Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 October 1890 — CHAPTER VIII. [ARTICLE]

CHAPTER VIII.

ON THE TRAIL. When the trio of guilty and desperate men, the triangle of crime, we may say, departed from the Clark street house, leaving behind them, as they supposed, the dead body of Cole Winters, they proceeded northward towards the business section of the city. In a few minutes they entered a room on the second floor of a building, upon the door of which was the legend; ; Max Morris, • ; Private Banker, : ; Money to Loan. : “Now for tbs bonds,” said the proprie- > tor of the piaee, as he proceeded T» light |

the em« in r second and smaller room, h which stood two large safes. “Yes," added Bloom. “Let’s oast ou eyes over the plunder." “How soon can yon turn them infc cash?” asked Sears, as he drew the envelope from his pocket. “To-morrow." “Will there be any danger?" “Not the way I’ll work it. Large quan tities of these bonds are daily sold here My position and well-known respectability will prevent the slightest suspicion. I’ll have the money ready by noon to morrow.” “Good! There they are.” “Shall I examine them?” “It isn’t necessary.” “I want it done,” put in Bloom. “But we’re in a hurry. Lock ’em up in your strongest safe, Max, and we ll be off.” “I want to see ’em coanted," said the burglar, doggedly. Without more ado the banker removed the rubber band and opened the envelope. “Here we are,” said he, gayly, as he drew forth the contents. As tne reader knows, this consisted only of worthless printed papers. “Confusion!" cried Morris, while Sears made use of a mnch stronger word. As for Bloom, he said nothing. He looked from the banker to the young man, and then spraug forward and caught the latter by the throat. “Help!” wheezed the victim, as he was borne backward upon a sofa. Max Morris at once flew to his assistance, but the stiength of the two availed nothing as against burglar. “What do yon mean/” demanded the banker. “Let him go!” “I mean,” answered the enraged man, as be released Sears and rose to his feet, “that I don’t piopose to be cheated out of the honest fruit of my labor in no such way as that! I want my share, and I’ll have it, or have his life, and yours, too Max Morris, if you’re in the scheme.” “It’s no scheme,” said Sears, who was on his feet now. “I’ve been robbed." “Staff!” sneered the burglar. “Look here, Mart, we’ve been in many deals together. Didn’t I always tote fair?”

”So far as I know, yes." “Would I be fool enough to try suoh a game on you?” “Hardly,” admitted Bloom, though the scowl did not lift fiom his face. “I have it!” cried Morris. “What?” chorused the others. “We’ve noted like children. That Cole Winters is just four times as smart as we thought him.” “What is it? Do speakl” urged thd young mau, eag3rly. “You put one §5,000 bond in his pocket?” “Yes, yes." “He wasn’t satisfied with that.“ “I don’t understand ” “So he appropriated the other fifty, nine.” “ V\ hew!” “And substituted a lot of advertisements he picked up at the Exposition last night." “That’s it!” assented Sears. “And the bonds?” asked Bloom. “Are down in that cellar in one of tht deid man’s pocketß.” No one made a suggestion, but al acted ou the one common impulse. In c moment the three had quitted the office the proprietor locking the door after him At the fastest gait possible they hurried down Clark street. They found th< coast clear, nnd were soon peering dowi into the cellar, whose inky darkness hie from the eyes of the world a dark anc hideous crime. After a little they could discern the form of their victim. “Have you a ladder?” asked Morris eagerly. “There’s one in front,’’ replied Sears. “Wait a moment.” “Our good luck hasn’t deserted us,” said the latter, who was the first to descend. Have you found them?” demanded Bloom from the ladder. “No, I haven’t looked yet. But I’ve found something else.” “What’s that?” “He’s no more dead than you are.” “And his discovery here would have convicted and hung the last one of us,’ commented the banker, with a shudder. “But we’re iu time to complete the work. ’ “The bonds first,” urged the burly burglnr. This was an unnecessary suggestion. forAlmon Sears was already in the act of ransacking the pockets of the unconscious young man. “Here’s a rum go,” declared Morris, when Cole had been searched and not a vestige of the missing fortune discovered. “What do you say, Al?” “That he found them beforeour arrival, and hid them elsewhere. ’’ “I never thought of that. Let’s search for them at once.” “Not now; it’s too riskv.” “What then?” “We’ll take the young fellow away, bring him to, nnd make him locate the plunder. I’ll find a way to force it out of him.”

“Good!” cried the others, assentingly. Martin Bloom raised the form of oin hero in his powerful arms and bore him up the rude ladder as easily, to all appearances, as if be had been a child. This accomplished, the ladder was drawn up and the trap-door closed down. Sears began a search for the bonds, which he believed to be secreted somewhere in the long room, but abandoned it when the “cracksman” returned and announced that he had secured a hack, and that it was waiting outside. Bloom removed his overcoat, which be wrapped about Cole; then he raised him in his arms and followed his confederates into the street. It was beginning to rain now, and few people were in view. Anyhow, tbe taking away of a sick man, as our hero appeared to be, was neither a strange nor unusual proceeding, and attracted little attention. “Drive fast,” said .Sears, who was the last of the pnrty to enter the carriage. “Safe!” whispered the banker, as with a sigh of relief he sank back upon the cushioned seat. But he could not have been furthei from the truth. At that moment himself and guilty companions were anything but safe. From the doorway of tbe next building, which Detective Hyland was in the act oi leaving, the entire transaction bad been observable. “Three accomplices!” muttered he,“and one of them Almon Sears! I haven't lost the trail yet! Here goes!” As the driver cracked his whip and drove rapidly away the plucky detective sprang forwnrd and secured a place upon the rear axle of the large vehicle. [TO BE CONTINUED.J