The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-03-31
Nothing to
Chance
g. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service
By ). W. taft


| n HARLES PANkIN. vice president
- of the First National bank or
| Cotton, had just murdered Robert
Knowels, president of the First Ma
tional bank of Cotton. Rankin looked
down at the crumpled body and 81
lently he gloated He'd removed the
Last obstacle to his success Tomorrow
when the death of Knowels would be
learned, he, Charles Rankin, would
be elected to take the place of the
| dead president And no one would
ever guess that his rise from cashier
to president in but few years had not
been the workings of lucky fate.
Only he knew that everything had
been accomplished by cold. deliberate
planning.
| When George Curtis, former vice
| president of the bank. had been dis
covered in hotel room in COM
promising situation which had re-
suited In his disgrace and finally in
his forced resignation. it had not been
an accident Not At all. He, Rankin,
then cashier, mad seen to that And
when I'm elected president tOmor-
row." he visiOned, mo one will ever
learn that everything didn't happen
through the mere whimsy of chance"
And now with success In his grasp he
was not going to slip.
He glanced at the clock on the man.
| tel Knowels' servant would be back
In thirty minutes. He must work quick
ly. He knelt beside the dead body and
rified the pockets. Money and papers
were taken from the dead mans pock-
cts and dropped in the fire Pickering
| in the fireplace. Then he dropped the
| iron cudgel into the flames. Blackened
and charred it would tell nothing. FL
nally. satisfied that his plan for max
| ing robbery seem the motive of the
crime was completed, he left the fire.
He began to walk to each piece of
| furniture in the room. Anything which
he might have touched by accident
was scrutinized carefully and closely.
The most perfect crimes have been
spoiled by fingerprints and he was
| taking no chances. He walked to the
table in the center of the room at
which Knowels had been sitting when
he came in. He peered at it closely.
Not mark was on it At last, salts
fed that on nothing In the room had
| he left any evidence which might inn
| plicate him. Rankin began to search
himself. Too many murderers have
been caught by the accidental drop
ping of some memento at the scene
| of their crime and he was playing It
| safe. He searched himself carefully.
| When his fingers went into the right
| side pocket of his overcoat and pulled
out but one glove he felt chill start
over him. He steadied himself and
turned the pocket inside out. No glove.
A premonition Of danger. momentary
loss of confidence swept over him.
AS he stood there, a sound stabbed
him. Like a statue of stone, set and
cold. he stood. listening intently. Then
| he remembered and looked at the
clock 1t had struck the quarter hour.
| He started. Only fifteen minutes left.
His breath was coming In quick, short
gasps. 1.-The glove" he muttered. "the
| glove" He must find it. Or he'd be
ruined. He retraced his steps, very
thoroughly 1t was useless. He could
the clock. Twelve minutes left. 1t
throbbed in his mind. Twelve min
utes twelve minutes :" For a
moment a wild terror swept him. He
shook it off. He must keep cool He
must. The glove was IL the room. He
was certain of It. He'd find it. OF
course he'd find 1t. He must find 1t. He
threw straining, searching glance
around the room. He saw the body on
the floor. 1t was the only place he
had not looked. In desperation he went
to the dead body and turned it over
The glove was lying here. He grabbed
it. Shivering from the contact with
the murdered man. he stood up. A
long sigh of a body relieved came from
him. He was beginning to feel better.
His confidence In himself was return
ing. Hurriedly he turned the glove
over In his hand. Good. No blood on
1t. He showed II in his pocket. From
the relaxed tension a nervous sweat
drenched him.
How dry his mouth was. How weak
his body felt He snatched the wine
glass from the table and In one quick
gulp, he drained 1t. All, that was bet
ter. He hurled the glass into the fire.
place and heard the tinkle as Il broke.
No glass with finger prints on It was
going to be found.
He looked at the clock. Eight min
utes left One final moment he let his
glance rove and loiter on everything
In the room. and then sure of his
safety ne started 20 leave.
Suddenly a great vice-Iike pain
seemed to be cracking his heart His
feet buckled under him. He staggered.
He tottered TO the table and braced
himself. In his struggle for breath,
he shook the table and the book on
IL fell off He saw there a sheet of
paper and 1t had writing on 1t. II
seemed to be hooking him. With
great effort he Strengthened up and
regained bit of control over himself.
He picked up the paper. With fast
dimming eyes he read:
To the First National Bank of Cotton.
Gentlemen:
This is my resignation. For the last
year have been gambling in the stock
market and losing. ] have lost not
only my money but also the banks.
in a few days the auditors will find IL
out. Rather than bear the disgrace, !
am drinking poison In my wine tonight
I would suggest as president of the
bank the election of Mr.. Charles RAN
kin. He Is a fine man. has much abfl-
| ity. and is too shrewd To take chances.