Evening star., 1922-07-21
The Confidence King
BY Arthur B. Reeve.
One of>The Stars Week End Fiction Series.
Each story complete in three installments.

work wrenching off the lid of the box
with such leverage as the scanty fur
nishings of the room afforded.
/ AT last ii yielded, ana we looked in
lcurlously. expecting to find fabulous
| wealth in some form. 4 few hundred
| 1t was good haul" but where was
the vast spoil the counterfeiters had
accumulated? We had missed it. So
far we were completely baffled.
| Perhaps we had better snatch a
couple of hours sleep" was all that
Craig said, sitting his chagrin.
over and over in my mind 1 was
turning the problem of where they
had hidden the spoil. / dozed off
sun thinking about it, and thinking
! that even should they be captured
| they might have slowed away per-
. haps million dollars to which they
could go back after their sentences
| We're served.
1t was still early for New York when
Kennedy aroused me by talking over
the telephone in the room. In fact, !
doubt II ne had slept at all.
Burke was at the other end of the
wire. His man had just reported that
something had happened during the
night at Riverwood, but he couldn't
give very clear account. Craig
seemed to enjoy the joke immensely
as he told his story to Burke
The last words l heard Were: "All
right. Send man up here to the
station-one who knows all the de-
lscriptions of these people. I'm sure
they viii have to come into town to-
day. and they will have to come by
| train. for their car is wrecked. Bet
ter watch at the uptown stations,
also"
After a hasty breakfast we met
Burke's man and took our places at
! the exit from the train platforms.
I Evidently X had
that the counterfeiters would have
, to come into town for some reason
or other. The incoming passengers
were passing US in steady stream.
! for new station was then being
! built. and there was only a temporary
structure with one large exit
Here is where the portrait parle'
ought to come in if ever" commented
Kennedy as he watched eagerly.
| and yet neither man nor woman
passed us who fitted the description.
| Irain after train emptied it's humah N
| freight, yet the pale man with the
concave nose and the peculiar ear.
| accompanied perhaps by a lady, did
not pass us.
At last the incoming stream began
10 dwlndle down. 1t was long past
| the time when the counterfeiters
| should have arrived if they had start
ed on any reasonable train.
| Perhaps they have gone up to Mon
treal instead I ventured
Kennedy shook his head. No" he
answered Il have an idea that |
was mistaken about the money kept
at Riverwood. 1t would have been
too risky. | thought it out on the
way back this morning They prob
ably kept it in a safe deposit vault
here. / had figured that they would
| York after last nights events. We
have failed-thev have got bv US.
| Neither the portrait parle' nor the
ordinary photogra phv nor any other
system Will suffice alone against the
| arch criminal back of this, I'm afraid.
What l should have done was to
accept Rurkes offer-surround the
house with posse if necessary last
| night and catch the counterfeiters by
sheer force. 7 was too confident. /
| thought I could do ii with inesse.
and l have failed. I'd give anything
| to know what safe deposit vault they
kent the fake money in"
said nothing as we strolled away.
leaving Burke's man still to watch,
| hoplns against hope. Kennedy walk
/ ed disconsolateiy through the station
and | followed. In secluded part
! of the waiting room he sat down, his
race drawn up in a. scowl such as l
had never seen. Plainly he was dis
gusted with himself-with only him.
\ or any one else. Again the counter
| feiters had escaped from the hand of
! the law.
| AS he moved his fingers restlessly
/ in the pockets of his coat he absently
pulled out the little pieces of sponge
and the ether bottle. He regarded
| them without much interest.
L know what they were for" he
said, diving back into his pocket for
! the other things and bringing out the
sharp little knives in their case. 1
said nothing, for Kennedy was in a
deep study. At last he put the things
| back into his pocket. As he did
! so his hand encountered something
which he drew forth with a puzzled
air. 1t was the piece of paraffin.\
| Now. what do you suppose that
was for?" he asked, half to himself.
II had forgotten that. What was the
use of piece of parafiin? Phew,
smell the antiseptic worked into it,
Il don't know l replied. rather
| testify. IF you would tell me what
the other things were. for might en-
| tighten you. but"
"By George. Walter. what chump I
am" cried Kennedy. leaping to his
feet, all energy again. why did 1
forget that lump of paraffin? Why.
of course, 1 think I can guess what
| Why. man alive, he walked right past
US and We never knew it. Boy, boy"
he shouted to a newsboy who passed.
whats the latest sporting edition
| you have?"
Eagerly he almost tore a paper open
Racing at Lexington begins tomor-
row." he read. YES, I'll bet that's it.
We don't have to know the safe de-
posit vault after all. 1t would be
too late. anyhow. Quick. let US look
up the train to Lexington"
| = we hlIrred over to fhe ipforrno io,,
booth I gasped, in whirl: Now look
here. Kennedy, what's all this light
ming calculation? What possible con-
| nection is there between a lump OF
the country where they still race
| horseS?"
None" he replied. not stopping an
| instant" None. The paraffin sug-
gested to me the possible way in
which our man managed to elude us
mind at work again. Like flash it
occurred to me: Where would they
be most likely to go next to work Off
some of the bills? The banks are on,
the jewelry houses are on. the gam
nns tSsens Sns are Of on WHY Tia. t. the
Counterfeiters all use the book
makers; only since racing has been
killed in New York they have had to
resort to other means here. If New
York has suddenly become too hot
what more natural than to leave IL?
Here. let me see-there's train that
gets there early tomorrow, the best
train. too. Say. is No. 144 made up
yet?" he inquired at the desk.
No. IA will be ready in fifteen min
utes. Track s."
Kennedy thanked the man. turned
iabruptly and started for the. still
closed gate at track S.
BEG pardon why. hulloa its
Burke" he exclaimed as we ran plump
into man staring vacantly about.
1t was not the gentleman farmer OF