The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1933-03-30
Nothing to
Chance
By ]. W. taft
a by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
WNu Service

Robert Kn0wels. president OF the
First National bank of Cotton. Ran
kin looked down ar the crumpleo
body and silently ne 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 ,presi
dent And no one would ever guess
that his rise from cashier to presi
dent in but a few years had moi
been the workings OF q lucky fate
Only he knew that everything had
been accomplished by cold. DELHI
crate planning.
When George Curtis. former vice
president of the bank had been dis
covered In a hotel room n q com
promising situation which had re-
suited I'm his disgrace and finally in
his forced resignation, IL had moi
been an accident Not at all. He
Rankin, then cashier. had seen to
that, "And when I'm elected presi.
dent. tomorrow" he visioned, INC
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 60.
ing to slip. =. ..,. ~
He glanced at 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 ken from
the dead mans pockets and dropped
In the fire pickering In the fireplace
Then he dropped the iron cudgel
into the DANES. Blackened and
charred, il would tell nothing. Ri.
nally satisfied tina. his plan fol-
making 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 &C.
cident was scrutinized carefully and
closely. AT last. satisfied that
on nothing In the room had he left
any evidence which might duplicate
him, Rankin began to search him.
self. Too many murderers have
been caught by the accidental drop.
ping of some memento al the scene
of their crime and he was playing
IL safe. He searched himself care
fully. When his fingers went into
the right side pocket Of his over.
coat and pulled ont but one glove.
he felt 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.
Iy. 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 it. Or he'd be ruined.
he retraced his steps. very thor
ougbly. II was useless. He coulo
not find the glove His eyes turned
on the clock Twelve minutes left.
For a moment a wild terror swept
him. He shook IL of. He must
keep cool. He must The glove was
I'm the room. He was certain Of Il
He'd find IL. He must find It. He
threw a straining. searching glance
around the room. he saw fine body
ON the floor. II was the only place
he had not looked In desperation
he went TO the dead body and
turned II over The glove was II,
ing there. He grabbed IT,. SILVER
ing from the contact with fhe muir
dered man he stood up. 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. No
blood on IL.
How dry his mouth was How
weak his body felt. He snatched
the wine glass from the rable and
In one quick gulp. he drained II
All THAT was better. He hurled the
glass into the fireplace and heard
the tingle as IL broke. No glass
with finger prints on Il was going
70 he found
He looked at the clock Eight
minutes left One final moment he
let his glance rove and initer on
everything In the room. and then
sure IF his safety. he started &c
leave.
Suddenly great vice like pain
seemed 10 he cracking his heart
His feet huckled under him. He
staggered He tattared To the table
and hraced himself In his struggle
for breath he shook the table and
the hook on II fell of He saw
there a sheet of paper and n had
writing on II 10 seemed 10 he mock
ing him. With great effort he
straightined M and regained hit
NJ control over himself He picked
M the paper. With fast dimmlne