Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-08

some bar counter. and posted at the
nearest pillar box just before he had
committed the act.
He went to the drawer in the bu-
reau indicated, raised the papers in
it and found flve-pound note.
Having glanced at it, he closed the
drawer, placed the note in his waist
coat pocket and sat down again at
the table.
stick to it-ifyou can" The words
rang in his ears just as though he
had heard them spoken.
Those words, backed by the five
pound note, wrought a great change
in the mind of Jones. He had Roches-
ing and q little money to help him in
his actions.
The fact of his penury had been like
wet blanket upon him all day. He
now. He rose and paced the floor.
Stick to tiff you can"
Why not-why not-why not?
He found himself laughing aloud,
great gush of energy had come to
him. Jones was a man of that sort,
a new and great idea always came to
him on the crest of a wave of energy;
the Britishegovernment contract idea
had come to him like that, and the
wave had carried him to England
Why not be the Earl of Rochester,
make good his position finally, stand
on the pinnacle where fate had placed
him, and carry this thing through
to it's ultimate .issue?
1t would not be all jam. Rochester
must have been very much pressed by
circumstances; that did not brighten
Jones, to him the game was every
thing, and the battle.
He would make good where Roch-
ester had failed, meet the difficulties
that had destroyed the other, face
them, overcome them.
His position was unassailable.
Coming over from New York he had
read Nelson's shilling edition Of the
Life of Sir Henry Hawkins" He had
read with amazement the story or
British credulity expressed in the
Tichborne case. How Arthur Orton,
a butcher, scarcely able to write, had
Roger Tichborne, a young aristocra1
of good education. orc,
He contrasted his own position with
Ortons.
He was absolutely unassailable.
lie went to the cigar box, chose
cigar and lit it.
There was the question of hand
writing! That suddenly occurred to
him, confronting his newly formed
plans. He would have to sign
cheques, write letters. A typewriter
could settle the latter question, and .
oH9 AoA lilS lthSulC, iiO PoS''SsSS
sample of Rochester's, and would
have to initiate it. At the worst ne
could pretend he had injured his
thumb-excuse would last for some
time. There's one big thing about
the whole business" said he to HIM
self, land that is the chaps eccen-
tricity. Why. il I'm showed too hard
] can pretend to have lost my mem,
DRY or my wits--there's not 81 blessed
card I haven't either in my hand or
up my sleeve, and if worst comes to
worse I can always prove my iden-
tity and tell my story" He was en-
gagged with thoughts like these when
the door opened and the servant
bearing a card on salver. announced
that Mr.. Voles, the gentleman VINO
had called earlier in the day, had
arrived.
Bring him in." said Victor The
servant retired and returned inme-
diately, ushering in Voles, who en-
tered carrying his hat before him.
The stranger was man of fifty, a
tubby man. dressed in a black frock
coat. covered. despite the summer
weather. by a thin black overcoat
with silk facings. His face was evil.