"

The boy turned slowly, and there was a shaking horror in his eyes that
made me feel sick. He signed the book and took the message from the
salver, apparently acting against a sense of the most intense
repulsion, and for all that unable to help himself. The message once in
his hand he did not seem to concern himself overmuch with its possible
import; presently the envelope fell from his inert fingers and
fluttered down at Indiman's feet. The latter picked it up and handed it
to the young man, who thanked him in a voice barely audible.

"The man is waiting to see if there is any answer," suggested Indiman,
quietly.

Mr. Sydenham started, colored deeply, and tore open the envelope. He
read the message through carefully, then perused it for a second and a
third time, and sat motionless, staring into vacancy.

Indiman leaned forward. "Well?" he said, sharply.

The young man looked up; the cool confidence of Indiman's gaze seemed
suddenly to inspire in him a feeling of trust; he took the risk; he
handed the message to Indiman. "What answer would you advise me to
give?" he said.

The message contained these words:

"The Empire State express passes the Fifty-third Street bridge at 8.35
o'clock to-morrow morning. You can drop from the guard-rail. Is life
more than honor? Answer. V. S."

Indiman looked at me, then he rose and took Mr. Sydenham by the arm.
"Let us go into the card-room," he said, quietly. "Thorp, will you
come?"

The young man's story was very simple. He had held until lately the
position of cashier in the firm of Sandford & Sands, stock-brokers. On
January 15th a shortage of fifty thousand dollars had been discovered
in his books. Mr. Sandford being an intimate friend of the elder
Sydenham had declined to prosecute. That was all.

"Let us proceed frankly, Mr. Sydenham," said Indiman. "Did you take the
money?"

"I am beginning to think so," answered the young man, dully.

"Come," said Indiman, encouragingly, "that does not sound like a
confession of guilt. Don't you know?"

Mr. Sydenham shook his head. "I can't tell you," he answered,
hopelessly. "My accounts were in perfect order up to January 10th, when
I discovered that our bank balance showed a discrepancy of fifty
thousand dollars. I covered it over for the time, hoping to find the
source of the error. Five days later I told Mr. Sandford. The money was
gone, and that was all that I could say."

"Let us recall the events of January 9th.