Year: 1877

vow
me a ckeck for ESQ for my services. He
was in excellent spirits now. Cotton
had seemed little harder at that days
market, and should it rise little more,
he would be able, he told me, to put
back the 100000 he had just borrowed,
and clear as much more besides. In that
case, he would settle good part of the
money on Kate, and we might be mar
ried as soon as we liked.


went to bed that night in happy
frame of mind, proud of the confidence
placed in me, with vague but pleasant
dreams of future happiness, when and
Kate should be man and wife. But just
at dawn awoke in horrible fright,
perspiration breaking out all over me.
/ had dreamed that somebody had rob-
bed the office, and in the moment of
waking it flashed upon me that L had
left the duplicate KEEP of my safe hang
ing on its accustomed nail over the fire
place in my office. For there had got
into the habit of hanging it, as had
trick of leaving my keys at home, and
found that the duplicate key would OBJ
viate the inconvenience of not being
able to get at my things. In the excite
ment of the day had forgotten about
its existence.


1 arose at once, although it was barely
four o'clock, and walked down to my
office at top speed. There everything
seemed quiet and tranquil the windows
grim and dusty looking, blinked down
upon me in q reassuring way. After all
my scare was uncalled for. There was
hardly the remotest chance in the world
of thieves getting into the place, and if
they did, would they be likely to find
the duplicate keyp There was no use
in alarming the neighborhood by trying
to wake up the housekeeper. Every
thing was firm and tight, the street
TRANQUILITY sleeping in the early sunlight.
would wait till six o'clock, and the
world was astir again, and then go and
secure the duplicate key. L walked
about the deserted town, refreshing my
self at an early breakfast stall, and then,
as the factory bells were all jangling out
and the streets were filling with opera
tives hurrying to work, presented my
self at the door of the building that held
my office. The housekeeper nodded to
me amicably. No catastrophe had hap
pened in the night, evidently. ran up
stairs, three steps at time, darted into
my office, and-casting glance around
to assure myself that everything was in
statu quo-toward the fireplace for the
key. 1t was hanging in its accustomed
place. With feeling of joyous self
graduation, that no ill effects had follow
ed my carelessness, proceeded in q
leisurely way to open my safe, to assure
myself of the safety Of the deposit.
Judge of my horror and dismay when /
found that the notes were gone-clean
gone.





TO the first stupefaction of despair at
the loss of my uncle's money followed
an eager desire to be doing something. 1
must go to the post office at once; the
notes must be stopped had taken the
numbers-where was the list In my
portfolio; that too 1 had placed in the
safe, that also was gone. Nothing else
was touched, the loose silver 1 kept
there was intact.


Here was blow that almost overpow-
cred me. In addition to the loss of
money, loss of reputation would follow.
What pretty sort of tale should have
to tell, of robbery in which the thieves
had not left the slightest trace of their
operations, where the objects stolen were
notes of which had retained none of the
particulars. Those who knew me best
might believe me, but certainly no one
else would. Ten thousand pounds ab-
stracted from an unlocked safe, the num-
bers not known, and no signs whatever
of any unauthorized person having en-
tered the premises Should 1 believe
such story myself told of any third
] person


One opening for hope occurred to me.
1t was possible that Bob Hargreaves had
kept the numbers of the notes he had
handed over to me. Howbent was only
six miles away 1 might be there and
back before the hours of business COM
menced, in ample time, too, to tele-
graph the numbers to the leading banks.
After some difficulty found cab, and
started to drive there. A miserable, ,anx-
ious drive it was.


Bob lived in rough stone cottage on