High School of Commerce - Caravel Yearbook (New York, NY)

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coMMERcE YEAR BooK,1912 VVhy, you fool! I cried to myself. Don't you know that Trenck has stolen them. Yes! Sam Trenck has stolen the papers that could now make you a millionaireln I And the rooming house clerk had said that Trenck was going to New York. Clear across the continent. And here I stood-penniless! With clenched fists and a desperate face, I started for the railroad yards. Cautiously scaling the fence, I stole across the maze of tracks toward the train shed where the eastbound Chicago Limited was waiting for the last sacks of mail. Hovering in the shadow of the baggage car, I watched the mail clerks gather at the door to take in the registered mail packets. The moment their backs were toward me, I swung up and hid behind a heap of second- class mail sacks. The next instant the train glided out of the station, and my mad pursuit of papers worth a million had begun. .D No one noticed me. The clerks were busy sorting letters and filling the way-station bags. Presently we were in the open country, which shot past, hour after hour, like a Hood of unending darknessx And then I must have fallen asleep. ' ' When I opened my eyes again, there were but two clerks in the car, and these were seated nearthe safe, evidently as guards. Une of them yawned and stretched. Keep your hands up! From the pile of bags in front of mea man had risen, a revolver in his hand. The clerk's yawn was frozen on hislips. With upstretched arms and cheeks gone a sickly white, he stared into the revolver. g V Hands up, youll' I Up went the second clerk's arms. , i The man with the revolver took a step nearer them. As he did so, I leaped upon him. The shock knocked the revolver out of his hand and threw him off his balance. He clutched at me and we went down together. V He was a powerful brute, and lithe as a panther. A twist of his body, a sudden turn of his arm, and he had me by the throat. In another minute I should have been choked to death, had not one of the mail clerks recovered from his fright and thrust a revolver into the robber's face. 'fLeggol said the clerk. D'you want to swing for murder beside doing time for this job ? The fingers at my throat relaxed and I wrenched myself free. Keep 'im covered, Jim, said the second clerk, While I tie him up. . VVhile I was gettingmy breath, one clerk held the revolver to the robber's head, while the second clerk tied his wrists together. Now take off his mask, said the clerk with the revolver. Let's see who he is. . The others pulled off the piece of cambric. I came forward, looked- and gasped. 88 1

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COMMERCE YEAR BOOK, 1912 -1 Yes, replied the clerk. He left here shortly after midnight. Where was he going ? He inquired about trains to New York, saying he was going East. Then I told the clerk about the robbery. Instead of expressing sympathy, he saw fit to laugh heartily. Calling some of the men in the room, he repeated my story, and there arose such a roar of laughter that I strode out of the place, enraged yet sick at heart. Why of all men did he rob me im I asked myself bitterly. Why did he not rob my brother? He is a millionaire. He would not have missed it. But I-I am an outcast. My own brother disowns me. And I am penni1ess! With heavy heart I trudged aimlessly down the street. As I passed a newspaper office, I chanced to look up at the bulletin board. My eyes bulged as I read: ' . HTERRIBLE RAILROAD ACCIDENT NEAR LOS ANGELES+ VINCENT D. CLEMENTS, THE MILLIONAIRE, A ONE OF THE VICTIMS. My brother! I gasped. V A y I stood motionless. My brother-he who had cast me out-he, the millionaire, was dead! And II, who was penniless, who had nothingto live for, was made to live. What tricks Fate plays! When I regained composure, I entered the ollice and awaited my turn at the files of newspapers that ,were kept on a reading table for the convenince of the public. Presently I read: A 'KAmong the victims of the accident was Vincent' D. Clements, the mining millionaire. Mr. Clements left his country home this morning to keep an appointment with his lawyer' in Los Angeles, his intention being to make a 'will leaving his fortune to local charitable institutions. An intimate friend of the late Mr. Clements declares that a few weeks ago a young man, rather the worse for wear, appeared at Mr. Clements' country home, and insisted that he was the million- aire,s brother. The two men were heard to quarrel violently, and that night the visitor departed as mysteriously as he came. He has neither been seen nor heard of since. As Mr. Clements made his fortune in Mexican silver mines, it is surmised that the mysterious visitor may have been an old acquaintance from the mining district. As Mr. Clements never married, this claimant is the sole heir, if he can pro-ve his relationship. The newspaper dropped from my trembling hands. Nly brain was in a whirl. My papers?-my proof! I had them with my wallet, and my wallet- with eager fingers I gripped at my breast pocket. Then I remembered. 87

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CGMMERCE YEAR BOOK, 1912 It was Trenck-Sam Trenck! Don't recognize him, do you, Jim ? said the clerk. He's new to me, Jim replied. - Then both stared at me. ' W7ho might you be ? Jim demanded. And where did you come from? Dead broke,'! I said. Trying to beat my way to Chicago. We oughter run you in along with him,,' Jim declared, looking thought- fully from me to his fellow clerk. 'But you sure did us a good turn, even if you haven't any business in this car. r f'You'd better drop off at the next station kinder quiet like when we don't happen to be looking, the second mail clerk suggested. My heart sank. lldust I go without my wallet? Yet if I told them that I knew Trenck, their gratitude would at once change to suspicion, and they would turn both Trenck and me over to the police. 'fRight you are,,' Iuaddressed them. 'CI don't want to get you two into trouble. As I'm dead broke, and our friend here is going where' he won't need money, therels no harm, is there, in my rewarding myself out of his pockets ? I Both the clerks- grinned approval. A Sure!,' said Jim. '.'I reckon we owes you somethingall right for having spoiled his game!!! . Deftly I went through Trenck's-pockets. 4'This will do, I laughed, holding up my own wallet. The clerks grinned again. . Now beat it,H Jim ordered. We're slowing down and in another minute some one!s apt to see you. He opened the door and I swung off into the night. No sooner had I caught my balance and felt solid ground beneath me than I was down on my knees and with trembling 'fingers groping in my wallet. I It was empty! y ' Almost frenzied, I struck a match, and by its light examined every fold. But there was nothing! In utter despair, I let the wallet fall, and slapped my hands upon my breast. Beneath my right palm something crackled. Mechanically, I felt in my pocket. There was a rip that opened into the lining. I thrust my hand through. lyly Hngers touched something stiff, gripped it,.d drew it forth. Again I struck a match and-looked. 'Tye got them! Got them! I cried, and clutched my papers-papers that had been in my coat all the time-papers worth a million! 89