Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1933-06-15
v

CHAPTER "
p
The town of MARYLAND spread fan.
wise from the foot of the hill on which
stand the buildings OF the university.
Oak street, some three miles from the
University. Is the chief shopping cen
ter OF Narland- Archer street carries
the traffic load. 1t runs east and west.
At the four corners which mark the
intersection of Oak and Archer there
are two gas filling stations and two
drug stores The latter, however,
open on Oak street, and next to one OF
them. door from the corner, facing
Archer street and west OF Oak, Is the
snug little gray stone home Of the
Narland National bank.
The Marland National bears an en-
viable reputation. 1t Is small but
stannch. and IN Its roster OF directors
mi will find names which carry great
weight even In the city of a quarter
million which exists twenty miles
away. 1t is spoken OF boastfully by
natives OF Marland, and Randolph
Fiske. Its president, Is a real power In
the community.
This morning-the morning OF May
third-Randolph Fiske sat at his desk
In the office which was marked "presi-
dent-priyate-r He was a tall, WELL
proportioned man, ffty-eight years OF
age, whose hair matched the gray OF
his bank building. He had a fine,
broad forehead and iron-gray brows
from beneath which q pair OF keen
eyes peered In a manner which gave
an impression OF unimpeachable eff
cheney.
He was gazing attentively at a tiny
bit Of pasteboard. There was printing
on fts surface-printing, not emboss-
ing. Tt said simply.
James n. Harvey
Bankers Protective Assn.
Mr. Fishes eye roved to a yellow
telegram which had arrived two days
previously from New York. 1t was
from headquarters of the Bankers
Protective association and was very
explicit.
"Our best operative arrives Mar
land morning May Third"
Mr. Fiske heaved a sigh of relief as
he prepared to shift a very great bur-
den to the shoulders OF another man
n professionally equipped to bear
such burdens. He looked up at Miss
Seward
4SheW Mr.. Harvey In, please,
Miss Seward put out a bony hand
which trembled In protest.
Surely, Mr.. Fiske-not that mani
The-the terrible person who gave me
that card"
Ffske frowned.
II don't understand. Miss Seward.
This man Is a great detective"
There's a mistake, Mr.. Fiske. This
person couldn't detect anything. I'm
very sure OF that Just wait until you
see him."
She vanished In triumph, and RAN
dolph Fiske stared after her. What
In the world. . . 7" Then he smiled.
At least she had prepared him for a
somewhat uncouth person. Probably
4 squat gentleman with a brown der
by. square-toed shoes, a checkered vest
and a dimes worth of chewing tobacco.
Queer how these detective chaps al
ways dressed so that there was no
mistakfng their profession. Randolph
Fiske saw the door swing open. Then
1t closed and Mr.. Fiske was rendered
~inarticulate.
Jim Harvey was everything In the
world which one is quite sure a de-
tecfive should not be. His two hun
dred and sixty pounds OF avoirdupois
was distributed with heavily inartistic
effect /. 1t wabbled when he moved
and he seemed to move with vast
reluctance.
But 1t was the head which rose
above triple chins that filled Randolph
Ffske with awe. The face was huge
and round and utterly expressionless.
Randolph Ffske was quite sure that
never before In his life had he seen
I human conference SO utterly devoid
OF intelligence. 1t was-yes, By
George lit was the eyesl Round
little eyes which were as vacant and
colorless Al the orbs Of a fish.
The mass Of flesh stood In the door
way. F1ske knew he was breathing:
he could tell that by the fact that 4
rather remarkable ~contraption which
appeared In the neighborhood OF Jim
Hanvey's p~rodigious tummy kept NOV
Ing rhythmically. Randolph Fiske
kept his eyes fascinatedly on that par
ticnlar apparatus. 1t hung from !
hawserlike walch chain and was sim
Mar to nothing which the banker had
sver before ret eyes upon 1t was long
and slim and seemed to BE- made Of
sid
na, vftAo1 warning. ths ElAncs