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Page 23
"I seem to be uncovering more than I bargained for," he mused. "If the
man was innocent of all wrong-doing why didn't he turn those bills over
to the authorities? Were he alive we should certainly say he was
caught with the goods. If this comes out it will create as much of a
sensation as the murder itself."
Two hours went by and still the detective kept to his post. He was
used to waiting--had he not waited in the bitter cold six hours to
clear that poor Jew?--and he knew that sooner or later the man calling
himself Jack Watkins would reappear.
A light flared up in the library and then was turned lower. He crept
to the window and looked in as before. The strange man was at the
safe, working the combination knob backward and forward.
In spite of the seriousness of the situation, Adam Adams was forced to
smile. The man worked hurriedly and tried the combination a score of
times. He muttered something under his breath which may well be
omitted from these printed pages. He even got into a heavy
perspiration and had to pause to wipe his forehead with his
handkerchief.
"Hang the luck!" he went on. "I had it open before. What's got into
the confounded combination?"
Again he tried to work the figures. But it was all of no avail, and at
last he arose, fists clenched, and with a face full of baffled anger.
He stalked around the library, gazed at the strong box several times,
and then quit the apartment.
Waiting once more, the detective presently saw the man come from the
house and walk toward the road. Following, he saw the fellow hurry
past the Bardon home and then into a patch of timber. Here he had a
horse, and in a moment more would have been in the saddle had not Adam
Adams caught him by the arm.
"Hi! what's this, a hold-up?" cried the man, evidently frightened.
"Let go of me!" And he tried to pull away and then attempted to draw a
revolver from a hip pocket.
"Stop! I am not going to hurt you," was the calm reply from the
detective. "I want to talk to you, that's all."
"Really?" came with a sneer. "A fine time of night to hold a man up.
Be quick, for I am in a hurry."
"I want you to explain several things to me," went on Adam Adams calmly.
"Explain? To you?"
"That is what I said. You can take your choice. Either explain or
consider yourself under arrest."
"Eh? Say, are you crazy?"
"Not at all."
"An officer of the law, I suppose."
"I am--in a way."
"Working on this Langmore affair?"
"Yes."
"Have you been following me?"
"I've done more than that--I've been watching you."
"What! How long?"
"Quite a long while. I saw you in the library, twice, and down to the
brook."
The man started and was evidently much put out. Then he forced a smile
to his face.
"Much obliged for playing the spy," he murmured.
"Down at the brook you had a pair of Miss Langmore's shoes. What were
you doing with them?"
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