out there lately? Father
used to call it Forest Home. The Hereford cattle that he reared topped
the market. It's different now. The gates are locked. A thug stands
out in the roadway to divert traffic. In the night, truckloads of corn
and coal arrive to produce the 'hell-fire' that is bottled, labeled,
and distributed over the district."

In the midst of this recital Carson dropped his head down on his arms,
folded on the table.

"I don't know a thing about the conditions here at the bank," Shirley
continued in softer tones, "but there are public records that tell an
incriminating story. The records at the courthouse show a mortgage to
the Reliable Insurance Company on our home here in the city. My
signature on such a mortgage was forged. I didn't know about this
until I was forced into this investigation. You, and your bank, must
have needed money very badly and you committed forgery to get it.
Based on this fact alone, one has a right to believe that you are
fooling the busy bank examiners with forged securities. It's just a
question as to what hour you will be uncovered and convicted."

Carson still reclined his head on folded arms. Shirley was preparing
to leave. "We are broke, Carson. I haven't a dime and you have less.
But I am not going to stay in Bransford and be a party to your
downfall. My word alone would prove your guilt. I don't know where I
am going, but I intend hiding out until this thing blows over. But
before I go, Carson, I want an interview with your criminal friends to
tell 'em what a set of dirty, crooks they are."

Late in the afternoon, as Shirley was busy in clearing his desk of
unneeded papers, his friend Townsend dropped in to confer on some
pending matters.

"I am sorry, Fred, to tell you I am leaving," said Shirley as he
closed the desk. "I don't know where I am going and I don't want the
public to know where I am located. If you have the time, I would like
to tell you the cause of it all and put you wise to some incidents
that seem sure to happen."

"I think you are going to confirm some suspicions I had formed in
connection with the Larwell estate. The account at the Wells Bank
didn't conform to the little credit slips as issued."

"You are on the right road, oldtimer," said Shirley, and he proceeded
to relate what was said in his recent conference with Carson. He cited
the incident of the forged deed and detailed conditions at the farm.
"The Wells National is not only broke," he