The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-08-18

you 70 add apostScript 10 the letter Ash.
ing for Il to Be handed to the messen'
ger"
He smiled gravely. and must confess
/ admired him for his complete self-pos
session.
"S<t yourself at ease. my good sir.
he said. calmly; Il happen to have my
check book In my breast pocket II Il
rarely that l am without II, such ars
the constant claims made on the pocket
of a modern millionaire"
"All the better" returned. "anc now
IL only remains for me to ask you to bs
good enough to draw up and sign the
check Of which I spoke to you"
Very WELL" he replied. II am in your
power, gentlemen, and as you are kind
enough to inform me that q bullet or q
check are alternatives ! certainly pre-
fer that you should have the check and
that l should go without the bullet,
Give me that pen again. please"
Understand" l said, sterrly. -tha,
no trickery viii avail you. have here
a check which you signed some weeks
ago, and. naturally, the check you are
about to give me will have to be written
in exactly similar manner. believe
many gentlemen Of your wealth possess
secret marks showing the genuineness
Of O check. and such marks will have tc
be made, If they exist, on the other
check"
"As you please" be returned, quickly,
"give me the model you refer to and@
will make as faithful q copy as I can
A moment later check for 10.
was in my hands. Taking my glass
scrutinized it closely, but could find
absolutely no mark distinguishing 1,
from the check had kept as a model.
All was going well and it seemed to me
that within few hours Paterson, Har-
ris and would be the richer by 10000
between US.
We made Brayne as comfortable as we
could and saw that he had plenty to
eat and drink. After all, he was paying
for his board and lodging at a very
liberal rate and we could afford to treat
him handsomely.
Late that evening, when the million
aire was fast asleep on the sofa, watched
over by the devoted Harris, I called my
chum Paterson TO me and gave him
some final directions
"You will keep Brayne here" said,
until Wednesday night Then see that
his drink IS drugged, and when he is
unconscious carry him TO some safe spot
and leave him, taking care, of course,
that the spot in question is some dis
tance from here. BY that time shall
have cashed the check, If all goes we'll,
and shall be in Brussels. You and Har-
ris will then cross the'channel and Join
me at the Hotel d'Angleterre, Brussels,
where we will divide the proceeds of
this deal. There can be no doubt that
Brayne has played US fair and square,
and evidently he considers that he is
escaping easily with the loss Of the sum
In question"
On the following Monday morning,
magnificently attired, drove up to the
bank and, throwing down the check on
the counter, told the cashier that l
would take the money in e 100 notes.
He glanced quietly at the slip of pa
per and, saying that he would let me
have the money In a moment went to
desk nt remote corner of the bank
and spoke in a whisper to another clerk.
I began to grow trife alarr.'d at
this delay, but l reassured myself by
rejecting that nothing could possibly
be wrong, in view of the fact that the
check was an exact copy, so far as the
mere outward form was concerned. Of
the ordinary check signed by Mr..
Brayne, and my astonishment can there
fore be better imagined than described
when l found myself few minutes
later in the grasp Of a couple Of con-
stables
whats the meaning Of this?" I
asked. trying to speak coolly. "The
checks all right"
A tall, dignified man came forward
at this point. ION the contrary" he
said, quietly, II have reason to know
that the check is all wrong, and as the
manager of this bank l give you into
custody on n charge Of attempted fell
ony."
What could say? What could l do :?
I was so dumfounded at the whole busi-
ness that ! allowed myself to be placed
In four-wheeled cab, the constables
and the manager also occupying seats
In the vehicle.
When we had gone some little dis
tance l turned to the bank official and
said: "We obtained this check from
Mr.. Brayne by threats. How did you
or your assistants know that this check
was not signed by the gentleman Of
his own free will? AS far as know
there is no mark whatever on the check
which could give the game away
The manager smiled. "Well, as no
harm can be done by telling you,
may as well do so. Mr.. Brayne is in
the habit of Systematically making a
small blot on the back Of every check
he signs, and II is an understood thing
hafweep tho hapk and him TINT opv