Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-06-21

last night
. 1T is not necessary to see"--the
suddenly confidential II know.
there-watching- eyes are always
watching"
Locke sat down leisurely in a
chair facing the other across the
table. He was rather curious about
this mysterious digging of last night,
little more than curious-but. also.
it was necessary to calm the old
maniac's growing excitement.
Il am quite sure of that. Mr..
Marlin" hef agreed heartily. I'VE
should be perfectly safe here.
especially as you say that you have
succeeded in making whoever vas
following you watch somewhere else.
That was very clever of you. Mr..
Marlin"
The old man put his fingers to his
lips. u
III tell you where it was, young
man." ne said. 1.-THE old hut in the
woods behind the house. They
tnink it's there. They think that's
where i hid the money. And they'll
Keep on looking the-e. 10 will take
them a long while. They will be
looking there tonight-and perhaps
tomorrow night, too. And then
they will begin to follow me again.
But it will be too late-too late for
many. many days. because the time
lock will be set-ha, ha-God sup
plies the time-lock, young man-you
Go not understand that-but can
you imagine any one opening a
time-locke that God has made"
I think" suggested Locke con-
a N oil
to show me something in that pack
age. Mr.. Marlin"
Yes" said the old mailman in
stantly. and as though quite
oolivious of any depression. THAT
is why you are here. Listen. You
will tell your father about it. I do
not ask others to do what 1 do not
do myself. Your father must do the
same. He must get all the great
capitalists of America to do likewise
it is the only thing that will save
the country from ruin and disaster.
Look" The old man ripped off the
cord and wrapper. and there tumbl-
Ell out upon the table, each held to-
sether with two or three elastic
bands, half dozen or more small
bundles of bank notes. See. See,
DO, you see, young man."
Locke with difficulty maintained
an impressive countenance. He had
expected something of the sort, but
1t seemed somehow incredible that a
sum so great as, Polly had named
should be represented by those few
little bundles scattered there on the
table in front of him. He picked one
Of them up and riffled the notes
thrt ugh his fingers. 1t contained
perhaps nun 3reG bills. each one of
the denomination of a thousand dol
lars-One hlIrGrod thousand dollars.
lie laid the bundle back OH the
table. Others were OF like denomi-
nation; others again Of five hundred,
1he tull amount was undoubtedly
there.
DO YOU know how much is
there" demanded the old Inadrnan
sharply.
Locke regarded the money
thoughtGully. To name the exact
an cunt off-han might aggravate
THE old maniac's already suspicious
flame of mind.
Il can see that there is very
large sum-" he answered cautiously.
"A large sum-" echoed the mad
man aggressively. And what do
you call a large sum, young man"
Wei, at a guess" said Locke
quietly. land basing it on that
package 1 have just examined, 1
should say in the neighborhood of
half million dollars"
Inc old maniac thrust his head
forward across the table, stared for
an instant, and then suddenly burst
into peal of wild. ironical laughter.
Half a Million" He rocked upon
his feet, his peals of laughter
M
There are five millions. ten millions.
fifty millions there" He SHOOK his
finger under Locke's nose. DO YOU
hear what6say, young man.
Again. by way of appeasing the
other he nodded his head.
listen" cried the old maniac
hercely. You must help me. Men
are blind. blind, blind! Europe is
crumblinS, nations are BANKRUPT
Chaos-chaos is everywhere. Every
thing else is decreasing in value.
only the American dollar climbs up
ana up and up. Sell, sal. sell while
lhere Is time. Commercial houses
are tottering, dividends are not be-
ing paid, the employment of labor
becomes less and less-the end Is
near. And fools cling to their bust
ness enterprises: and their capital
oAiu - oWdtIoWeu VI ana lost.
Lost: The man was working him
self into a frenzy. His voice rose 70
a shrek. Lost, Do YOU not see ,
DO you not understand? None
alone has any value. And the less
money there is left in the woyld
ana the more that il lost. tho
greater will be the value of what re
mains. 1t will multiply itself by the
thousand fold. Look. Look what is
on the table here. 1t will become
wealth beyond counting in ary
case. and If no one will believe me
theh the more 1T will be worth be-
cause there VIII be the less money
70 compete against il Millions,
Miiions! Hundreds Of millions,
But am not selfish. 90 net wish
20 see the ruin of the world. And
:cu--Nou! You will now be re-
sroaSlbie. They will not listen to
me because they say 1 ara mad--I.
who alone have the vision 70 sec
ana the courage to act. But your
father will listen to you ard he Will
believe you, and the great tinanciers
CT America VIII follow your father
and"
Subconsciously Locke was aware
that the old maniac was still talking.
the crazed words rising in shrieks
or passionate intensity-but ne was
no longer paying any attention to
the tother. He was staring again at
the glass tank, behind aud a little
to one side of the old madn.an. that
contained the seahorse The creature
was most strange! 1t was only a
small and diminutive thing, hut, un-
less he were the victira of
haiiucfna ton, 1t had taken on an
extraordinary appearance. It SEEM
ed to possess human eyes; 10 as
sumo almost the shape of a face
oniy there was a shadow across il.
The water rinnfod l;%B..,