The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-15

| in some respects not unbrilliant career
| was my extraordinary resem Dlance in face
| and figure to Mr.. Benson manager of the
| Tinford branch of the London and Tinford
| Bank
Ted was waiting for me Mt the lodgings
| he had taken in IL small street near the
| river
"Halloa, mate" be cried when en-
tered, whats up You look happy.
| .'iIappy!f | echoed. Look here, Ted,
| I've lust hit upon what may turn out the
most splendid bit of luck we've ever
| Glanced unon, old pail And then | told
him as briefly as possible OF my meeting
| in the train with the manager of the
| bank, who was as like me us one penny to
| another.
For IL moment lie seemed astonishcd,
and then said slowly:
We'll, supposing there is this wonder
| fui likeness between you and him; how is
| it going to help u.s."
''Ted, l said you're q fool
He moved uneasily.
"Chuck that" he cried, land come to
business. It's one to tell me I'm fool and
another TO show how this resemblance is
going to bring II, business"
"You re not rs cute as | thought you,
| lad | remarked. Don't you see my
w L
that one of these fine mornings | meant
to take the mana gers place in the bank
parlcr and to play the very deuce with the
bank S transactiOns:h
He still looked at me obviously
II can't see, lie said, pursuing his lips,
''what good you can do at that game.
You're as Ignorant of the banks business
as kid
'Just so, | replied but | don't in
tend to be always in that condition. Now,
listen to my plan. want you to make
friends in your quiet way with one or two
OF the subordinate bank officials Find
out when they are sending Il large con-
signmcnt Of bullion somewhere. Then
shall make my move. | shall take the
manager place, ask for the delivery note
of the stuff, tell the clerk that have been
instructed from headquarters to have it
forwarded to another destination and
finally give him Il place we will arrange
between ourselves rs the address to which
the bullion is to go.'
He began to look more cheerful.
Not II bad idea, he said sulkily; "but
it will take n lot of doing"
Left alone, | went to my bag and pro-
ceeded to make up. | may say without
vanity that / have some ability in this
branch of the actors profession, and very
soon L had transformed myself from n
dark compleXioned young citizen of 80
into II venerable looking citizen of, say,
20 years or more. So complete was the
disguise that Ted, coming in two hours
later, started
BEG pardon, SIR lie cried, "what can
/ do for you?n
sin the Queens name I arrest you, Ed
ward Marsden," | cried, assuming the
IF
He turned very/whte. Evidently he
thought his ti1r9 had come at last
Seeing Ills distress, threw off the wig
and 0Jher DISCUSSES and cried:
Buck up, old man; the Queen doesn't
want you just YETI
He tried to laugh, but could see that
he was trembling like IL leaf. But il graf
flied me to think how completely my
makeup" had imposed upon him, for
now had nothing to fear when | made
my call OH the manager.
'Well what luck" l asked my mate
when he had recovered from the shock |
had given him.
Not much, but something to 20 on
With he made reply. 81 watched one
or two of the bank chaps 90 into the little
bar opposite the bank, and, of course
followed them in. One of them seemed Il
l
to him by asking if he could tell me what
had won the Chester Cup. He told me mt
once, and as he seemed to he IL bit OF a
sport got talking on race matters, ask
ing him for tips and so on. He appeared
battered by my reliance on what he said
and we had various WHISTLES together |
didn't breathe II word to him about the
bank, of course. That'll come later.
Now, have arranged to meet him ut the
billiard saloon tonight, where by filling
him with whisky and getting on the right
side of him may, perhaps he able to get
hold of something worth Knowing
"a very good start, indeed,' com
mented. Il couldn't have done the thing
better myself
AT II O'Clock the next morning l was
usheIed into Mr. Benson's room in the
bank. He rose courteously to greet me.
Good morning, sir, he said, briskly.
What can have the pleasure of doing
for you?n
ut once coniided to him some mag
mary details of IN account which wished
to open with the bank. | forgot nov
what said, for vas intent ali the time
on watching him closely, so as to he able
To initiate any little pccularitics of cx.
preston or manner he possessed when the
time came.
noticed that he wore in his coat an
orchid.
| made mental note that /, too, would
decorate myself in this fashion. Then,
again, he appeared somewhat deaf, and
had Il manner OF putting his hand on his
ear when listening to you. This, too, |
carefully noted for reproduction.
In the course of ouu interview he rang
several times for the young man who APP
peared to he his confidential clerk. This
mans name was Mostyn. Fearing that
with so many details to remember might
forget so slight a.thng as name, made
note of Mr.. Mostyn's on my shirt cuff.