Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-08-25

] L
knew he saw traces of my recent disturb
anee, so made a virtue of necessity at
once.
"Good morning." I said. "Sorry to
have kept you waiting; gentleman OF your
calling ara always busy, 1 know. The
fact is, have received some news this
morning which has upset me thoroughly,
and Ive been trying to pull myself togeth-
er bit before seeing you, but I'm afraid
have failed. Pm not in fit state to
discuss this business"
II shan't trouble you much, Mr.. Quin-
ton" he answered quietly. 81 only want
a few scraps of information which you can
give me. ITO begin with"--
''Sit down." said, land help yourself
to the brandy"
He thanked me and took the profsred
chair, but refused to drink.
81 want to keep my head cool, you see,
aud pick up this trail while it is still fresh.
To begin with, when did you first dis
cover that This cheque, No. 9.O31, was
missing?n
He took the cheque from his pocket
book and smOothed it out on the table SIS
he spoke.
looked at it eagerly, and saw that it
was drawn in favor of Mr.. Pettie-Jones for
forty pounds. Forty pounds! The exact
sum, neither more nor less, Of Horace's
present debts! Poor Cynthia!
81 found il wss missing last night"
"And have you any impression Of your
own as 70 when it was sbstracted?"
was Just going to prevaricate, when
suddenly remembered that Lsvens
knew Horace had had tine chIque book
in his possession the whole of the night
before last. 1t Benson did not get tie
information he wanted from me, his fret
proceeding would be to pump" and
"ierrit" cautiously among the clerks, and
LsveDs would be Only too glad to tell him
all ne knew. AS natural result, Benson
would wonder why had kept this very
suspicious detail back; 30 l broke right
away FROM the beaten track, and opened
out a new road on my own account.
"Look here, Mr.. Benson" said, very
quietly, getting closer to him, and hoping
wife all my heart that Cynthia would not
hear what I said would you mind telling
me what you are likely to get for a job of
this kind from the bank people,"
Mr.. Benson half closed one eye and
turned the other upon me with swift
glance of preternatural acuteness.
THAT would depend greatly on the
amount Of work the time II took 40, and
so on" he observed, slowly.
"Well, now, suppose You fou1d out this
person, what sum would you take to bring
the news TO me before You took 1t to any
one else?"
he looked at me again, this time more
slyly.
Il don't see that there could be any
harm in that" he said, IN q tone that was
impressively cautions.
"Harn! 1 should think not! How
could there be any harm in your letting
me know before any one else? Would you
take fifty pounds, aud oblige me?"
Benson looked at me for a few moments
as though he would resd my very soul,
snd met his glancs urfl,nehingly.
~ believe you mesG square," he said.
at the end CT his scrutiny; land, If you'll
pass me Your word ass gentleman that this
is no trick to catch me tripping, why, Pu
oblige you"
I held out my hand to him.
81 give YOU my word that this is o pure
" personal matter, only interesting 10 my.
sell, - said with quiet emphasis; and l
saw he believed me.
After I had given him few facts in con-
nection with the matter in Inadvertently
withholding all those likely to be of any
value in the event of his refusing the offer
I was going 10 make presently-I brought
the conversation back again to what was
really my main purpose, by asking what
was the biggest price he had ever received
for carrying a Job of this kind through to
| a successful finish.
'This class of job doesn't pay so well rs
some others," he told me. we dom {
look to make much out Of forgery bust
ness. Oar best chances come in when
we've got family hatreds TO work on.
Now two years ago had what threatened
to be q divorce court job on. lived IN a
house in the country for three months tor
the purpose of watching the mistress Of it.
/ The husbands mother hated her like mad,
and I really believe would have given one
of her fingers if We could have pulled the
business of. Well, abe came to me when
/ had been in the house a week-the
mother, you know-a powerful old
swell she was, but as cruel as a cat-and
offered to pay me five hundred pounds If
| the case against her daughier-in-law was
proven through me. That was The biggest
chance Pva ever had" and NJ. Benson
sighed resiSnedly.
you did not pull the business of, ;
then?"
"Bless you, no sir! The woman was as
innocent OF eny real harm as babe ua-
born. A Eighty, skittish piece OF goods,
/ ont as homes. a woman "a you could wish
70 meet The appearances against her
turned cut 81 moo rshine, as 1 knew they
would. Her husband got ashamed of
/ having listened 20 his mothers nasty in
Situations, and begged his wife's pardon
most bumDly in my presence; and tley'r
as happy a couple now as you'll find any
where. But it Was a big chance, you
know-f7e hundred ponds"
Here was my opportunity, and l seized
it, dropping my voice to the faintest
whisper.
''You shsll have tie cha2cs again, Ben
son; but this time you can earn 1t more
easily-by simply holding your tongue. "
Five hundred pounds" he exclaimed,
in clear, penetrating whisper, which Vas
torture TO me, Knowing how keen these
poor listening ears would be. Five hun
bred pounds only for holding my tongue!
A6out this, Of course, you mean?'-with
his glOved finger on the cbeque.
You must undertake not to try to find
cut even yourself" I murmured, uodding
in assent; "and you must play with the
bank people until it is too late 70 put any
one else on the job"
is that alp" ne asked. There ere no
other conditions whatever attached to earn
ing this money? You won't ask me TO do
half dozen other tricks and include them
in the same bill By and by?"
81 will ask you TO do nothing but what
I have now stated"
"Then Pm your man." he said, reso-
1rtalv. ond this time IL VISA ne who Of