, 1886-09-16

Only, I cant see you as long as my
father -
Roberts only answer to this was a SIGH,
and with a hurried yood-by the lovers
parted.
OF course poor W,lter Crump could not
find another situation, though he would have
been glad to take tne lowest place In an office.
The wolf came to his door in earnest. Annie,
who had n situo ton in n board school, was tho
chief support CT the family, and the poor girl
was pale and thin from long hours and scanty
meals.
1t was about five months after the day
when the cashier was dismissed in disgrace,
that one day Mr.. Mason left his Office at 1:30,
his usual hour for going out to lunch. Half
past one was also the time when it was Robert
Carriers turn to go out for half an hour, and
Mr.. Mason had hardly had time to reach the
street when the young man left his desk, went
into Mr.. Masons room, entered q small closet
In which a wash hand basin wns fitted up, and
proceeded to wash his hands. This was n high
misdemeanor, especially as accommodation
was provided for clerks in another part of the
building; but Mr.. Robert Carter preferred
MIR. Mason's closet, and always used it when
he had n chance of doing so.
On this occasion, however, he had barely
begun his ablutions when ho heard the outer
door of tho Office slam, and then he heard
some one, whom he Judged to be his employer,
come into the room
Fortunately, the door of tho closet was
nearly closed, so that the young man was in
visible to any one in the center of the room.
Ale has only come back for his umbrella
said Robert to himself; "there is no need of
my moving. If keep quiet he will be conc
in n minute. MOI Some one else has come
in with him. What shall | dor
Mr.. Mason had already closed the double
doors which led from his room to the outer
office, and Carter was scruwing up his cour-
age to the point of confessing his presence
when the first words spoken by the stranger
fell upon his ear and made him stand as
still as n stone.
"You can take your choice, rs / said in
my letter. Hand me over another hundred
or I'll split. What's ono sevonty-two out of
three thousandi l had all the risk ana
you
"Silence-will your Kissed out Mr.. Mason,
in nn angry whisper. II can't give you el00,
for l haven't got it. But l will give you $50
now and $50 next month. After that you
can split if you like, for you shall get no
more out Of mo. Anything would be better
than living as slave to n man like you"
"Hand over the $50, them" said the other
after a pause, and then there was n slight
rustic of bank notes.
"You had better leave the country" said
Mr.. Mason, in a low tone. "Thc bank cashier
who cashed the check might meet you in the
street
IN take care of that, replied the stranger,
and after a few more words had passed the
two men loft the Office.
All this time Carter had been standing half
------l a.. -. $500 ltl..x
by astonishment- But he understood this
much that this stranger was the man who
had cashed the forged check under the name
of Beckman; thnt Mr.. Mason knew it, ard
30 far from %denouncing him to the police was
giving him money to hold his tongue. Yes;
and more than this, the stranger was threat
ening to split upon Mr.. Masonl
What il could all mean Carter could not
comprehend; but he saw one thing plainly
enough. The important point was to find out
who this man was, and where he lived. In n
moment Carter ran out of the room, seized
his hat, and rushed down stairs.
lie was just in time. Mr.. Mason was leav-
ing the foot of the stairs, going up the street,
while n well dressed man, who had evidently
just parted from him, was walking rapidly
in the opposite direction. Carter followed
the stranger to the Mansion house, and saw
ulUl idkt Il RtNSNattl OilllbuS- LUIS sulttu
Carter exactly. He went round to the front
of the vehicle and got up beside the driver.
Then he clambered along the roof and seated
himself above the door.
At the Holborn restaurant the man whom
he was following got out and stopped TO re-
fresh himself, while Carter waited patiently
outside At last he ~reappeared, and Carter
quietly followed hun down Holborn, up
Gray's Inn road, and into a dingy street in
the neighborhood of Kings Gross. Here the
pretended solicitor stopped at n door, which
he opened with a latch key.
HAhl' said Carter to himself, II have you
nowl7
He waited a few moments, and then knocked
at the door.
1t was answered by a dirty, slipshod girl.
"Does Mr.. Williamson live heref' inquired
the young man.
mo, he doesn't"
"Wasn't that Mr.. Williamson who came
in just now-Mr. Williamson, of Peter
BOROUGH
mo, it wasn't. That was our first floor,
Mr.. Cromer. You've made a mistake
$50 | have. Beg pardon, Pm sure; and
Carter turned away.
From Kings Cross he went straight to
Scotland Yard and narrated his experiences.
That night Mr.. Livesey received n visit which
caused him some surprise-nnd so dill ur.
Cromer No sooner was the latter gentleman
in the hands of the police than he confessed
the whole matter.
Mr.. Mason had known Cromer, who was q
scoundrcl with n respectable appearance and
a plausible manner, for some time, and had
selected him to be his tool IIo had sent poor
Crump to the docks on the afternoon before
the morning when the check was missed; lie
hoI Gonna 1.nrlr m tho Affca ofta,- Tho ,la.f.o
were gone, and had then opened Crump's
safe with his own key and distracted the
blank check. This check he had himself filed
up md signed with the firms signature in the
usual way so there was little wonder that the
cashier at the the bank paid 1t without any
suspicion. lie had, no doubt, calculated that
the bank would have to bear tho loss: but, as
it was, he had cheated Mr.. Livcsey out of
$4,000, for, as he himself had but "A third
share in the business, only 1000 out of the
5000 had to come out of his own pocket.
Mr.. Mason saved his partner the trouble Of
trying whether he could make him criminnlly
responsible for what he hal done; for when
the police went to look for him he had disap-
pearod. Probably he had seen Robert Carter
following his accomplice, and, seeming dan
ger, had saved himself while there was time.
it turned out afterwnrd that he had been
specializing largely on the stock exchange and
was sorcly in need of money TO pay his losses.
1t was some consolation TO MIR. Livesey to
think that his dishonest partner had not
profted much by his theft.
As for Walter Crump, lie was offered his
old place, with an apology and a handsome
present TO boot; and he still keeps the books
which be had so long under his care. lie has
not quite overcome his prejudice against
Robert Carter, and he always regarded IL rs
q hard thing that he should have TO owo ms
reputation md his deliverarce from provcrty
TO that particular young gentlem~' How
ever, as things were, he could do no less than
inform Carter that he had done him an in
instice md TINT he NO1ld ho honnv IN eca