The Coolidge examiner., 1933-03-31
Nothing to
Chance
BY J. w. taft
@ by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
WNU Service

I II
- dent of the First National
bank OF Cotton had just murdered
Robert knowels. president of the
First National bank of Cotton. Ran.
kin looked down at the crumpIed
body and silently he gloated. He'd
removed the tast 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 presi-
dent And no one would ever guess
that his rise from cashier TO presi
dent in but a few years had not
been the workings OF lucky fate.
Only he knew that everything had
been accomplished by cold. delib.
eraie planning.
When George Curtis. former vice
president of the bank had been dis
covered 10 hotel room n com
promising situation which had re-
suited In his disgrace and tiLally in
his forced resignation. it had not
been an accident Not at all. He.
Rankin. then cashier. had seen TO
that. And when I'm elected presi-
dent. tomorrow" he visioned, mo
one will ever learn that everything
didn't happen through the mere
whimsey of chance" And now with
success in his grasp he was not go
ing TO slip.
He glanced al the clock on the
mantel Knowels' servant would be
back In thirty minutes. He must
work quickly. He knelt beside the
dead body and rifled the pockets.
Money and papers were I ken from
the dead mans pockets and dropped
In the fire flickering in the fireplace.
Then he dropped the iron cudgel
into the danes. Blackened and
charred, 1t would tell nothing. Fl.
nally. satisfied that his plan for
making robbery seem the motive of
the crime was completed. he left
the fire.
lie began to walk to each piece
of furniture In the room. Anything
which he might have touched by ac-
cident was scrutinized carefully and
closely. At last, satisfied that
on nothing in the room had he left
any evidence which might implicate
him, Rankin began to search him
self. Too many murderers have
been caught by the accidental drop
ping OF some memento at the scene
of their crime and he was playing
II safe. He searched himself care
fully. When his fingers went into
the right side pocket OF his over
coat and pulled out but one glove.
he felt a chill start over him. He
steadied himself and turned the
pocket inside out No glove.
AS he stood there. sound stabbed
him. Like a statue of stone. set
and cold. he stood. listening intent
ly. Then he remembered and looked
at the clock. Ii had struck the
quarter hour. He started. Only
fifteen minutes left. His breath was
coming in quick, short gasps. The
glove" he muttered, "the glove.
He must find IL. Or he'd be ruined.
He retraced his steps, very thor.
oughly. Ii was useless. He could
not find the glove. His eyes turned
on the clock Twelve minutes left.
For a moment wild terror swept
him. He shook II of. He must
keep cool. He must. The glove was
in the room. He was certain of II
He'd find IL. He must find IL. He
threw straining. searching glance
around the room. he saw the body
ON the floor. II was the only place
he had not looked. In desperation
he went to the dead body and
turned IL over. The glove was Iy
ing there. He grabbed 1t. Shlver
ing from the contact with the mur
dered man he stood mp. A long
sigh of body relieved came from
him. He was beginning to feel bet
ter. His confidence in himself was
returning. Hurriedly he turned the
glove over in his hand. Good. Ne
blood on it.
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 II
All. that was better. He hurled the
glass into the fireplace and heard
rhe tingle as IL broke. No glass
with finger prints on II was going
to he found.
He looked at the clock. Eight
minutes left. One final moment he
LET his glance rove and loiter on
everything In fhe room. and then
sure of his safety. he started to
leave.
Suddenly a great vice-like 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 II fell off. He saw
there sheet of paper and II had
writing on It. II seemed to he mock
ing him. With great effort he
Strengthened up and rpgained bit
of ooptroI ovor himself He nickpd