The Washington times., 1912-09-01
CHAPTER XVI.
Contriving a Conspiracy.

that which lay concealed somewhere
within the convoiutions 'of his brain,
out II was an exceedingly acute one,
especially when its possessor saw the
slightest chance of benefiting or indulg-
ing himself.
At present II was filled and a little
perplexed by three different sets of
emotions-wonder, at the magnificence
and value of the diamond necklace
which Miss Driscoll had produced from
the green bag; envy, that so much
wealth should be at somebody else s.
and not at his Ninian Baxendale's,
disposal; speculation, as to how the
property could be transferred from its
present holder to himself.
Ninian had a fair knowledge of hu-
man nature; he knew that when Miss
Driscoll declared the value of the dia-
monds to be $1,000 pounds Miss Driscoll
was somewhere near the truth.
Fifty thousand pounds!"
The mere reiteration of the words
sire. He would have sold his soul for
one-f1ftieth the sum II the devil would
only have paid him in ready cash.
1t may be as well to relate OF this
young gentleman that from his youth
upward he had been given to nefarious
practices. At an early age he abstract
ed stamps from the office drawer, and
was cunning enough never to sell them
over the counter of the town postoffice,
Weeping them rather until chance or
fortune took him to some other place
where he was not known.
Later on he appropriated postal or
ders and petty cash in the same way.
| bv his too conf1ding father with the
task of collecting sundry small and
| much overdue accounts, he had received
the money and put 1t into his own
/ OF ha hnH
| cessfully forged his fathers signature
to small check ana the forgery was
50 skiilfully carried out that Mr.
tSat saxerdale 7, s had d. not not been able to say
Ninian, in short, was born to the
predatory. Where his instincts came
from no one who knew his family
could tell. but his earliest playmates
could have told you that from child
hood his-eole interest In life seemed to
lie In cheating, picking and stealing.
He Sas- one of the order Of the
human race whose instincts of theft
are aroused by the sight of sixpence
that does not belong 10 them and who
! could not be left alone In the dining
room where the dessert had been laid
out without pocketing the peaches.
| All the wav between Castleford and
Leeds Ninian Baxendales brains were
| steadily occupied with the problem how
to get hold of Miss Driscolrs diamonds.
Long before he had made a noiseless
| exit from the cupboardd he had recog-
nized one fact as being what he called a
dead certainty-the job coud not be
| worked single-handed IT was a pity,
| but II couldn't be helped.
He would much have liked to have the
swag entirely to and for himself. but he
saw no more prospect Of that than OF
cart. Big affairs like that, he knew.
must be worked in couples, II not in
gangs So long as this could be worked
by a couple. Ninian felt that he would
hA ant ha tot In n ~
liked to have full value, Dut II he could
not get 1t he would put up with half
But he wished no further finger In
the pie-two hands were quite enough
| so long as Dick ana | can work IT,
he said to himself, as the train wormed
its wav through the CRIME and gloom
Of the suburbs into the smoke -sodden
4 heart of Leeds, so long as Dick and
can work it-bv ourseives-I shant care
There'll be a fortune for each of us II
the things properly worked out. But
We mustn't have third partner in it
| that's fiat"
With these thoughts in his mind, Mr.
Ninian BaXendale got out of :he train
left the station and turned into BoaI
lane. which somber thoroughfare, 1t be-
ing then nearly o'clock in the evening
was crowded with folk who were or
their way home. He pushed his way
through the crowds, taking no notice
of anything until he came to Briggate
There he turned sharply round towarc
the bridge and with one hundred yards
of It stepped out of this street into q
narrow alley and into shop from tht
door of which BARRIERS pole projected
He did not glance at the window al
he entered, that being none of his bust
ness---if he had, his eyes would have
fallen for perhaps the thousandtf
time on certain gilt letters picked ou
on a chocolate background.
Ninian passed through a little shoI
at the counter of which a yellow-h haired
young lady presided over somewha
meager-looking stock of tobacco ant
pipes and cigarettes, with no mor'
than a curt nod to its occupant, anC
pushed open the door of the hair-cuttint
room beyond. This was not much NOR
pretentious than the. tooacconist
shop outsde---it was furnished will
shabby plush lounges, running rount
three Sides a couple Of marble tables
fitted with mirrors and ad1uncts tl
the toilet and a similar number of bar
ber chairs. The walls were adorned
with advertisements OF tobacco, picture
of famous race horses and Wel-khow'
Jockeys, and with the play biiis or IN
various theaters and music halls Withll
the city. 1t was plain, somewha
It which suggested that 1t was not e1
actly all that It appeared to be;
Two persons were present in the room
when Ninian Baxendale pushed open I'M
swing door and walked in. One, I
pale faced man OF thirty, had lai'
aside his barber's apron and was op
yiously preparing himself for departur
nv brushing somewhat seedy blacI
, coat which was intended to supplement
an equally seedy vest and trousers
The other. a rather handsome, tull
, habited man of forty or fifty, with
clean shaven face, dark hair curling
: the temples and a pair OF quick mooli
I eyes. stood leaning against the fireplace
: | cleaning and polishing his finger nails
: He looked up from mis- task and me
Ninian Baxendale's inquiring eyes
which threw him a suggestion as the
met his own. ~
"Well!' he said. How are you?'
How are vou?' responded Ninian
Knocking off for the day."
Just about" said the other. return
/ ing his nail scissors 10 his pocket.
r eve a bit of time to spare" SAT-
, | Ninian carelessly. IT thought perhap
you'd like to have hundred at oil
: liards?"
r mo objection at all, my boy; I'll jus
go through the cash, iock up and b
with you In half a mo- said MI
, Claye, bustling cheerrullY into the to
{ | bacConists shop. Take seat-thero'
| the Evening Post"
Ninian sat down on the faded velve
lounge, picked up the paper and turne
to the racing news. The pale-face
| man put on his coat picked up smaI
" bag, said Goodnight, SIR" in sub
: dued voice and went his way throug
the swing door
y A faint jingle OF cash sounded in tn
shop and died away; then the yellow
| haired Young woman came out, put O