The National tribune., 1884-10-23

| some OF whom did not appear to me to be very
well disposed toward him.
you're late" said one with an oath.
"Yes, know" was Che answer Richard
son, you know this gentleman, l believe; viii
you introduce hiE?"
"Why don't you do it yourself?" was his
reply.
next room" said Macfarlane. Is shall be back
| in half minute"
| He slid out of the room, leaving me rather
uneasy. The company was il-looking one.
| Even making allowance for the fact that they
were miners, perhaps, and selfmade men, their
appearance was unprepossessing.
This is the gentleman that helps to dis
tribute said Richardson to the company gen.
| orally.
Il wonder how much sticks to him." said
one speaker.
"Not SO much as to that fellow in the next
| room," muttered another, with glance toward
the door out of which Macfarlane had departed.
A vague fear fell on me. What did these
| strange remarks mean?
Il don't quite understand you," I said to
Richardson. Mr.. Farebrother asked me to
meet you tonight on matter of business"
Exactly, and the sooner we get to work the
better. How much have you to account for?"
One thing was plain by this time-that l had
been deceived. / was in nest of hornets, and
l doubted if 1 could escape without being
stung.
"lf you will wait till Mr. Farebrother comes
| back, he will, no doubt, explain why / have
come here" / said as quietly as l could. q
am at a loss to understand to what you refer"
NO, no." said tall, cadaverous man, eyeing
me suspiciously. 1--WE should like settlement
of this job without Farebrother's putting his
foot into it. The less we see of him the better
till we have done with you. How much did
you get for that last packet of flimsies?"
! The word was revelation. / knew it was
used to denote forged notes. Like FASH the
whole thing became clear. l had been skill
fully trapped into being an accomplice OF note
forgers. My friend, Macfarlane, instead of be-
ing reformed character, was the villain he
always had been. He had kept his word. This
| had been his revenge.
Fortunately did not lose my head. could
see that l was among desperate set of men,.
If countenances told anything they were an
unmitigated lot of scOundrels. Should l cross
| them l would repent it.
/ resolved that the safest thing to do was to
pretend that l was the accomplice' they sup
| posed me; then, when was safely out of their
| hands, the police should soon be on their track.
| Itemporized. l said that Macfarlane-known
to them as Farebrother-had the accounts of
what l had received. l would step into the
next room and ask him for them.
| This was prevented by man locking the
door and swearing l should not leave the room
| till their demands were satisfied.
l listened patiently to the confused upr0ar
| of voices As far as l could gather, Macfarlane
! who seemed the chief of the coiners, had taken
considerable quantities of notes, stating that a
friend OF his was passing them very success
| fully. After some time had elapsed and he
had produced very small amounts for distribu-
ton, pressure was put on him. and he promised
that his agent should come and himself clear
up the balance due.
was the agent, and now they demanded, in
no measured terms, sums amounting to several
hundred pounds.
l explained that Macfarlane had deceived
them; that / had never received the sums.
was rudely searched, and several notes and
Macfarlane's check were found on me. The
threats became more violent. ] began to fear
for my safety, when there was a sudden hush.
Steps were heard on the stairs; the door was
rudely shaken and then burst in and file of
police marched into the room.
Never had seen policemen with such graft
tude. l leaped toward them for protection. 1
was only just in time; there was loud report
and l felt bullet whiz past my ear. / almost
suffered the reward of a traitor for the gang
evidently thought l had betrayed them.
So agitated and overcome was l that it was
some time before l realized that l, too, was
a prisoner However, it was so; but | had no
anxiety on that score; explanation would be
sufficient to restore me to liberty. / yielded
without protest, thankful enough 10 find
myself under the careful guard of the stern
policemen.
Little did think then Of what was about to
happen to me. l had not reckoned on the cal
culating villaiDy of my old enemy. He had so
entangled me in his transactions, so carefully
put on me personally the responsibilities of his
nefariouS transactions, that when | heard my
solicitor unfold the evidence against me as an
accomplice was horror struck. / was a known
companion of Maclarlane. l had concealed
his identity as an embezzler. l had passed
numerous false notes, taking advantage Of my
secure business reputation. / had even ac-
knowledged to the gang that had been part
ner in their swindling transactions.
Worst of all, Macfarlane was free. He had
given information to the authorities of the
meeting of the forgers, and then quietly alb
seconded, whittier no knew. l furnished
every particular about him, but all attempts to
track him failed
Now that this scheme of revenge and profit
had succeeded, it was easy for me to see how it
had been accomplished, and to wonder at my
own blindness in never suspecting that was
being made a victim. Having once put me of
my guard by protesting his gratitude for my
prosecution of him. he gave me the note to
change, with the idea of my making it a test
of his honesty. He was waiting for me at the
bank next morning with his pocketbook open
to display the magnitude of his transactions.
He came TO my firm because we could supply
him with easily convertible goods which, when
melted, could not be traced. The gold he
showed me was bogus The check he gave me
on the morning Of my arrest was dishonored.
Everything was managed to get as much as
possible out of me first, and then involve me in
ruin.
/ had almost resigned myself to being found
guilty. Judge then of my joy when my solc
itor brought me the news morning of the
capture of Macfarlane.
1t had been effected in the most unexpected
way. So far as we knew, all the members of
the gang had assembled on that memorable
night. There was, however, one exception-a
man named Barker was delayed. He arrived
at the house an hour or two late, thought that
things looked strange, and found the police in
possession.
He naturally withdrew. He heard full de-
tails of the capture, and then went to find
Macfarlane, who owed him personally con-
siderable sum. Macfarlane was not TO be found
But Barker persevered tracked him at last,
and demanded his money. Macfarlane refused
it; Barker went the same day TO inform the
authorities Of Macfarlane's whereabouts, offer
ing to turn Queens evidence, an offer that was
accepted.
The result of the evidence that he produced
was that the jury inclined to the belief that |
had been a victim, and / was adjudged not
guilty. But though ! left the court proclaimed
TO be innocent man, none the less was |
aware that Macfarlane had kept to the letter
the VOW he made to be revenged on me.
MUSIC HATH CHARMS.