The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-16

and Of course there wasn't a sign of Il
ring III It. But the new stuff had q
clean, bright look, IL Ind n very good
ring, and avery well.tnilled edge And
tho only thing that rchly gave II away
was Its want OF weight. II YOU had
sallttle handful pf.ihe coins 1t was quito.
easy to tell tho difference between then,
and the right stuff.
Nov II I'd never seen those two
sincnrs of plaster Of Paris don't stip.i
pose that should have thought nj
all OF assoclatlng 1.cggc with the
business. for anybody may chance to
have Il single bad hnlf-crowt about
him. But poor Lcgge offered one sof
these half-crowns In my presence and.
OF course. r spotted It III n jffy. 81
II picked up the coin, had n glance
I at 1t, and remarked to Leggc that IL
looked bit Off color. He was one Of
the last men In the world who ought
ever to nave gone In for criminal
5llfe for he was Just MS easily scared
ne Il girl He was all over nerves. He.
went ali wrong abont TINT haf-croWn.i
IIo tried actually to bluster about IT,
and to swear that the coin was per-.
fectly good one; but that was only to-
hide his confusion. He fshed out hand.
full OF good money. and he took up the
shalf-crown he had rendered. and said
!
ifcctly sure that was wrong abort It.
You may DO certain that l didn't like
to admit as much to myself: but II
couldn't help making up my MID that:
LegEc had tried to pass that coin With:
d guilty knowledge. I.fclt Just as much.
grieved as IL I had bowled out my own
brother at the same game; and from
that dayto the end of the whole business
we two felt n sort OF difference between
tus--a kind OF coldncss.
I'VE did meet from time TO time. how.
ever, and now and then we'd exct,2nSc
a word or two together. Just by way Or
making believe, suppose, that We didn't
know what WAS really5a at the bottom Of
our own minds. And 1T was in the fyetyF
same bar where I first met him that he
found out, by accident, what my line
OF business was. Another acquaintance,
saw lis talking together and cnmc TN
and Joined us.
I He was laundering idiot Of fellow
and he began straightway to talk TO me
about my professional affairs But tho
very minute he let out what my business
was, little L.eggie went Ikea corpse, and
~ hadn't put my arm, round him.. ned
have dropped to the floor. f1e shook me
Off with 4 strange anger as II I had Il
insulted him by laying a hand on him:
but he quivered like an aspen leaf, and
1t wasn't until he had had two goes OF.
neat brandy that he. even began to pull
himself together. n KS n a
.,All this time was following up the I
business Of the false haK-crowns, and 1
was worrying out Lcggc: Id known the 7
man very intimately Indeed as I've told
you already but really | had no knowl-$
how he put in his time. 1 didn't know
what source he drew his income FROM,
and began to be nasty and suspicious
in my mind about hinl..3I kept on tell
right ridiculous Importance TO that
smear Of plaster8on Leggn's sleeve, and
that companion smear on Tho table cloth
at his home. But L couldn't associate
from him ii my own mind the factFthat
the matrlx for false CON, and. though
hadn't any. reason TO- suspect Legge of /
being up to that ganle,1 might never
have bowled him over II 1t hadn't been
for that idea getting such a hold upon
me.
There was a highly respecta Bile trades.
man who turned out to be mixed UP with
this job. found out that Legge and he
had familiar knowledge ofleach other.
nine-tenths hoping-to tell the solid truth
that I should have TO confess myself a.
fool for having takensthe trouble..E1
didn't a bit want to prove the man guilty.
llevc that he was 50. But I'd go, to go
into the thing. and there really seemed
to be sort OF fate In the way In which 4
l was forced. az It we're. to fastcn a
watch on that man on such an absurdly
slender ground. But tho puzzle began
to ht In when ! found out that Legge
and my Holborn tradesnlan were as thick
together as they proved to be. The
man was using a respectable and lcgi-
nefarioua trade and it vas his business less
to disseminate tho coin. He passed mono
of it himself, but he sold 1t in the bulk
to professional smashers, who carried 1t 4
all over the three Kingdoms, and some
of II even on to the Continent
1T soon became clear that the false
coin was being made by Lcgge. and
that this was his source. Of income.
Then very curious thing came out. He
was a woman IN charge Of the house. OF
whom he had always spoken to me as
his andlady. There were four or5ifive
other dodgers in the house but Legge
was really the sole tenant, and all these
fnen were his confederatcs.
plant the upper rooms OF the house that
was ever seon.5 But how they had carried
on their operations so long without en-
Citing the suspicion even Of the neighpors3
lis more than can understand.
"Well. the time came when i had to
mako my descent on poor old Legge. and
i neverllked n job less IN, al my expert
Tg thensht od !, th% mat Ind you
there twas no room for9the shadow of q
doubt that she knew all about the busi-
ness, She couldn't have lived In that
house without kno%lng What Naa was g9'iing
the sequel put It out OF existence. had
the house surrounded, ana went " With
presented ourselves at the door. the land
lady. fas! they called her, made q FRANTIC
bolt upstairs, shreking Police! Police!
end calling out that tho house was raid
ed I!cAught her before she rohcbcd tha
head ofitthe stairs But q door was
banged, and + heard tho key turn In the
lock in Legee's slttlng-room,, vent 70
the door, and knocked on It with this
lite mpGment yon see H hn m hand tba and
i told her who / was by name, and she
said some ra!cno sso excited INT hnF asoof
the night, called to her In the Kings
name TO open, and Just as I spoke
bang! bang! went two shots behind the
door.
but ] lost no time you may be6sure b ~
went this into the crack Of the door, with
a turn or the hand | burst the lock open,
and IN I went, There was DOOR LegEf |