Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-18
THIS STARTS THE STORY

, JddufnDers. nc ottc"ptS ut"",v""
. ,obbcry from the person OF r'ch Mrs.
a., IN act il for her, and he escapes
,n;d niSfol shots Nth The detective in
n"reyif. The gem had been Knocked
.on, his hand and tdllcn 10 the
T1,owud, He is dtterwdrd engaged as
= p,crctnry to the itomdn nc attempted
to rob. n shreCd business iCOmdn Cuh
,cGi heart hidden undcr rough
Sr,crior. Hdddon, the larger who
oTercd tie $4,000 bribc, has charge Of
,Gs lcgai affairs u this womdn. Mrs.
Stetbgril. and IL is iniO this house
Tat Ponnio and Enid Camden enter
40 nyoicgcS of its mistress.
Euid ind Steele meet in the gar
5,n and the old eyes Of Rdchci
Strihrtl miss nothing.
H1ddon threatens iShe wih or
,osurc If he refuses to rob the county
gouk mhich holds Mrs. StcfhcrirS
money Ocernight.
AND HERE 1T CONTINUES
r,OR just a fraction of second Had
Il don hcsitated. That brief instant was
,oduent to Ashe.
no" answered Haddon. ''Shc hasn' t
suspected anything. She mustn't sus-
peCt.
II sec, Salu ASHe'
And now he was certain that he did
see. II was as plain as he could wish
that uaddon was lying about the
money. No matter how many millions
Mrs Stetheri might have, no matter
how much Hnddon was in her conf
dpncc. he had never taken II cent OF
her money without her knowledge. Nor
had any one else in the wide world.
Mrs. Stetherils money was handled by
none other than Mrs. Stethcril.
Il am pretty close to desperation.
,oid Haddon. And yet | haven't lost
nv head and I'm not going to lose it.
| am going TO take no chances what
ever. You are going to take them all.
You've been with me to the bank times
enough to know your way around. The
night watchman is joke to such as
you. You'll get the money before mid
night. At o'clock you'll bring me my
ten thousand here. Then you'll take n
horse and ride to the Junction. If you
ride like the devil you'll be there by
little after 4. At 4:l5 a train goes
through wcstbound. At > % there is
nm cnstbound train. Thcrc'll b.
freights At about . o'clock they II
find out that the bank has been robbed.
about the same time you will be
missed.
lie broke off, struggling his shOul-
dcrs. 1t went without saying that it
then became no business of Justin Had
donS.
Yes" mcditated Ashe. Il am tax.
ing all the chances. Suppose that |
shouldn't like the layout? That | should
say" and he grinned pleasantly, go
rob your own bank
"Thcn," came with crisp decision,
"you re fool! I've lost purse with
so in it. I've suspected you. I'll
see that the purse is found among your
belongings. I'll see that it becomes dis
covered that you are Robert AshC. I'll
see that Lieutenant Ambrose. of the
San Francisco police, is informed.
That won't get YOU your ten thou
sand. AShe reminded him.
"'rruc, replied liUddon quietly.
But | am really counting upon you
for that Since there is every reason
in tn" world why you should do as ! tell
you to.
And no reason why | shouldn't?'
muscd Ashc. lie sighed. 1T looks rs
though you were right. Haddon.
The telephone rang. Ashc took it up
and said pleasant Good morning
into it.
Mrs. Stcthcril." he explained. riS-
ing 1T cuts short our condolences.
She says to tell YOU she's declared war
against Bond and that she's going after
him Immediately. You and | are to 50
right down TO her.
"F'irst." said IIaddon sharply. -!
want to know what you are going to
do.
ION" said Ashr. about the
bank"
"Don't speak 50 loud :" commanded
llHddOn. "NrS.'
"Why. crack it, of course! Here's
hoping it proves to be worth the open
Ing.
lie ran down the stairs. slightly ahead
Of iladdou. Maybe. after all, he'd be
able to write, in Ends book, "From
Robert Ashc.
"l'm going after that fool Bond tooth
and toe nail. Mrs. Stcthrril announced
as they came into her office. II can't
waste lot Of time on little rat like
him, either. Steele, get me my bank
books. iladdon, is that brick build
ng Of Forster'S still Vacant"
Il believe =" began IIaddon.
'Shut up. Tclephond and find ont.
=. Steele brought the required books.
iiaddom trl"phoncd and announced:
$ vacant, Mrs. Stcth"riI." "
krnt It, She CMnmNudrd. Il want
1t for "A month, Take Il years lease if
lon can't get it any other way. Steele,
IsI Im "a" other telephone. Get Ed TrucS
"1.ri
,u,, W. gTl NM SnId steele m mo
"'"'' nat u ! 90 with hmf
GIVE him to me. That You. Truos
,IiaI"; Sh" demanded GROSSLY "Ncs,
III Nach"I StrIhrril. I'm getting ready
I" start bank in LoCkworth. ! want
your account. Eth: What's that? III
pay Won u nor cont IN ynur SuViUVS