hange."

CHAPTER XIV.

THE MISSING VALISE.

That he was imprudent in trusting himself on the American side Mr.
Grant Palmer was well aware, but he felt that he was in danger of
losing the entire proceeds of his skilful burglary, and to this he
could not make up his mind. Besides the danger was not very great. Why
should any one suppose that an ordinary valise contained stolen
property? There was nothing remarkable about the appearance of his
hand-bag. Hundreds of them are carried every day. If it were opened by
a dishonest person, of course it would be doubtful if he ever got it
back, but the clerk at the Clifton had said that this Mr. Lawrence
seemed like a high-toned gentleman, who would of course scorn to avail
himself of property not his own.

"Risk or no risk!" decided Palmer, "I must go over and reclaim my
property."

Leaving him to cross to the American side, we will follow Mr. Lawrence,
who, not at all suspecting that the valise he had received from the
clerk was not his own, repaired to the International Hotel and engaged
one of the best rooms in the house, for he was a man of ample means. He
laid his valise on the bed and went down-stairs. Later in the day he
went out to take his customary walk.

Meanwhile Fred and his two companions walked about in a leisurely
manner, surveying the Falls from different points, and finally went to
Goat Island. Here they sat down on a bench and surrendered themselves
to the fascinations of the scene.

"Well, what do you think of Niagara, Fred?" asked Frank.

"It is even finer than I had supposed," replied the train boy.

"Some people are disappointed," said Mr. Ferguson, "because they expect
too much. The Falls of Montmorency are considerably higher but not
nearly as wide. There are some cascades in the Yosemite Valley of over
a thousand feet descent, but they are only a few feet wide. For
grandeur Niagara excels them all."

"I shouldn't like to be swept over the Falls," said Fred.

"It must be terrible!" said Frank, with a shudder.

"The reality is worse than any picture drawn by the imagination. Ten
years since it happened to me to see a poor wretch drawn down to
destruction over the cataract."

The boys looked eager for the story, and he proceeded.

"I may state," continued the detective, "that I was indirectly the
cause of the tragedy. A defaulting bank cashier had got as far as this
point on his way to Canada, which as now was a haven of refuge to