Sunday Washington globe., 1902-02-09

MY CONSERVATION was naturally extreme
and Levasseur laughed Immensely at the
terror ne excited "Sope- tranquille he
said at last at the same time ringing the
bell, II shall not hurt you" He ordered
some wine, and after the waiter had full
filled the order and left the room, said,
Those notes of Mr.. Trelawney's will, of
course, be stopped in the morning but
think once heard you say you knew Of
market for such articles2'
/ hesitated coyly unwilling to further
commit myself Come, come, resumed
Levasseur. in a still low but menacing
tone, mo nonsense. have you now you
are, in fact, entirely in my power but be
candid. and you are safe. Who is your
friend?'
He is not in town now, stammered.
Stuff humbug I have myself some
notes 10 change There, now we under
stand each other. What does he give, and
how does lie dispose Of them?'
He gives about third generally, and
gets rid of them abroad. They reach the
bank through b0Hd-fde and innocent
holders, and in that case the bank is of
course bound to pay"
Is that the law also with respect to bills
of exchange
YES, to be sure il is"
"And is amount of any consequence to
your friend?"
None, believe, whatever"
well, then, you must introduce me to
him"
mo, that can't,'I hurriedIy answered.
He won't deal with strangers"
"You mast, tell you, or I will call an
officer"
Terrified by this threat, II muuered that
his name was Levi Samuel"
And where does Levi Samuel live1"
That, 1 replied, 'I can not tell but
know how to communicate with him" "
Finally il was settled by Levasseur that
should dine at Oak Cottage the next day
but one, and that I should arrange with
Samuel TO meet us there Immediately after
ward. The notes and bills he had to dis
pose Of, I was to inform Samuel, amounted
to nearly twelve thousand pounds and /
was promised Eve hundred pounds for
effecting the bargain
Five hundred pounds, remember, Will
liams said Levasseur, as we parted; "or,
if you deceive me, transportation. You
can prove nothing regarding nae, whereas,
could settle VoU of hand"
The superintendent and had a long and
rather anxious conference the next day.
We agreed that, situate as Oak Cottage was,
in an open space away from any other
building, Il would not be advisable that any
officer except myself aud the pretended
Samuel should approach the place. We
also agreed as to the probable ability of
such clever rogues having so placed the
notes and bills that they could be consumed
or otherwise destroyed on the slightest
Il. -. Al
seur, and a search of Oak Cottage, would
in ali likelihood prove fruitless There
will be only two of them said, in reply
to a remark Of the superintendent ss to the
somewhat dangerous game l was risking
with powerful and desperate men, even
should LeBreton be there; and surely lack.
son and l, aided by the surprise and our
pistols, will be too many for them" Little
more was said the superintendent wished
us luck aud / sought out and instructed
Jackson
will confess that on setting out the
next day to keep my appointment, I felt
considerable anxiety. Levasseur mtghf
have discovered my vocation, aud set this
trap for my destruction Yet that was
hardly possible At all events, whatever
the danger, it was necessary to face il; and
having cleaned and loaded my pistols with
unusual care, and bade my wife a more than
usually earnest farewell, which, by the way
rather startled her 1 set off, determined as
we used to say in Yorkshire, ''To win the
horse or lose the saddle. F."
l arrived in good time at Oak Cottage, and
found my host in the highest possible
spirits Dinner was ready, he said, but it
would be necessary to wait few minutes
for the two friends he expected.
TtoO friends" exclaimed, really
startled. You told me last evening there
was to be only one, lie Breton" True,
rejoiued Levasseur carelessly; but I had
forgotten that another party as much inter
ested as ourselves would like to be present,
and invite himself if did not But there
will be enough for US all, never fear" he
added, with a coarse laugh especially as
Madame Levasseur does not dine with US. "
At this moment a loud knock was heard
Here they are" exclaimed Levasseur, aud
fastened out to meet them. peeped
through the blind, and to my great alarm
saw that lie Breton was accompanied by
the clerk Dubarle! Ny first impulse was to
seize my pistols and rush out of the house
but calmer thoughts soon succeeded. and
the improbability that a plan had been laid
the clerk recognize me? The situation was
undoubtedly a critical one but was IN for
it, and must therefore brave the matter out
in the best way could.
Presently a conversation, carried on in a
loud menacing toue in the next room be-
tween Levasseur and the new comers ar
rested my attention, and I softly approached
the door 20 listen. lie Breton | soon found
was but half a villain. aud was extremely
anxious that the property should not be
disposed of till at least another effort had
been made at negotiation. The Others now
that market for the notes and securities
had been obtained we're determined to avail
themselves Of 1t, and Immediately leave
the country. The almost agonizing en-
treaties of Le Breton that they would not
utterly ruin the house ne had betrayed
were treated with scornful contempt, and
he was at length silenced by their brutal
menaces. lie Breton, I further learned
was a cousin of Madame Tevasseur whose
husband had first pillaged him at play, and
then suggested the crime which had been
committed as the sole means Of concealing
the defalcations Of which he. Levasseur,
had been the occasion aud promoter