" Brother Beatrice."

" But yon could have cracked a gim-crack thing like that without my help , man , " said Dick . " You ' re devilish dense to-night , Fenton , " sneered his companion . " Parenthetically let me say that my name is Fenton at prevent But when Mr . Lawton ' s articled clerk has passed his examination , and been taken into partnership , well , then , —but that ' s another story , as , I believe , Mr . Rudyard Kipling is in the habit of remarking . "

" Look here , Dick , " exclaimed Darley . "This desk and these premises must bo left to all appearances , after we ' ve done the trick , just as we found them . Now , I have not had the advantage of a mechanical education , "—lie leered as he said this— "and sol . have

called in your valuable professional aid . When we ' ve got the swag , that bit of furniture must bo as if it had never been touched . " " But even then , Darley , the owner is sure on bis return to look and see that his money ' s there . I know enough of human natnre to be certain of that . "

" D ' ye think I . m an utter fool , Fenton , and that I ve not provided against that ? Of course he'll look , but a glance will be the extent . Now , see these which we'll put in the place of the others , " And he drew from the breast pocket of his coat a packet of what seemed to me to be also Bank of England notes . " Flimsies ? " queried Dick . The other nodded blaiidby .

" Now , do you see the game ? " Darley resumed . " By a mere superficial look , these will never be detected as wrong uns , and the thing will only be burst on Tuesday when they are taken to the bank . By that time the real thing can be safely changed into gold

and 3 'on and I can be enjoying ourselves in our own way , as at this time of the year , " he added with a smirk , " it is seemly for us so to do . " " And what ' s to be my share of the plunder ? " asked Dick . And I was horrified by the expression of unholy eagerness with which he put the question .

"Well , you know , old man , I vc been put to no end of trouble and expense in this matter , as I'll show you afterwards , but , " here his voice affected a lofty and magnanimous tone , " you shall have fifty quid . " Then some sharp whispering went on between them , and I could

tell that there was some demur on Dick ' s part to the fairness of the division . However , they seemed very soon to arrive tit it , satisfactory settlement of the point , and my brother said to his accomplice , " All rig ht . You leave those with me , " indicating the counterfeit notes , " cut up into the lane , and keep a close watch in ease of accidents , and I'll be with you in five minutes . "

"No , no , Dick , 111 come back here and be sure that you ' ve left everything in statu quo . " If the whole business had not been so hideously terrible and , in a way , personal to myself , I think I . could have smiled at the idea of one burglar spouting Latin phrases to his

fellow . " Your fingers are clever enough , " Darley went on , " but I like to trust my own eyes , and we must leave this room and desk to A speck as we found them . Now , old man , get to work , and in live minutes i'll be with you again . Old Lawton is a pretty cute one , but we shall do him this time . "

Dick started , and his face blandod . " Lawton 1 What has La \ vton to do with this business ? " he gasped . "It ' s his crib , that ' s all , " answered the other . " Lawton , the solicitor ? " again questioned my brother .

"Yes , yes , Darley snarled impatiently . " Come , come , time ' s getting on . What the devil are you standing gaping there for ? " "I shall go no further with this matter , Darley , " deliberatel y declared Dick . " Are you nnul ?"

"Look here . Lawton is my best friend , that is , he was—beforebefore 1 went wrong . " " And now ? " fiercely ejaculated Darley . " What has he done for you since ? Where would you have been if I had ' ut taken you up when

you had'nt a boot for your foot or a crust for your stomach . I know what Lawton is , d n him , and 1 fell you straight Dick Fenton I ' ve planned this little job almost as much for revenge as I have for profit . 1 was his clerk , and he was my friend , as you call it , hut for one little slip he gave me the sack and turned me adrift . "

I found out afterwards that Mr . Parley ' s " one little sli p" had been an audacious series of petty embezzlements . ' 1 can't hel p that , replied Dick doggedly . " 1 didn ' t fancy this business , and I'll have naught to do with if . " " Won't yon by C d ? We'll see about that , Mr . Richard Fenton ! " Darley burst forth , his eyes blazing with malevolence , and

his face turning livid . " Wont you ? Look you here ! Do you know the trouble I've taken over this job ? I pumped old Lawton ' s clerk dry as to the Mortlake transfer this afternoon ; 1 dodged Lawton all the way here , and at the risk of my liberty never let my eyes quit him until they saw the notes stowed away in that desk ; I faked the

Leatherhead telegram with a pal ; I dodged up the Mrs . Craven message which cost me no end of cautious preliminary enquiry , and now , do you suppose I ' m going to have the whole thing ruined because of your cursed snivelling sentimentality ? Not me ! You ' ve gold hold of the wrong chap , Fenton . "

And then this wretch broke into a volley of unutterable oaths which made my blood run cold . I was aghast and dazed as I tried to realise with what marvellous patience and ingenuity this man had concocted his scheme for the robbery of these particular notes , and

1 shuddered with a great horror that my own , once honest , manly brother should be , associated with such a rogue whose very ability in trickery aggravated the enormity of his wickedness . Alas , the next moment , I discovered there was more than mere "association " between the two , and that this Jim Darley had Dick Fenton hope-

" Brother Beatrice."

lessly under his thumb . I listened with bated breath as the principal in this atrocious business angrily continued . " Once and for all , mark me . I'm not going to be spoilt out of this by croaking and ruling like yours . " He drew at this point from his pocket , whence the false notes had come , a little oblong shape slip of blue paper , and , with a significant frown , flaunted it before Dick , who seemed to bo thoroughly unmanned by the movement . " Take your choice . Fifty

pounds m your pocket , or the police on your track . Bills of exchange , at the best , mean trouble , as a rule , Fenton , but bills of exchange , with forgery at the back of 'em , mean Portland . Now , " ho went on with a diabolical calmness , " if when I come back in ton minutes , this little matter is not completed , you know what to exexpect , and I'll be as good as my word , so help . " Here the blasphemous scoundrel actually took my own little Testament from the sideboard and kissed its cover as he finished his awful oath .

1 drew back to the safe shelter of the laurels near me , as he stepped from the window and stole up to the gate to watch against all possible intrusion from the road . Then making a quick circuit of the house , I opened the front door and crept into the library just as Dick , an agonised look of desperation on his face , was about ,

with a strange wire-made little instrument in his hand , to operate on the key-hole of the desk . I was at his side before he was aware of my presence in the room , and when he did see me , I think he would have uttered a loud cry if I . had not covered his mouth with my open hand .

"Dick , " I whispered very quickly ; "Dick , this must " not be . Decide this Christmas Eve before God for the right . Your eternal destiny may Jiang on your decision . Hash ! " I said , as I saw lie was about to interrupt me . " There is no time for discussion . Stand by mo as I confront that wicked man when he returns , and let us trust to heaven for the rest . "

"But I am in his power , Beatrice , he hoarsely answered , " completely , absolutely in his power . I know him thoroughly , and he'll send me to penal servitude for the very crime be cajoled mo into committing . Oh , " he moaned ; " God help me ! God help me ! " "He will ; Undoes ! " I answered in a low excited voice . A great inspiration ; nay , what I believed then to be a Divine inspiration , an

answer to Dick s prayer of agony , had come to me that moment . " Do exactly what I tell you to do , and we will be conquerors yet . " "What do you mean , Beatrice ? " "This , Dick ! " And 1 whispered rapidly in his ears the details of the conception that possessed me . Dick saw hope too , for he 'heaved a great sigh of relief and thankfulness , and beckoned ine behind the curtain hung over a recess in tlie room ,

He proceeded to act upon the suggestions I had given him . First , with ; i dexterity that both astonished and shocked me , he opened the desk as if he had actually used the proper key thereto , and then , after having abstracted the real notes , he quickly replaced them bv the

imitations , locking up the desk again as he had at first found < t , and putting Mr . Lawton ' s money on the table where Darley had previousl y placed what he called " the flimsies . " Then , by a wave of the lantern , Dick signalled the watcher to return , a signal that was immediatel y understood aiid obeyed .

"Well ? " Darley said , as he stepped again into the room . ' ¦ You ' ve thought better of it , and got the money , eh ? " " Yes , I ' ve thought better of it , but I ' ve not begun work yet , -

Darley . Darley muttered another oath . " Meet me . half way , Jim , and give me my freedom from the possible consequences of that infernal acceptance . I'll do this job for you , if you'll give me that bit of blue paper , and , what ' s more , I'll let you have the whole , spoil in the desk—the whole three hundred pounds . "

But Darley did not seem quite disposed to fall in so easil y with this proposal , and a heated altercation followed . But at last the point was conceded , the perilous "acceptance" ( the nature of which 1 did not then , as I do not now , understand ) was committed to the lire in the grate . Dick repeated his operation on the desk of a few moments before , the bona fide valuable bank notes were restored to their drawer , ami , with a look of triumph , Darley hurriedly pocketed his own false and worthless paper .

Tossing Dick a sovereign , he laughed " That'll gel , you some plum pudding to-morrow , Fenton , and you'll digest it till the more easily now that there ' s no immediate danger of Portland for you . Ta ! la ! old chap . I ' m off . " And in another moment he was gone . I urged Dick also to fl y , but to leave me an address where I mi ght communicate with him . And I urged him none too soon , either , for within the next half hour , to my intense and utter bewilderment , Dad entered the room .

" Here ' s a nice villainous business , " he blurted out . " I ' ve been tricked as if it was the 1 st of April instead of the 21 th of December . Would you believe it ? The very first inr . ii 1 saw when I got on the p latform at Claphani Junction was Sir Charles Kenion himself , as well and as hearty as ever he was in his life . But I'll ran this blackguardly trickster , who ever he is , to earth , or my name ' s not . Why , what ' s the matter , Brother Beatrice ? " he asked , as he rushed towards me .

The only reply I gave him was a hysterical laugh , and the reader will be disgusted to hear that , for the second time in my life , I fainted away . * * * * * *

That same night Mr . Jim Darley was arrested for attempting fo utter forged notes in Richmond , and us for Dick well , it is sniVicient for me to say that he is looking over my shoulders , with a pipe in his mouth , and a happy , peaceful smile on his face as I wiitc these last words .