ith me, or if
you would, the matter could be set right at once."

Mr. Hamilton Schuyler thought over this suggestion, and on the whole
regarded it favorably.

"I will go down in about an hour," he said. "You can explain matters to
Mr. Swan. Just think if my aunt had taken the rings and paid full price
for them, and not found out till she got to Buffalo that they were not
genuine!"

"In that case Mr. Swan would have paid her the money or exchanged the
rings."

"I hope so."

"Perhaps you had better hand me back the caskets, and I will carry them
back to the store."

Mr. Schuyler returned the boxes to Mark, who opened them to see if the
rings were inside.

"You will go down in an hour then?" he said.

"Yes, or--upon second thought you had better come right back with the
genuine rings. I have an appointment at the Windsor Hotel, but will be
back to receive them."

Mark understood why Schuyler did not care to go to the jeweler's. He
could not get possession of the genuine rings without paying for them,
whereas, if Mark should bring them, he could carry out his original plan
and retain them by stratagem.

Schuyler accompanied Mark to the front door.

"Now hurry down and back," he said. "My aunt is anxious to catch the
evening train."

"Very well, Mr. Schuyler."

At this moment Schuyler noted for the first time a familiar look in
Mark's face.

"Haven't I seen you before?" he asked abruptly.

"Very likely," said Mark with self-possession. "Perhaps you have been in
the store."

"No; my aunt called there, but I did not. You look very much like some
boy I saw recently," and Schuyler wrinkled up his forehead in the vain
endeavor to place Mark.

"I hope I remind you of a good-looking boy," he said, laughing.

"I see it now. You look like a telegraph boy I recently met in a Fifth
Avenue stage."

"I should like to see him, but I shouldn't think you'd remember a common
telegraph boy."

"He was impertinent to me, that is why I remember him," frowned
Schuyler. "I hope to meet him alone some time. I will give him a lesson
he won't be likely to forget."

"Then I'm glad I'm not the boy you mean. Good day!"

"Good day. Hurry back as fast as you can."

When Mark re-entered the jewelry store Mr. Swan advanced to meet him.

"Well," he said, "how did you make out?"

"I've got the rings with me."

"Did you see Mrs. Montgomery?"

"No, but I saw a young man who claimed to be her nephew."

"What did he say ab