Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

LISTENING EYES. some business secret of his they were trying to pry into. I knew that accountants were often entrusted’ with important secrets by their clients which men of the caliber of Wrigley and Gilder might be able to turn into money if they could get hold of them. I decided that no time was to be lost in putting Ethan on his guard. “ When I arrived in his office I found him in conference with one of his clients— a Mr. Moncricf. They were both greatly interested in my story, and I could see that they were more upset than they were willing to admit at first. Ethan began by trying to make me think that he was in- clined to regard the incident as a joke, but when I told him that it was my intention to write up my adventure and publish the facts about that queer help-wanted adver- tisement in the Mercury, he changed his tone. “Both he and Mr. Moncrief became very grave at that, and insisted that the story must not be printed. In fact, they were unwilling even to let me go back to the Afercury office and tell Mr. Bailey and you what I had discovered.” “ That was why you wrote out your res- ignation and sent it to Bailey through the mail,” Hemment suggested. Cecilie nodded. ‘‘ It was the only way out of my predicament. I had either to report on my assignment or quit the paper. And when Ethan had explained to me just what it would mean to him if anything were published at this time about the mat- ter, | did not hesitate to choose the latter course.’ “ Ah!” the newspaperman ejaculated. “That brings us to the big question. Just what did he tell you?”’ The girl faltered, and he caught the shadow that momentarily flitted across her face. ‘I know that you are an honorable man, Mr. Hemment,” she said, ‘' but J hope you will forgive me for reminding you that the secret I am about to divulge is told to you in the strictest confidence. We—it would ruin my husband if it were to become known.” She paused. “ Ethan ‘has been in jail.’’ “Tn jail! He told you that?” Hem- 895 ment exclaimed, with an inflection of as- tonishment that was not feigned. “Yes. He broke the terrible news to me that afternoon in his office. He had meant to reveal the truth to me before, he said, but his courage had always failed him. It happened years ago, when he was avery young man. He was assistant cash- ier of a bank, and they accused him of stealing a lot of money and making false entries on the books to cover his offense. He was not guilty. ‘It was another employee of the bank who was really to blame. But he couldn’t prove his innocence, and the circumstan- tial evidence was against him. So they sent him to prison for five years.” She paused again. ‘‘ Now do you begin to un- derstand why he couldn’t afford to have the facts about my assignment come out?” “Not quite. I am afraid I am very dense. What ‘had that lip-reading stunt of Wrigley’s to do with the hidden chapter in your husband’s past?” “Tt had nothing to do with it. Neither Ethan nor Mr, Moncrief had ever heard of those men across the street, and had no idea why they were spying on them. But —don’t you see? lf the story had been printed it would have attracted attention to my husband. ‘The fact that he was— that he had once been in jail, might have come out as a result of the publicity. Al- though innocent, he has always lived in constant fear of his secret becoming known. That would be a fatal blow to his professional standing. Even business men are narrow when it comes to employing an expert accountant who has a prison rec- ord. “But, thank Heaven, he will not have to worry much longer,” Cecilie went on, her face lighting up. ‘‘ Ethan is soon to be vindicated. The man who was really responsible for the crime for which my poor martyr was convicted is dying of tuberculosis in Colorado. He has sent word to Ethan that before he breathes his last he is going to make a full confession. He won’t do it until he is quite positive that there is no chance of his recovering, but he is very low now, and if he keeps his promise very soon we shall De able Se face SCO)