The Argosy, January 1906 — page 116: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

298 mands it. She has made a fool of her- self, and now she should be made to obey.” His tone was so fierce that Adrian looked at him, amazed. “Pm afraid yowd make a_ pretty brutal sort of a husband, Perriam,” he remarked quietly. “ Brutal! P’m not brutal. But I’m sore to think what a fool Rosa has made of herself over that fellow. Promise me your daughter’s hand, Mr. Adrian, and I will work night and day to find her.” “Why not leave it to her—when she comes back?” said the old man. “ Leave it to her! No, that will not do. She doesn’t like me, Mr. Adrian. I candidly admit it. I may have my faults, but I claim to be a thousand times better man than that scoundrel she has fallen in love with. Mr. Adrian, I promise you I will make her a good and faithful husband. She is too young and inexperienced to choose for herself or to know her real friends. Promise me that you will use your in- fluence.” “All right, Perriam, Ill promise,” said Adrian. Bring her back safe to me, and she shall marry you, even if it’s against her will. Now go and find her—find her and that ruffian. I sha’n’t get a wink of sleep until she comes back to me and that scoundrel is placed behind bars.” With a jubilant smile upon his face, Perriam went down-town to find Con- naughton, the detective sergeant. “Hello, Perriam!” was the police- man’s greeting. “ve got something here to interest you.” “What is it?” asked the reporter eagerly. “What do you think of this? ”—and he handed the reporter an envelope con- taining a money order and a penciled note. “From Ladd to Meyer!” gasped Per- riam in surprise. “ When did this ar- rive?” “This morning. It was in the dead man’s letter box when I reached his office to-day. I took the liberty of opening it, thinking it might be a clue of some sort. You observe that the note says the enclosed money order is pay- *“Here’s my hand on it. » THE ARGOSY. ment in full for the ring, and asks for a receipt. Now, what does it all mean, do you think? Why should this fellow send four hundred and seventy dollars to a man he knew to be dead?” “'That’s easily explained,” said Per- riam quickly. “It’s nothing but a clever bluff. This chap Ladd is a crafty fel- low, from what I know of him. He hit upon this scheme, I guess, as a good piece of evidence for the defense in case he’s caught and brought to trial.” “A good piece of evidence? do you mean?” - “Why, think how strong it would go with the jury if his lawyer could prove by this means that Ladd was in utter ignorance of his alleged victim’s death hours after it occurred.” “'That’s plausible, Perriam. But why did he waste four hundred and sey- enty dollars on such a bluff as that? He could have written the dead man a let- ter of some sort without enclosing any money, and it would have worked just as well.” “No, it wouldn’t. A mere letter would look like a bluff, while the en- closing of a money order for such a big sum would be more likely to con- vince the jury of the genuineness of the argument. Oh, he’s a clever one, is this fellow Ladd. Don’t you think my the- ory is right, Connaughton?” “ Probably it is. The only other the- ory that I can advance is that while Ladd knew he had injured Meyer, he did not know he had actually killed him, and thought that perhaps the send- ing of the money might induce the jeweler to drop prosecution for the as- sault.” “That’s searcely likely. When a man drives his sword cane through an- other man’s heart, he doesn’t expect to find that man at. his desk the next day, writing out receipts for money orders, does he?” asked Perriam scornfully. “No. I reckon you are right,” ad- mitted the detective. “ Well, what do you know? Anything?” “Yes. DPve got a piece of important information for you. Here’s a tele- gram from the girl who ran off with Ladd. It’s addressed to her father. Take a look at it and see what you can learn from it.” What comicbook (e(e) m :