The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-23

a
the number and date, Having replaced the re-
ceipt and locked up the iron chamber, he had
leisure to notice Obenreizer, reading the letter
in the recess of window at the far end of the
room.
"Come to the ire," said vendale. "You look
peTished with the cold out there. | VIII ring
for some more Goals" 49,,
0benreizer rose and came slowly back TO the
eek. "Mareuertie Will be rs SORRY 10 near VI
his as l am, he said, kindly. '"ha' oo yo"
nean to do?n ,-,.-,a ,o,,,.
Danyn ans Wered Veudale. I'm my TOTAL lgno
anee of the circumstal ces can only DO What
.hey recommend; o., toe ,o be The numbered and
ynrinteS form They seem to attach some spe-
riai importance to its discovery. You have bad
experience when you were IN the Swiss house,
of their way of doing business. Can you guess
what object they have In yieWW
Obenreizer offered suggestion.
GSuppOse examine the receipt 2" he eaid.
care YOU i'll Y asked Vendale, startled by the
change in his face, which now showed itself
plainly for the first time. pray 80 to the fire.
You seem to be shivering; hope you are not
Not p said Obenrezer. "Perhaps have
caught cold. Your English climate might have
spared an admirer of your English institutions
Let me look at the receipt"
Vendale opened the iron chamber. Oben-
reizer took char, and drew II close to the fire.
He held both hands over the flames, al ct me
look at the receipt" he repeated, eagerly, az
Vendale reappeaTed with the paper III his hand.
At the same moment porter entered the room
TO make good fire. The man obeyed the
order with a disastrous alacrity. As ne stepped
forward and raised the scuttle, his foot caught
in fold of the rug, and he discharged his entire
cargo OF Goals into the CRATE. The result
was an instant smothering OF the flame, and
the production of a stream of yellow smoke,
without visible morsel of fire to account
for it,
"Imbecie!" whispered Obenreizer to himself
with look at the man which the man remem-
bered cred. for many long day afterwards.
nTnn int -,
Vendale. They have stove there"
mo, no. No matter.n
Vendale handed him the receipt. Obenrei-
zer's interest in examining it appeared to have
been quenched as suddenly and etfectually
as the tIe ITSELF He just glanced over the docu-
ment, and said; No; don't understand it'll L
am sorry TO be of no use.n
81 will write to Neuchatel by to nights post"
said Vendale, putting away the receipt for the
second time. 1--WE must wait, and see what
comes of it.o
"By to,night's post" repeated Obenreizer
'Let me see. You will get the ans wer in eight
or nine days time. ] shall be back before that.
1t can be OF any service, as commercial travel
Ter, perhaps you will let me know between this
and then ? You will send me written iustruc-
tions? My best thanks. l shall be most anxious
for your answer fIom Neuchatel Who knows?
1t may be a mistake, my dear friend, after all.
Courage! courage! couraee" He had entered
the room with no appearance OF being pressed
for time. He now snatched up his hat, and
took his leave with the air OF a man who mad
not another moment 10 lose.
Lett by himself, Vendale took turn thought
fully in the room,
His previous impression of Obenreizer was
shaken by what he had heard and seen at the
interview which had just taken place. He was
disposed, for the first time, TO douOt whether, in
this case, he had not been little hasty aud
hard in his judgment on another man. Oben-
reizer's surprise and regret, hearing the ne VS.
from Neuchatel, bore the ,p'aiuest marks of
being honestly felt-not politely assumed for
the occasion. With troubles OF his own to en-
counter, suffering, to all appearances, from the
hrst insidious attack OF serious illness, he had
looked and spoken like q man who really de-
plored the disaster that had fallen on his FREUD.
Hitherto, Vendale had tried vainly TO alter his
first opinion of Marguerile's guard lau for Mar.
guerite's sake. All the generous instincts In his
nature now combined together and shook the
evidence which had seemed unans werable up to
this time. "Who knows ~ he thought, "a may
have read that N ans face wrongly, after ALL"
The time passed-the happy evenings with
Marguerite came and went. 1t was again the
tenth morning since Vendale had written to the
Swiss firm; and again the answer appeared on
his desk with the other letters Of the day:-
"Dear sr:-My senior partner, NJ Defresnier has
ReeR called eSn R{ urgent & business to Milan
rty) how write 10 you again the subject of the
Your discovery that forged receipt is executed
upon one OF our numbered and printed forms has
neT and 10 myself At the time when your remittance
was stolen but three keys were in existence opening
ris6ly kept. Ny partner had one key ! had the
In our houSe we should as soon have thought OF
pectng one OF ourselves as OF suspectng this person.
Suspicion now points at him, nevertheless. cannot
prevail myself TO inform you who the person so
long as there Is the shadow Of chance that may
good.
simple enough. The handwriting on your receipt
must be compared, by competent persons whom we
have at disposal with certain specimens OF hand.
WrlLihg IN our possession. l cannot send the
specimens, for business reasons, VIII ch, when you
hear them you are sure o approve. l mu beg you
20 send me lhe receipt TO Neuchate-a in making
this request must accompany It by word of neces-
sary warning.
"If the person at whom suspicion now points really
proves to be the person who has committed this
forgery and theft, have fear that crcum-
stances may have already put him his guard. The
hands, and he will move heaven and earth TO obtain
and destroy It, strongly urge trust the
receipt to the post. send 1t TO me, without loss
time, by private hand. and choo nobody for youI
messenger but person long established IN your o9
employment accustomed 10 travelling, capable OF
speaking trench; man OF courage, man OF honesty
and, above all things, man who be trusted L
let no stranger scrape acquaintance with him thC
route, Tell no one-absolutely One-but your mes
sengeT, of the this matter has now taken, ThJ
transit OF the receipt may depend your inter
preting literally the advice which give you at th
''I have only to add that every possible saving o
time is now of the last Importance. More Than ont
of TeeeptfOTms is missing, and IL Is lmposs BILE
say what new frauds may not be committed if we fal
to lay our hands on the Inlet
Your faithful servant.
"ROLLAND.
Designing for Defresnier& & Cie)."
Who was the suspected man In Vendale'
position, it seemed useless to inquire.
Who was to be sent to Neuchatel with tn
receipt? Men of courage and men OF honest
were 20 be had at Cripple Corner for the asking
But where was the man who was accustomed +
foreign travelling, who could speak the Frencl
language, and who could be really relied on t