, 1917-09-27
lady introduced to me as Miss Itch.

| iduy n~trUuuCcu " mo Cd nAiSp Aion
| enor.
I must say she vas very at
tractive, but in manner than in
beauty. There was a sinuous. dallying
softness to her smile that wrapped
| about the casual observer invitingly,
though to me in a measure warnfngly.
AS to those eyes, l saw them
not. Until the end of the evening not
once did 1 find the opportunity to meet
| them, much less to scrutinize closely.
She had long lashes and a way of
peeping through them sideways, an
evasive trick of shifting and conceal
ing their expression. They were black
Jet black. 1 learned that much, but
nothing ore
But I made a discovery, an impor-
tant one, l learned not much later.
Purvois had pressed me to remain, in
timating business. 1t was when most
of the guests had departed that he
took my arm, nodded to Ransome, and
we three were soon %ensconced in .
little bijou of a boudoir, temporarily
in use as a smoking room. On top
Of the lighting of the cigars, n his
usual quick business way, Purvois
spoke to me promptly:
you know Ransome?"
VERY well, I am glad to say" / re-
sponded, and caught q grateful CLEAN
from the eye OF the young man In
question.
HE has told me his history" pro-
ceeded Purvois. Il do not care to re-
traverse it. but o Of all men, from
the same bank where he served, can
answer one question finally-he is
strictly honest, II unfortunate?"
"I think no one has ever doubted
that"
HE has applied to me for the cash
iership of my bank" went on Purvois
in a rush of words. II know he is un-
trained, or rather too quickly trained.
It is only a question of Elasticity as
to my suggestions, and-trustworthi-
ness. I am about to handle large
sums as trustee for a Russo-American
syndicate. They require heavy bonds.
and this young man must qualify for
a large surety"
ANY liability company would fur
nish it, / think" was my reply to
this.
What was working, and how far was
my candid opinion of the honesty of
young Ransome helping the plans of
Resilius Marvel? / asked myself as l
reached home that night. When 1 re-
ported to him the next day he did not
enlighten me any further than to OBJ
serve:
Very good. I see the light. and
the end"
THE end" did not seem to material
lie very rapidly. In fact, at the end
of the month l began to suspect that
somewhere in the skein of mysteries,
a strand had knotted, somehow. In the
meantime l had received a blank from
the Guaranty Indemnity company as
n of the references of Alison Ran
some, who desired, it was stated, to
obtain a $1,000 surety bond as cash
Ter for the banking house of Purvois
& Co. / had showed this to Marvel.
Answer it in the usual way" he
directed tersely.
1t was five weeks after this, one
evening, that Marvel flashed past me
on the street with two men whose
guarded way Of looking forward told
me they were in his company with a
purpose.
Tomorrow" he said, simply, in a
low tone.
Tomorrow II was-the crisis, though
not the final climax. Only a part of
my breakfast was complacent. The
rest OF it, after I had taken up a
morning paper. was ruffied and unsat-
isfactory.
In glazing headlines the print told
Of an enormous Notwithstanding
cashier of the banking house of Pur-
vols & Co. had disappeared two days
previous, carrying away with him
over 100000 in cash and securities.
No trace of him was suggested. The
past record OF young Ransome was
renewed. at some pains it seemed to
me. To the public the. incident
seemed a fitting climax to the career
of a young man who had left another
bank under suspicion of being in
volved in two inexplicable $4,000
losses"-so runs the world away.
Great JUNCTION in. behalf of the de-
pleted banker was exercised in stat
ing that no possible loss could accrue
to Purvois & Co., nor to their deposit
tors, as the missing cashier had been
bonded by the Guaranty Indemnity
company for an amount equal to the
amount of the defalcation.
/ had just reached my room that eve
ming, when a telephone call announced
my friend at the other end of the line.
Come at once to the Cafe Males
tic" he said.
He led me three squares away when
/ had Joined him. / noticed that we