The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-09-04

an immense order, but it would not
be wise to forward the goods.''
"You did not hint that we had the
slightest fear ?"
mo, but / was glad to get the
money - twelve thousand pounds
would have been heavy loss"
at would, truly"
land yet" said Tom, gravely, "this
morning the odds were considerably
against it ever reaching you"
"How?"
Tom took two chairs, placed them
side by side near the fire, led Mary
to one and seated himself in the other.
He had done his duty as the mer-
chants clerk, and now was Mr..
Brands prospective son-in.law and
partner.
II had an adventure" he said, II
was the hero of strange story in a
ride by express" .
Mary bent forward to listen. Tom
clasped her hand in his own. Mr..
Brand sat opposite them. interested
by the speakers manner, as he began:
"When / got the check l had an
idea that all might not be well, so
to make sure l presented it at the
bankers. There was, as / told you,
consultation going forward, l
noticed stranger looking at me in
tently. knew the man in my young
er and wilder days. l had met him
often at the race course, in billiard
rooms, and in other places more or
less respectable. Now he WAS chang
ing check for some petty amount,
and evidently astonished at the i'm
mensity of the order had presented.
| left the bank with my pocketbook
tull of notes, and found that | had
lost the train. The next would be
the night express, SO l strolled into a
billiard room. A man is just as safe
with fortune in his pocket as if pen
niless If he is wise enough to hold his
tongue. There was clever playing
going on, and stood watching the
players till some one challenged me
to have game. If have one special
vanity, it is my science with my cue.
| accepted, and as l did so a strange
feeling which had been growing upon
me took a sudden turn which startled
me.
my challenger was the man whom
| had noticed at the bankers. There
was nothing strange in the fact Of his
resorts, but | was possessed by the
vague shadow of q simple idea. l
had read somewhere of man being
followed add plundered in train,
and somehow l associated the story
with the man before me. 1t was the
first time had paid him particular
attention, but gave him full obser-
walton now. The more l looked at
him the less liked him. He was
handsome, gentlemanly, with a fair
form and elegant figure, full of sup
pleness and strength. His manner
was singularly unassuming, his face
frank and genial, but by looking
closely at him you could see some
thing sinister looking in the depth
and softness of his eyes.
| IL never like o stranger to be affa-
BILE and prepossessing, and my friend
was the very pink of affability and
grace.
1--WE played for an hour with alter
mating success; he was an amusing
compaion, well informed, and had
travelled, but | was shy of converse,
lion. | left him, and still having
some time to spare, went to see g
friend IL the Temple.
| when, at the expiration OF some
thirty or forty minutes, emerged
INTO Fleet street, almost the first per.
son on whom my gaze fell was my
late antagonist at billiards.
81 thought there was something
more than a mere coincidence in this
second meeting, since we stood to-
gether at the banker 8. He was in a
cigar shop opposite, talking with q
companion.
"Not a hundred yards from the
Temple gate stood man whom
recognized with very welcome feel
ing. l was George Vixen, the detec-
tive.
"He was fashionable dressed, and
looked like an aristocrat of the first
water. went up and greeting him
as / should an old family friend, held
out nv hand and said: