ly felt by
every one interested in its management.

Though sorely crippled by their loss, the bank officials were
undismayed, and resolved to take immediate steps for the capture of the
criminals, and the recovery of the stolen property. To this end they
decided to employ the services of my agency at once, in the full hope
that our efforts would be crowned with success. Whether the trust of the
directors was well founded, and the result so much desired was achieved,
the sequel will show.

CHAPTER II.

The Investigation Begun--John Manning's Visit to Geneva--Eugene
Pearson's Story--The Detective's Incredulity--A Miraculous Deliverance
With a Ten-Cent Coin.

On the evening of the same day on which this daring robbery occurred,
and as I was preparing to leave my agency for the day, a telegram was
handed to me by the superintendent of my Chicago office, Mr. Frank
Warner. The message read as follows:

"GENEVA, August --, 18--.

"Bank robbed to-day. Twenty thousand
dollars taken. Please send or come at once.

"(Signed,) HENRY SILBY, President."

This was all. There was no detail of particulars, no statement of the
means employed, only a simple, concise and urgent appeal for my
services. As for myself, realizing the importance of promptness and
despatch in affairs of this nature, and fully appreciating the anxiety
of the bank officials, I resolved to answer their call as speedily as
possible. But few words of consultation were required for the subject,
and in a short time I had selected the man for the preliminary
investigation, and requested his presence in my office. John Manning was
the operative chosen for this task, an intelligent, shrewd and trusty
young man of about thirty years of age, who had been in my employ for a
long time. Well educated, of good address, and with a quiet, gentlemanly
air about him that induced a favorable opinion at a glance. Frequently,
prior to this, occasions had presented themselves for testing his
abilities, and I had always found him equal to any emergency. Sagacious
and skillful as I knew him to be, I felt that I could implicitly rely
upon him to glean all the information that was required in order to
enable me to devise an intelligent plan of detection, and which would,
as I hoped, lead to eventual success.

Giving John Manning full instructions as to his mode of proceeding, and
cautioning him to be particular and th