The Man Who Knew too much

, and, standing back a pace, surveyed his

will do, Felt

uched his cap an

es, sir; not bad for a twenty-mil

r. Holland, slowly

country cottage which a lavish expenditure

ement to conversation was called for, ventured the view that a c

usly, and then continued: "Correct me if I am mistaken, but as we cam

s,

you had just arrived from Australia and knew nobody in England; I think my ad

car was a fellow who traveled over to the old country on the same boat

nd smiled

s eccentric as I and that he

ked and passed through

ouse, and, once free from observation, lit his pipe, and, seating himself on

r

umstances to discuss my employer, his habits, or his business. Five: Never under any circumstances to go farther eastward into London than is represented

he card and scratched

icity,"

ort to this perturbed Australian. He cleaned his face and hands

uantity. Vacuum tubes were to be found in every room, and by the attachment of hose and nozzle and the pressure of a switch each room could be dusted in a few minutes. From the kitchen, a

, a little one-roomed building separated from the cottage, and the switch was tur

eading, his feet

gh to draw off the coffee into a little

elf struck twelve, and then he placed a card in the

h. From the interior of the safe he removed a cedarwood box, also locked. He threw back the lid and removed one by one three c

wrote slowly, almost laboriously, and he wrote without a copy. There are very few forgers in the criminal records who have ever accomplished the feat of imitating a man's signature

Y's." Even John Minute might have been in doubt whether he w

yed his handiwork

blotting paper for some reason, probably not unconnected with an event in his earlier career. When the checks were in his pocket, Mr. Holland re

morning he summ

train. Meet me at the Holland Park tube at two o'clock; I

id the dazed man when he

n the day Mr. Rex Holland returned to London he called

and have some t

ound approvingly at the prettily furnished sitting ro

," she laughed. "But why on earth you should

tea with a twi

ed ironically. "No, I'll save you the agony of guessing. I earn se

ncle--" she be

ed Frank vulgarly;

ut

tly. Between generosity and justice, give me generosity all the time. I will tell yo

over and pa

tically, "that doesn't make i

in a little gri

ming out of the Waterloo Station looking more mysterious

her head

about Jasper as

looked at him

use your uncle does not seem to take the same view of Jasper as you take. It is

t her with a q

teful f

ook he

you everything, but th

Frank ask

ur uncle, o

nearer

m a feeling for

on't look so glum, Frank! I suppose I am slow to develop, but y

miled r

ar," he said quietly; "bigger t

ripening into womanhood. She might have been described as cold and a little repressive, but the truth was that she was as yet untouched by the f

e never liked my father nor any of my father's family. His treatment of his wife was infamous. My poor governor was one of those easy-go

no

he said sym

ood points. He was careless, and he drank much more than was good for

riefly but vividly by John Minute. She knew also some of those sc

f I can help you in a

ly," said the young man q

ga

he asked,

oon." He smiled, and, crossing

ere is nothing in the world I would not do f

ook he

time to think about t

you this--that my only hope of independence--independence of his millions and his influence--you cannot know how widespread or pern

ra

arried within the next ten days"--he snapped his fingers--"that for his m

d at him,

told me t

head a little

ay, and some things which you can never know t

"you are not married within

ged his

but that is the truth, and, May," he said, still holding her hand and looking earnestly into her face, "I don't want to feel like that about John Minute. I don't want to look forward to his end. I want to meet him without any sense of dependence. I don't want to

thoughts ran riot through her mind. She felt as though she were an arbitrator deciding between two men, of both of whom she was fond, and, e

again. "I don't think you had bett

nod

ou're righ

eased her hand

irthday? She remembered how John Minute had insisted that her thoughts about marriage should be at least postponed for the next fortnight. Why

er been granted the use of a private office. His big desk was in a corner remote from the counter, surrounded on three sides by a screen which was half glass and half

Mr. Brandon, the manager, came hurriedly from his little sanctum

ful long time for l

nk. "I met Miss Nutta

the other day?" the

u sent me," replied Frank, "but

iend of you

ink so. Why

Liverpool Cotton Bank, one was for forty-one thousand one hundred and forty pounds, and was drawn upon the Bank of England, and the other was for seven thousand ni

s deposited. The check for seven thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine pounds fourteen shillings was drawn upon the London and Western C

fourteen shillings from Mr. Minute's balance," said

in despair at the unbusines

know yo

ho

Hol

d in an effo

Yes, now I remember," he exclaimed. "He opened the account on a letter of introduction which was signed by Mr. Minute. I thought at the time that they had

don shook his

"I don't like these mysterious depos

oungish man, exqu

n sha

me the face was familiar to me and I had an impression of having seen him before. I think he was wearing a gold-rimmed eyeglass when

see him to-morrow. As a precautionary measure we might get in touch with you

with him to-day," smiled Frank, "for he is due to

hrough the swing door and laid a letter upon the counter which was taken in to

this,"

read it. It was addresse

y partner, Mr. Minute. I shall be very glad, theref

fait

. HOL

within five thousand pounds of the amount standing to Mr. Holl

, Sergeant George Graylin, of the corps of commissionaires, and this form

walked to

u this lette

d, sir," sa

. Holland?"

ant shook

ere to take this letter to the

only the largeness of the sum which made him hesitate. He disappeared into his office and came back with two bundles of notes whi

gone Brandon wi

business very much, and I should be very glad i

ed with the departure of the commissioner, and one of the junior clerks, balancing up his day book, dropped

at him in a

you had come a few minutes befo

people had not sent me any message. I only got the wire just before the train started. I have been spending all the

st paid out fifty-five thousand po

rank and from Frank to the manager, who suddenly expe

'?" asked John Minute. "I have

g to fifty-five thousand pounds this morning

"Why the devil should I give him ch

asped the coun

halting words, and led the way to

e examined

myself, and yet I never wrote those checks or sign

I jotted it dow

sionaire was discovered. He had been employed, he said, by a Mr. Holland, whom he described as

ionaire, "and he spoke like an Australian. In fact, when I me

tiations having been by letter. Mr. Holland's agent had assumed responsibility for the flat, and Mr. Holland's agent was easily disco

l porter said that, as often as not, the flat was untenanted, and only occasionally, when he was off duty, had

inute grimly; "that nobody has

stif

not, the man you saw was not Mr. Holland, and it is probably the work of a gang, but I

were not

had handled some of the biggest cases of bank swin

e it is almost impossible to recover them, because it is quite easy to change even notes f

on the third day after the crime three of

r all his dividends to be paid in actual cash, and these were sent to the Piccadilly branch of the London and Western Counties Bank in bulk. After a payment o

oney had been paid in by his confidential secretary, Jasper Cole, and