“The risk was refused,” said the report, “on the advice of the company’s physician.”
“Must be another Harkness,” said the doctor, when Murray told him about it. “This man was in splendid physical condition.”
“The Elmer Harkness refused,” said Murray, consulting the papers before him, “was born at Madison, Indiana, January twentieth, 1866, and that is the place and date of birth given by the man who applied to us. You don’t suppose there were twins, do you?”
“Might look it up,” suggested the doctor.
“Of course, I’ll look it up,” returned Murray. “It’s mighty funny that a man who was refused on physical grounds five years ago should be a superb risk now.”
“There’s one satisfaction,” remarked the doctor. “With the safeguards thrown around the business in these modern days, a man can’t very well beat us.”
“There’s no game that can’t be beaten,” asserted Murray emphatically. “There is no burglar-proof safe. With improvements in safes there has come a corresponding improvement in cracksmen’s methods. No man is so much superior to all other men that he can devise a thing so perfect that some other can not find the flaw that makes it temporarily worthless. The burglar-proof safes have to be watched to keep burglars away from them. The insurance system is as good as we now know how to make it, but it has to be watched to keep swindlers from punching holes in it. When we further improve the system they will further improve their methods, and we’ll have to keep on watching. The business concern that thinks it has an infallible system to protect itself from loss is then in the greatest danger.”
“Do you think this case a swindle?” asked the doctor.
“It’s better to get facts before reaching conclusions,” replied Murray. “It may be only an extraordinary coincidence. The man who was refused insurance was not then living where the man who applied to us is now living. That’s worth considering.”
But investigation only made the case the more puzzling. From Madison, Indiana, a report was received that Elmer Harkness was born there on the date given, and that nothing was known of any second Elmer Harkness. The father of the Elmer born at Madison had been Abner Harkness, who was now dead. The name of the father of the man who had applied to Murray was given as Abner, and that also was the name of the father of the man whose application had been previously refused. Elmer, after the death of his parents, had left Madison, and nothing had been heard of him since, although he was supposed to be in Chicago.