Year: 1870




lit, four chairs, an inkstand, and partially
filled waste-paper backet. and that was all.


"Rather meagre, Mr.. Moss"
"Now. my dear sir, what more could
you want? Would you like safe? I've
got one to spare down stairs and you shall
have it, and new mat for your feet
there now-I hate haggliug."


"Let me see the other room, please"


1t was one which person sitting at the
table would have right opposite to him,
and it had no door. lit was a clerks Of
fce," Mr.. Moss said, "and you wanted
your eye on such chaps" I suggested
that the principal might sometimes want
privacy, whereupon he said ''he had the
door downstairs and it should be hung at
once If wished it," But having no in
tention of engaging clerk at present l
told him it was of no consequence.


The room was about half the size of the
outer one, and contained desk and stool.
There was large closet for Goals and such
like matters, and good allowance of dust
and cobwebs all over.


'Tll have it cleaned up tomorrow, %
said Mr.. Moss. ''It looks beautiful when
clean, and you'll find the desk to be real
Spanish mahogony."


They would suit me we'll enough, and
told Mr. Moss so; paid him a quarters
rent in advance, and rose to depart.


ooh! by the way, Mr.. Moss" I Iexclaim-
ed, sudden thought striking me; Il
will send man to paint my name on the
door, and on the wall down stairs"


Very good, sir I would do it at once
if I were you. Carl was loose fshsand
if you delayed it until you got you
might be annoyed"


"How so? What was he"


Take cigar first, Mr.. Harker, you'R
find no better in Liverpool. Lord! how
like him you do look when don't see
your eyes,"


"And yet have not been thought to
resemble loose fish before. Mr.. Moss"


Il didn't mean that. Have you never
seen an ugly person resemure very hand
some one? I have many time Well.
about Carl he was here about two years.
and call me a Jew if [ could reckon him
up. He used to come here about noon,
and work up to eight or nine o'clock at
night; but what business he worked at I
could never find out I know he had a
big ledger, and two or three such books ;
but big ledger won't make business
any more than big carpet-bag will, and
he always carried one. He would come
and smoke cigar with me now and then 4;
but I never came up here during all that
time, and he kept this door locked. He
always seemed to be expecting blow did
poor Carl, more like rat in corner than
anything else, poor beggar! Well, sir,
one morning found the key on my mat.
and found the place just as you see it, and
have never seen Carl since. One or two
queer looking men have inquired about
him, and asked if he was coming back
and I said most likely he would, and like
ly enough he will"


''Not at all an interesting story" l
thought, and I felt inclined to yawn in
Mr.. Moss's face; but I thanked him for
his information, and promised to take pos
session in three days. which I spent in
presenting my letters Of introduction, and
making arrangements for the prosecution
of my plans.


At length the eventful day arrived, and
l stood in my own Office, with my name
emblazoned on the door and passage WALL
I was waiting for friend to call on me
(who, by-the-way, had promised to put me
in the way Of doing some business that
very day. and felt impatient for his arri-
val in consequence.


The Office was clean and tidy, and the
floors had been we'll scrubbed.


Why hadn't they emptied the waste
paper basked of all that lumber?


The ofice-keeper had lighted fire, and
I took up the basket to perform the opera
ton myself; but from some cause or other
placed it on the table and began idly to
burn the scraps one by one.


had nearly disposed of them all when
scrap attracted my attention and l read
it. It was torn so as to leave few words
intact, and it ran thus


Louise has given your description,
and you may rely on our finding you
Forward the plates at once. Or"


Then another piece of mysterious pa
per. apparently plan Of some place or
other.