schoolboy and
blurted out:
Myself"
l noticed Marvel just there start
slightly,
"A friend-a relative?"
"a friend, yes," answered Ransome;
well, I might better say an acquaint-
ance. l knew the lady only casually
at the time. She expressed a wish to
go through the bank and of course l
had to be courteous. Then she
brought a friend. She was very much
interested in bank details, saying her
father and her uncle had been in that
line once"
"Tall, fair?" insinuated Marvel, and
knew he was prompted to pursue
the topic by the vagrant thought
noted.
Tall, fair-very fair" acceded the
young fellow, with almost a sigh.
Light blue eyes-one disfigured?"
continued Marvel.
why, mol" exclaimed Ransome,
with hard stare. What strange
question to ask, sir! Blue eyes! Dis
figured! Indeed, no, sir-eyes black
rs sloe. and very bright and-be-
I've got to say it." ex-
planned the speaker, with a slight
laugh, "for to tell you the truth, l
iancied was in love with Miss 1.-THE
nor at the time
"And now?" Intercepted Marvel,
II have not seen her for weeks. /
understand she has gone abroad"
The color of the eyes seemed to
settle the matter with Marvel, end he
checked of the name. After that
evening considered the case aban-
ioned, for / had not heard Marvel
it since. The bank quietly
buried the circumstances, but young
Ransome left it's employ week later.
understood that he had Joined some
small brokerage firm. There was no
az to his honesty, but the
luckless loss of 100000 to the bank
stood against him on the records.
And now Resilius Marvel, with his
paper wad puppets and his mention
Of half-forgotten name had revived
in my mind the facts have just stat
ed--to prepare me, / was sure, for
the second volume of what / had &C
counted to be closed book.
He now said:
And so we arrived at a re-opening
Of the Ransome incident. / use the
singular, for the substituted sub-treas-
ury package and the rified bank
satchel were parts and parcels OF one
plot, schemed out by one master
mind, with more to come"
Il am interested" said, and pre-
pared to listen.
Marvel opened the broad drawer of
the table to take out a long. thin arti-
Gle. 1t was cane, slight In looks,
but / found later on handling it,
strong and rigid as a steel bar.
The cane you found in the car
where the satchel was ripped open."
began.
No." he dissented; zone something
like it, but this is quite another cane.