The Man Who Knew

don and Western Counties Bank with a light heart and a s

me go out this afternoo

e strain of the forgery and the audit which followed was telling heavily upon hi

ideration, had been granted to him, and which empowered him to marry the girl whose amazing

ou to-d

ces had induced her to take so definite a view,

to lunch. Perhaps then she would explain the reason for her action. He numbered among his acquaintances the

e girl, but the smile left his face wh

ewhere," she

l?" he aske

ook he

nt to themselves, for it was to

ng her hands over the table, "to wha

to think about it. All I know is that people have been beastly

overwrought, and he decided not to press t

u going to st

Savoy," she replied

ere the ceremony was to be performed, and

ight train for the

ur work

lau

ed hilariously. "I cann

rranged for the ceremony to be performed at two-thirty; and the witnesses, a glum verger and a woman engaged in c

e of those empty, purposeless exchanges of banal th

ad. There was no sign of the girl. At two-forty-five he crossed to a providential tobacco

to the priest. He was a little impatient

struck three, the

t marry you to-day,

was ve

as probably been detained by the traffic or

ad and hung up his white

oes not allow weddings after three in the afternoon. Yo

not the girl, but a telegraph boy. He snatched the buff env

g cannot t

s uns

hotel, and her foot was on the step of the taxicab when a hand fell upon h

off to in suc

w her arm away with

aid coldly. "After your horrible charge again

a little,

end," he said good-humoredly, "and tell

A moment's indecision

marry Frank Mer

nod

case, I am coming down to

there was no mistaking the resolution whi

aid. "Don't be absurd, Ja

. Minute happens to be your legal guardian. You are, in point of fact, my dear May, more or l

-one next week," s

till next week before you marry.

he girl hotly, "and I think it is very horr

ause I shall step forward to the rails, gayly flourishing the power of attorney, and not even the most hardened parso

doing this?

rry a man who is certainly a forger, and po

she cried, and stepped

rd, Jasper f

nyway, because you were giving directions to the driver when I stood

and faced h

rs Rents?"

a shad

rs Rents?" he demanded, recov

d not

to its destination bef

n you say you will f

o much so that I shall bring in

was nearl

ous of you! U

tter see your u

d, worst of all, she feared the meeting of the two men under these circumstanc

l at the nearest telegraph o

Jasper smoothly, "you may save yours

nly to learn that the girl had left again with her uncle. He looked at his watch.

le and the chair where he had sat for so long and at which he was destined ne

o see you, Mr. Merri

, closing the door behind him, and he notice

e easy chair and looked u

said. "I have a lot

hings to ask you, uncl

trouble," said the other. "If it is about Mr. R

ked at hi

e said, "though I gather there is someth

in the chair and threw o

perfectly straight with me, and I'll

man made

" said John Minute slowly. "I don't relish saying this, because I have liked you, Frank, though I have sometimes stood in your way a

I can tell you?" a

he truth. I expect you w

ed for a second u

ething rather unpleasant, and that somewhere in the background there is hovering an accusation against me. From the fact that you have me

aid the other quickly. "I sug

laughe

g matter," said J

I hardly know how I can go into the matter here"-he looked round-"for even if this is the time, it is certainly not the place, and I think I'll accept your invita

" said John Minute earnestly. "I want to get to the truth, a

k no

you will not discuss this matter with me in the presence of your admirable secretary? I have a feeling at the b

tude of Brandon, and I have intercepted suspicious and meaning glances from the clerks. I shall not be surprised, therefore, if you tell me that my books are not in order. B

and falsify ledgers. I merely mention Jasper because I want to emphasize the injustice of putting any man under suspicion unless you have the strongest and most convincing proof of h

n Minute, with all his experience of men, and for all his suspicion

ct you to-mor

and out of the bank, and twenty-four

ath, which is called, for some reason, Ashdown Forest. A car was drawn up on a patch of turf by the side of the heath. Its owner was sitting in a l

when you have f

appeared with the package, but

s rather strange of me to give you that little commission the other da

ur smiled u

I did," he

with what I gave y

shuffled his

isfied, si

Feltham; I mean a little upse

ed in embarra

gan, "the fact is,

t? The five hundred

etend to be you and send a commissionaire to the bank for your money,

hink it w

uffeur

he blurted out, "I

nodded tho

pers. And what is there in the

nguidly, and selected a cigarette. He was closing it when

, sir," sa

like?" asked Mr. Holland

m doggedly, as he puffed away at the cigarette, "but I've always

omic," said Mr. Rex Holland cheerful

een in a swindle, and it's worrying me-that bank-forge

he little man's forehead, and ther

d his employer suavely. "You ought to feel highly hon

ough seeking some friend in need who w

do, sir," he said, "

foreigner. I believe he was a Swede. He came to me under exactly the same circumstances as you arrived, and he received exactly the same instructions as you have received, which unfortunately he did not carry out to the letter. I ca

r. I promised to find him another job, but he had already decided upon changing and had cut out an advertisement from a newspaper. I parted friendly with him, wished him luck, and he went off to

and scrambled to his feet. "If yo

eyed him w

icks with me," said the c

ard on his face

en, stepping cautiously into the road, donned the chauffeur'