fraud.

"General," said he, "I have my doubts about this paper. I'm not going to
tell you why. I understand that there is one witness living who will
swear to all these signatures."

"There is."

"Is he a credible witness? Has he ever committed a crime? Can anything
wrong be proved against him?"

"The witness," responded Mr. Belcher, "is my man Phipps; and a more
faithful fellow never lived. I've known him for years, and he was never
in an ugly scrape in his life."

"Well, if you find that no one is before you on the records, come back;
and when you come you may as well multiply that check by ten. When I
undertake a thing of this kind, I like to provide myself against all
contingencies."

Mr. Belcher groaned, and tore up the little check that seemed so large
when he drew it, and had shrunk to such contemptible dimensions in the
hands of the lawyer.

"You lawyers put the lancet in pretty deep."

"Our clients never do!" said Mr. Cavendish through his sneering lips.

Then the boy knocked, and came in. There was another gentleman who
wished to see the lawyer.

"I shall go to Washington to-day, and see you on my return," said Mr.
Belcher.

Then, bidding the lawyer a good-morning, he went out, ran down the
stairs, jumped into Mr. Talbot's waiting coupe, and ordered himself
driven home. Arriving there, he hurriedly packed a satchel, and,
announcing to Mrs. Belcher that he had been unexpectedly called to
Washington, went out, and made the quickest passage possible to Jersey
City. As he had Government contracts on hand, his wife asked no
questions, and gave the matter no thought.

The moment Mr. Belcher found himself on the train, and in motion, he
became feverishly excited. He cursed himself that he had not attended to
this matter before. He had wondered why Balfour was so quiet. With
Benedict alive and in communication, or with Benedict dead, and his heir
in charge, why had he made no claim upon rights which were the basis of
his own fortune? There could be but one answer to these questions, and
Cavendish had given it!

He talked to himself, and attracted the attention of those around him.
He walked the platforms at all the stations where the train stopped. He
asked the conductor a dozen times at what hour the train would arrive in
Washington, apparently forgetting that he had already received his
information. He did not reach his destination until evening, and then,
of course, all the public offices were clo