en once more he was
interrupted by Gale entering the office.

"Mrs. Eustace has given me this order to remove all her belongings at
once," he said, as he entered the office and handed the order to
Wallace.

"Very good. I'll tell the girl to bring them downstairs. Will you be at
the front door?"

"Tell the girl?" Gale remarked. "You don't think it's a girl's job, do
you, to move a houseful of furniture?"

"There's no furniture; there is nothing here belonging to Mrs. Eustace
beyond her clothing, and some few odds and ends, I suppose?"

"Then you know very little about the matter, Mr. Wallace. Everything
beyond that door belongs to Mrs. Eustace; everything in the residence
portion of this building is hers absolutely, her own personal private
property. Even that lamp on your table is hers. I have it down on my
list."

"Oh, that is nonsense, utter nonsense," Wallace exclaimed pompously.
"The furniture is the property of the Bank."

"The furniture is not the property of the Bank. Ask Mr. Harding."

"He is asleep at present, but----"

"Then he had better get up, because I am about to remove the bed on
which he is sleeping. It belongs to Mrs. Eustace; so do the blankets,
the sheets, the coverlet, everything, in fact, even to the towels in his
room."

"What absolute preposterous nonsense!" Wallace replied. "I never heard
of such a thing. The Bank always provides furniture for its branches."

"And does the Bank always allow the wife of a branch manager so much a
year for the use of that furniture, napery, linen, cutlery, and the
rest?"

"Why ask such a ridiculous question?"

"Because Mrs. Eustace has been paid such an allowance since she has been
in Waroona. Refer to the office records. They will show you whether it
is so or not."

Wallace turned to the book-racks, and pulled down the ledger. Running
his eye down the index, he saw the item "Furniture Account." Opening the
book at the page indicated, he read enough to prove to him that Gale's
statement was correct.

"Then all I have to say is, that it is extremely unusual," he said, as
he slammed the book, and returned it to its place.

"I am not concerned in that, Mr. Wallace. All I know are the facts. Now
that you are also satisfied, you will see the work is hardly what a girl
can carry out. I'll send half a dozen men down at once."

"But," Wallace exclaimed, looking up aghast, "you don't mean to say you
are going to remove everything?"

"Mrs. Eustace h