ing piece
of rascality was suggested to him. He would keep the money himself, and
conceal the record.

"Mr. Long," said the broker, "here is your receipt. It is clear that
you have paid your rent. You will have no more trouble."

Then, as the mechanic left the office, the broker, turning to the
bookkeeper, said, sternly:

"Another such transaction, Mr. Mullins, and you leave my employ."

"But, sir----" stammered Mullins.

"You may spare your words. I understand the matter. If you had not been
in my employ so long, I would discharge you at the end of this week."

Mullins went back to his desk, crushed and mortified. But his brain was
busy with the thought, "Where could James Long have obtained the
receipt?" He remembered having put it into the pocket of his overcoat,
and it had disappeared.

"I was a fool that I didn't destroy it," he reflected.

CHAPTER XV.

A PLOT AGAINST CHESTER.

The more the bookkeeper thought of it, the more he was of the opinion
that Chester must have had something to do with the events that led to
his discovery and humiliation. Otherwise, how could James Long have
recovered the receipt? He, himself, had found it and kept it in his
possession. Chester must have chanced upon the receipt and carried it
to Long.

Though well convinced of it, he wished to find out positively.
Accordingly, he took his cousin Felix into his confidence as far as was
necessary, and sent him to the room of the mechanic to find out whether
Chester had been there.

It was the middle of the forenoon when Felix knocked at the door of
James Long's humble home.

Mrs. Long, with the baby in her arms, answered the knock.

"Is this Mrs. Long?" asked Felix.

"Yes, sir."

"I am the friend of Chester Rand."

"I don't think I know Mr. Rand," said Mrs. Long, who had not heard
Chester's name.

"The boy from Mr. Fairchild's office. He called here, I believe, one
day last week."

"Oh, yes and a good friend he was to me and mine."

"In what way?" asked Felix, his face lighting with satisfaction at the
discovery he had made.

"He brought my husband the receipt he had lost. Didn't he tell you?"

"Oh, yes. I wasn't thinking of that. He asked me to inquire if he left
his gloves here?"

"I haven't found any. I should have seen them if he left them here."

"All right. I will tell him. He thought he might have left them. Good
morning, ma'am."

And Felix hurried downstairs. He was not partial to poor peopl