The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-03

l
banknotes." continued Tredways "He
had two occomplices. One OF them was
man named Peterson. Peterson
died not SO long ago, The other, the
third man. and the sharpest Of the lot,
| escaped by the skin of his teeth and
got out OF the country. 7 never knew
what Became of him. The Criminal
Investigation Department never knew.
This morning found OUT
| I burst out: ST cannot see eye to eye
with you in this. Tredways. Pendrill
had made a fortune In America by
legitimate investment and had returned
to enjoy it. Is It likely that he would
be SO mad as to try to get into touch
with two dangerous confederates OF the
past?'
PROFOUNDLY unlikely if he kneto that
he had been associated with them"
| I stared What on earth do you
mean7"
Tredways chuclsled hilarious1y. ''You
| might have asked, also, if it was likely
that Pendrin would have returned at
| all, knowing he had been wanted in
England by the police. But he didn't
know 1t any more than he knew for
certain about his pals. Shall tell yot.
the startling truth? Well. 1t is my
conviction that some time after his
| flight to the States he was so unfor-
tunate-or perhaps fortunate-as to
suffer complete lapse of memory It
was either through an accident, a
severe physical mishap, or more prob
ably through that terrible fever which
his adopted daughter spoke about Re-
call the fact of his absolute silence as
to his past"
"Ail. but he would have been silent
in any case"
Excellent. No doubt he would And
yet I think he would have let some
detail slip from him during the years
when he was caring for Lucy. Remem-
Der the strange answer he made, when
he was asked If he was an Englishman;
an answer given apparently in so queer
| a tone Of voice that 1t was deeply i'm
pressed on the hearers mind. But that
is not all. Directly something Of his
past was at last restored to him he
was momentarily overwhelmed with
emotion, as well he might bel He was
seized with a vehement. with a deadly
desire to prove the forbidding truth!
He sent his daughter to those addresses
with inquiry as to whether his con-
federates had lived there: whether they
had existed at all. He dared not go
himself. When she was gone he tried
to persuade himself his memory was
still playing him false. So he set about
endeavoring to initiate the handwriting
on the letters he had received that
morning. II he had been a forger he
must have had great skill in imitation
Of that kind
"But he made bad copies,"I protested.
.Of course he did. Years had passed.
He had got out Of practice. And then
the agitation under which he labored
was fatal to the test"
But why should his memory have
suddenly returned?"
Because someone had found him who
wanted to make it return. Peterson
being dead, that someone must have
been Goidsack. GoldsacS had spotted
him by chance or otherwise. Goldsack
had found that Pendri1l was not as he
used to be. He determined--no doubt
for purposes of b1acknaiI-to bring
back the past to his fortunate and
wealthy confederate. So he sent him
that line which ran: Pardon delay.
Your note of the 10th mislaid. Why
not try the Office at Southampton
This was code. saw through it at
once. I am used to reading such
riddles. The word delay means dam
ger, police interference. For note
read 'banknote' For 10th read ten
pounds. For try office at Southampton
read, try the boat sailing from South
| ampton'. It all meant when the message
was first sent to Pendrin by his pals
years ago, that the game was up. that
a iuckfess ten-pound forged note had
done them in.' Pendrill doubtless got
that message in time and vanished
from England. Years after, he returned
as we have seen. A shock was needed
to bring back something, at any rate,
Of his memory. Go1dsack had the shock
| in his locker, all right. He despatched
once more the very warning which had
made his confederate bolt like creased
lightning back in those shady years.
It was sufficient to rouse Pendrill's
acknowledgements faculty. Goldsack,
keenly on the watch, noting every
movement of his victim whom he menat
to bleed. saw that his trick had
worked. That brings US To-
ITO where?" insisted, bubbling now
with excitement and enthusiasm.
ITO The History of the Aborigines'.
Here we are, by George. Out with you,
Franciet"
{ 'Will you come upstairs, gentlemen? ?"
r cried the bookseller, who had made his
appearance at the back of the shop.
ITO the back room you spoke about"
said Tredways we climbed the mar
row, creaking flight. This is It? And
/ |. the ten volumes of the Peruvian work %
l Are there, sir" answered the owner;
and he pointed to the old leather bound
books with their ribbed backs which
contained just a trace Of gold lettering.
, They were on level with our heads.
IA chair, please" asked Tredways.
placed one for him, which he
mounted, and he began to remove the
} volumes, L taking each one from his
hands. I do not think I was ever so
keenly curious In my life The removal
!, OF the big tones had made consider
} able gap upon the shelf, revealing the
: wall behind it, Upon this wall Tired
: ways CROPPED with the outstretched
: palms of his hands Presently he
grunted-