The Man Who Knew

essed her perple

n a man passed me and entered one of the houses-it was, I thought at the time, either the last or the last but one on the left. I now know that it was the last

for a room which is apparently the one Mr. Cole uses. None of the people in the Rents know Mr. Cole or have ever seen him. Apparently the downstairs room in the empty house is kept locked, and a woman who lives opposite told my informant, Thompson, who

dinary? Please tell m

illed his pipe. He was puzzled, and found no s

le time to give to outside problems. But the thought of Cole and his curious appearance in a London slum

ry position and one which insured for him more consideration than the average official receives at the hands of his superiors. His uncle was financially interested in the bank, and it was gene

ly as Frank came in and c

. "I want to see you about Mr. Holland's ac

k no

n in the l

the manager thoughtfully. "I wo

hing wrong wit

sh you would see him and persuade him to put some of this money on deposit. The head office does not like big floating balances

eing in Plymouth, it is necessary, by the peculiar rules of the bank, that the floating balance

check acro

. It is to pay the remainder of the purchase price due to Consolidated

he sprawling sign

p up," he said good-humoredly; "one is no

made a lit

ut here in the very heart of the money world cash payments are a f

I do think you ought to allow something for uncle's p

it is very inconvenient, but it was not to discuss

ss book from a hea

He opened his account while I w

" said Frank, "and he

man is he?" as

escribe him as a typical young man about town, not very brainy, very few i

ippodrome," interr

e of a certain languid assumption of ignorance as to financial matte

r, thrust his hands in his trousers' pocket

n deposit. We will pay the usual interest and all that sort of thing. You can explain that he can

will see him this afternoon. What

tsbridge," replied the man

his balance?"

so since we can always give him an overdraft on the security of his deposit. Suggest to him that he puts thirty thousand pounds with us and leav

look

ickly, "is he comi

desk, and a look of amus

ing," he said slowly. "Wha

four o'

he bank

nager

," said Frank, after a pause. "I suppose

Mr. Brandon. "You see Mr. C

an exclamati

as this bee

if you have not been told by your uncle, you had better

little amused by the other's anxiety. "You have been very

ting on boards if he can help it, and has never been represented except by his solicitor since he acquired so large an interest in the bank. As a matter of fact, I t

swer was a

has the scientific mind grafted

n't lik

according to uncle, spends his days and nights almost slavishly working for his employer. Oh, yes, I know what you are going to say; that is a very fine quality in a young man, and honestly I ag

anage

ice," he said good-humoredly. "Yo

k, and went back to hi

of the bank at which the porter stood ready to close. He was well, but neatly, dre

ter and smiled, displaying t

rank easily, extending

urse he is very worried about things, but then I th

icular?" asked Fr

ugged his

rribly suspicious of people, and sees a spy or an enemy in every strange face.

s especially irritating to Frank, who secretly despised the Oxford product, though he admitted-sin

unts," said Frank, leaning on the count

at," drawl

is hand and sele

ings. By the way, your uncle had

in

land," sai

rnal nuisance," said Frank. "I went down to Knightsbridge to

harity, and he is starting a guinea col

iend of mine?" asked Fran

fway to the manager

mention the gentleman. I have no other reas

aid Frank suddenly, "were

hot a swift g

hy

near Victo

ith his inscrutable smile, and, turning abr

lerk went home, leaving Jasper alone in the bank. Mr. Brandon, the manager, was a bachelor and occupied a flat above the bank premises. From time to time he

e manager disapprovingly, "

miss a dinner," l

," said th

to the street and called

oss Station

courtyard, and after a while walked

Road," he said