Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1925-08-07

faxed, purporting to record the busl-
ness transactions Of Mr.. William At
kinson.
In the big room at the end the pro
cedure was even simpler. The count
merely passed through the safe door
and vanished through his private bolt
hole, leaving everything in darkness.
And should inconvenient visitors ask
inconvenient Questions-well, 1t was
Mr.. Atkinson's private office, and
very nice office too, though at the mo-
ment he was away.
Thus the procedure-simple and
sound; but on this occasion something
seemed to have gone wrong. Instead
Of the Industrious silence Of clerks
working overtime on affairs Of finan-
cial import, a perfect babel Of voices
became audible in the passage. And
then there came an agitated knocking
on the door.
"Who Is it" cried the count sharp
ly 1t may be mentioned that even
the most influential members of his
staff knew better than to come into
the room without previously obtaining
permission.
"It's me, sir-Cohen," came an agi-
tated voice from outside
For a moment the count paused
the safe door silently. With an i'm
perious hand he waved Latter to a
chair, and resumed his former posi-
tion at the desk.
Come in," he snapped.
1t was a strange and unwholesome
object that obeyed the order, and the
count sat back in his chair.
"What the devil have you been do
ing2"
A pair of rich blue-black eyes, and
a nose from which traces of blood
still trickled had not improved the
general appearance Of the assistant
downstairs. In one hand he carried
a pair of hobnail boots, in the other q
piece Of paper, and he brandished
them alternately while q flood of In
coherent frenzy burst from his lips.
For a minute or two the count lis
tened, until his first look Of surprise
gave way to one Of black anger
Am I to understand, you wretched
little worm," he snarled, that you
gave the urgency danger signal. net
once but half dozen times, merely
because man hit you over the nose"
"But he knocked me silly sir"
quavered the other. And when l came
to, and saw the boots lying beside me
and the till opened, kind Of lost my
head. l didn't know what had hap
pened, strand l thought I'd better
ring the bell-in case of trouble"
He retreated step or two toward
the door terrified out Of his wits by
| the look of diabolical fury in the
hunchback's eyes. Three or four
clerks, who had been surreptitiously
peeping through the open door, melted
rapidly away, while from his chair
Mr.. Latter watched the scene fasci-
mated. He was reminded of a bird
and snake, and suddenly he gave
a little shudder as he realized that his
| own position was in reality much the
same as that Of the unfortunate
| Cohen.
And then just as the tension was
| becoming unbearable there came the
interruption. Outside In the passage,
clear and distinct, there sounded twice
the hoot Of an owl. To Mr.. Latter
1t meant nothing; to the frightened
/ little Jew 1t meant nothing; but on
the count the effect was electrical.
With a Quickness Incredible in one
SO deformed he was at the door, and
into the passage, hurting Cohen out
Of his way into corner. His power
full fists were clenched by his side :
the veins in his neck were standing
out like whipcord. But to Mr. Lat
ter's surprise he made no movement,
and rising from his chair he too peered
round the door along the passage,
only to stagger back after a second
or two with a feeling of sick fear
in his soul, and a sudden dryness in
the throat. For twenty yards away
framed in the doorway at the head
Of the stairs leading down to the office
below, he had seen a huge, motiOnless
figure. For a perceptible time he had
stared at 1t, and it had seemed tC
stare at him. Then the door had
shut and on the other side a key
had turned. And the figure had beer
draped from head to foot in black.
Charles Latter was immoral rather
than immoral: he was a constitutional
coward with a strong liking for I'm
derhand intrigue, and he was utterly
and entirely selfish In his way hi
was ambitious; he wanted power, but
though in many respects he was dis
tinctly able, he lacked that essentia
factor-the ability to work for it. HI
hated work: he wanted easy results
And to obtain lasting results is no
easy, as Mr.. Latter gradually discOv
cred. A capability for making flash.
speeches covered with q veneer O
cleverness Is an undoubted asset, bu
1t Ia an asset the value Of whicl
has been gauged to a nicely by tn
men who count. And so as time wen
on, and the epOchmaking day whel