tounded to know what to do o

really you took the ground from under my feet. What on earth le

ng happened," answered Reggie drearily, "and the only answer I

wasn't a trace of insanity about him. He seemed to me to be one of the cleverest men I

id you first meet

s face and yet I couldn't quite place him until he said he had met me one time at Morgan & Company's in New York. Then I remembered him perfectly. I had gone down to the city on a trip with my father, and as he had business with the Morgan people, he took me along with him. T

s of the best people in Goldsboro, took him home with me and had him stay with me for a day or two, and whizzed him about the country in my automobile

ay from New York City and right in

se, the more mysterious he was the more curious I became. I suppose he figured on that. Anyway, after a lot of hinting and fencing about, he came right out one day and said that he

there was time. Ball players are known to get good salaries, and they're deluged with circulars and market tips of all kinds. But I never yet tried to

ght that Tabbs was different from an ordinary market tipster. I had seen him holding do

it that this w

light and power companies of the State. Claimed that he already had an agreement with the majority of them to come into the deal. The thing was to be kept under cover until

did not give utterance to the thought for fear

t. And honest, Joe, that fellow could have convinced anybody. He was the most persuasive talker I ever met. Had facts and figures at his tongue's end and reeled them off by the thousand. Showed me a chart of his own on which he had mark

e madman, could very well understand h

est for me in the securities of the different light and power companies. He was to do this quietly and secretly as he went from one place to anothe

only came once to a man, he said, especially such an opportunity as that. I was dazzled by his figures, and when I thought of the pleasure it would be to prove to my fath

s moved to pity by the distress that showed

ithout hearing from him I got uneasy. I wrote to him to the address of Morgan & Company, thinking they would of course know his whereabouts and forward his mail to him, and you can imagine how I felt when I got my letter back marked 'Not here.' I wrote then to the firm direct, and asked about Talham Tabbs. They wrote back promptly that Tabbs had once been emplo

en put in the care of a crazy man, who, for all I knew, had turned the securities into c

een a knockout

n't eat or sleep, and the folks saw there was something the matter with me. Mabel

himself, conscious of a sudden w

a money way," continued Reggie. "But he's a thoroughbred, and since he h

ny clue as to Tabbs' wh

Tabbs had escaped about two months before. Said he was one of the brightest and ablest men that had ever been confined there. There would be weeks at a time when he would appear to be as sane as any man. Then he would have sudden fits of v

shudder, as the thought of the n

hat he was still going by his right name. Naturally I didn't tell him what a fool Tabbs had made of me. He was delighted to get the information I gave him an

p you out any

kept hinting that they were right on his heels. They must have been a pretty nimble pair of heels, though,

t he might be at Riverside?" a

e there and caught sight of Tabbs' name. Of course I made inquiries in a hurry, and the clerk told me that he had left a week before. I went to the station and found that a man answer

t it might have been worse. Now that we have Tabbs where the

it's only a chance. No knowing what h

uble in turning the securi

nited States currency. The mere possession of them is regarded as proof of ownership. He could go

efully. "Sol Cramer, the landlord at the hotel, said that he had a big roll of bills wh

hour or more and then Joe insiste

his friend to his room, "and you need a good night's rest s