The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-02-27
By James Knelland Shawvan


one shoe struck fiat piece of banana
peel, and went sliding irresistibly to-
ward wooden crate cover set over a
manhole in the sidewalk.
Bangl My feet met it, sending 1t
spinning halfway around on the I'M
fastened pivot and down shot through
the half-moon aperture.
Thumpi / landed ten feet down
amid utter darkness across an up
turned tub, knocking out its bottom,
and bringing hoops and slaves about
me in flying sections.
The shock was brief, my bruises tri-
vial. Then l congratulated myself.
If the under-sidewalk space into
which had been precipitated connect
ed with the main cellar of the struc-
ture abutting upon it l would hail my
misadventure as a stroke of genuine
good luck. That grim old time-shat-
tered three-story building had been
center of considerable interest TO me
during the past week. | had haunted
its vicinity persistently. 1t was to lit
tie purpose, however. Its rear was a
blank brick wall. It's sides were
guarded by heavy iron shutters. The
front had but one entrance, double
doorway, and beyond 1t was IA store
space shallow and narrow, more of
hall entrance than room, barred
closely nights, and in. the daytime,
seated behind bench hammering
away at various pieces of metal, was
a lOw-browed, keen-eyed man, evident
ly the guardian of the place.
1 was on a still hunt for a missing
friend, and had been for over month.
That was how l came to be interested
in what had vertically become to me
house of mystery.
Acton Meserve had been a fellow
worker and close friend for something
like two years. We were both of US
expert engravers and earned good
wages In the service Of a leading bank
note engraving concern. 1t was just
after he had married and was gone
on his honeymoon that trouble began.
You must know that the working
economy of a confidential and impor-
tant business such as we were engaged
in calls for strict integrity on the part
Of those employed. 1t was about
week after my friend Meserve had left
on his memorable vacation when dis
covery was made that some govern
ment paper, some denomination dies
and a kit of fine engraving tools were
missing from the vault. When q
search was made in the Office there
was found in Meserve's desk some of
the paper. The company awaited the
return of Meserve to charge him with
irregularities, possibly theft. But
neither he nor his wife returned to the
city at the end of two weeks, nor four,
nor six. In fact, although a detective
was employed to seek to gain a trace
of their whereabouts, Acton Meserve
and his wife had disappeared as effec-
tually as though the earth had swal-
lowed them up.
One day | was summoned to the pri-
vate Office of the president of the COM
pany. | knew that my close compan-
ionship with Meserve had aroused sus-
picion in the mind of the detective as
to a possible knowledge on my part as
to what had become of Meserve. The
disappearance of the well-guarded
property of the company pointed to
probable scheme to do some outside
plate work This surmise was empha-
sized by the strange absence of Me-
serve.
"We shall require your services no
longer, Mr.. Illsley," spoke my superior,
definitely and with sternness.
81 am sorry" l said simply. II will
not ask you the reason of this unwar-
rantable discharge, for l can guess.
You are wrong in attributing what you
imagine to as good q man as Acton
Meserve. l shall make it MY business
to prove 1t TO you soon."
II hope so," coldly remarked the Of
fetal, "and / further hope you will
take care of yourself"
There was significance, almost in
suit, in this last remark, and did not
resent It in words. | had made up my
mind that would find Acton Meserve
If IL took all l had saved up and a
year Of my life to accomplish it. There
was something wrong, not only at the
engraving plant, but as regarded Me-
serve.
There was dense mystery sur
rounding the abstraction Of the prop
erty of the company and the ineXplica-
BILE vanlshment of Meserve and his
wife. / started to solve the enigma,
firm in my faith in my tried and true
comrade.
found his relatives and friends anx-
ious and grleved over his absence.
None of them had seen or heard from
him since the day they had seen him
started on his wedding journey. /
went over his presumable honeymoon
trip, TO lose all trace of him utterly. /
returned to the city, more in the dark
than ever, gloomlly disappointed, al
most hopeless.
One day / struck clew, or fancied
| haC. Ii was when, for the first time
In many months, saw walking ahead
Of me on the street a man named
BARLEY Webb. This person had been
printer at the engraving plant who
had left work about a week before Me-
serve had started on his vacation. We
hard never liked him and had noticed
that he kept bad comjany-just now
worse than ever, for the two men with
him were as Misunderstanding fellows