The times., 1898-04-17

| NalhS' shoulder but this time it went
| out full and returned empty. The wheels
of the railway van ratified on the stones
| of Wells Street, ratified on until they met
| the deeper roll of the Gray's Inn Road,
| and were lost. On the floor of the quiet
| room lay an insignificant looking case.
| its treasure still hidden, and over it stood
| two white-faced men.
1t was well DONE" murmured Wallis:
there were three seconds to spare"
| III.
The same room and the same men.
Three days have passed-days which had
| cut strange lines in Wallis boyish face.
| He had made a mistake: a thing always
unpleasant in itself, hateful when involv-
| ing confession to a man like Stevens In
a corner of the room stood a new safe.
| bought for the purpose, and in it lay the
| unopened case of gold. Wallis had left
the treasure in Stevens hands without
hesitation. You would steal it all if you
dared he had said, unkindly, but you
do not dare. You know that 1 should at
once lay an information against you, and
you would be caught with the stuff in
your possession. You couldn't get rid of
it,"
by the way, Stevens he said now
have you thought of the means by which
problem of some interest"
L suppose there are ways" answered
Stevens, GROSSLY, but don't know them.
You have had the management of this
business. and you had better keep it,
II also suppose there are ways, but
don't know them. 1t seems rather alb
surd."
Stevens sprang to his feet You don't
know! Have you bundered into this. you
staggering fool. and you can't sell the
gold you've stolen? Why didn't you con-
suit me?"
That is precisely what I am doing
now
Stevens dropped into his chair. '1t must
be possible he said, weakly.
Listen to me-
Il want my $4,000"
Listen TO me- and when have finished
you shall have your 2000!"
II shall really have it2''
You shall really have it," said Wallis.
smiling grinly. It was nasty smile.
when | was at the Bank of England. -
he went on. 81 learned a good deal about
gold, but there was one detail which
escaped me. We are now breaking our
heads against that detail You will know
that by the coinage act of 1870 any one is
entitled to take gold to the mint and to
have it coined at the rate of T7s. 10 I'D.
an ounce. There is nothing to pay. This
seemed to me to be an admirable ar
rangement, and when / planned this rob-
berry ] had in my mind to take the gold
to the mint in small quantities and grad
ually to have 1t coined. l always believe
in the bold course, and this seemed both
bold and safe
THAT is all right. What is the diff
culty?"
you shall hear. Yesterday 1 thought
it well to study the subject more fully,
so as to find out all the ways of the mint
and TO guard myself against unexpected
dangers. l went to the Guildhall Lii
brary and looked up a book on the sub
ject. l found everything satisfactory ex,
cept for one detail, and that detail. Ste
vens, is the devil. | found that although
the Bank of England pays only rs. Sd.
an ounce for gold-l 1-2d. per ounce less
than the mint-yet in practice it is better
to sell gold to the bank for cash than to
wait an indefinite time for the mint TO
turn it into coin. 1t has. therefore, hap
pened that since the passing of the coin
age act one firm, only one firm, has ever
sent gold 10 the mint to be coined. Only
one,"
Il remember now said Stevens. "I
remember reading about ii years ago"
This makes ii impossible for us to
send our gold to the mint. We should
be curiosities, who would attract uni
versal attention. and l may say, Ste
vens, that public attention is not pre-
cisely what we desire. AS members of
a crowd we could have passed unsus-
pected, but as the claimants of a right
which has lapsed in practice we should
be the objects of the most embarrassing
scrutiny. The half-penny evening pa
pers would even want TO interview US
What do you suggest?'
II confess that l don't see my way.
1t seems absurd to possess $1,000 in solid
gold and to be in difficulties for a five
pound note, but that is just my position.
Your position is even worse. l have
thought right through the problem, and
am out on the far side. Gold is usually
handled by bullion brokers. who are
members of well-known and wealthy
firms. Private persons never possess
unmanufactured bullion in any quantity
unless they steal it, and having stolen
it they instinctively shrink from giving
references"
You mean that If we tried to sell to a
bullion broker, we should be asked for
references"
"Of course
why, in Gods name, didn't you think
of all this before?"
Because l was blinded by my faith in
the mint.'
Stevens began to pace the room. 1t was
November and cold, but the sweat stood
out on his face "Why not take YOUR
courage in both hands and sell it to the
bank? They only give us. 3D., but it is
better to sacrifice l I'D. an ounce than
to-"
Wallis roared with laughter. 'T would
love to do it, if only for the humor of
the thing. But it would be impossible
They would want to know where I got
the stuff, and it would take a very strong
lie to carry hundredweight of their own
bars
What are pawnbrokers for?"
To borrow money from"
We'll, couldn't we?''
u have thought of that, but there are
difilculties. We should have to find
venal pawnbroker No one else wouId
look at manufactured gold for it
would certainly be stolen property. Now
paWnbrokers are licensed and overlook
ed by the police, and their interests
generally keep step with their honesty.
No doubt there are venal pawnbrokers.
but / can't risk nv liberty for the next
twenty years by experimenting in search
ing for one"
II am afraid said Stevens gravely.
that we shall be obliged to sacrifice
good deal of the value of the gold by
selling to receiver-I believe such peo-
pie called fences OF course / won't
in that case insist on the whole of my
$1,000 l will be content with half of
what the lot sells for
"All right" said Wallis. You shall
have your share and shall sell it to a
fence as you call it. don't know any
fences myself. but no doubt you are
more fortunate"
Stevens cursed loudly 'I won't he
made fool of any longer. I believe you
can easily sell the gold if you like. You
promised me my $4,000 just now; give
me my money and clear out 1 shall