rtant details, with
a serious face.

"Fifteen thousand dollars!" he repeated. "It has saved me some worry
that I did not discover the amount before. As to the delivery, that is
easy. I've got over two hours yet. I see what it is. Martin & Company
probably want to throw up a contract because prices have gone up, the
contract must be made binding by payment of fifteen thousand dollars by
midnight, or Dunn & Son lose. All right."

His mother noticed that some important business was on her son's mind,
and only told Bart to take care of himself.

Bart hurried towards the express office. At a street crossing he paused,
to let pass a close carriage that was driven along at a furious rate of
speed in the direction from which he had just come.

"Hello!" he forcibly ejaculated, as it flashed by him, the corner street
lamp irradiating its interior brightly--"there's queer company for you!"

The remark was warranted. The occupants of the vehicle were Colonel
Jeptha Harrington and Lem Wacker.

CHAPTER XXVII

LATE VISITORS

The little express office was dark and lonely-looking when Bart again
reached it.

Bart unlocked the office door, shot the inside bolt carefully after him,
lighted the lantern, placed it on the desk, and opened the safe.

As he selected the big brown envelope marked "Martin & Company," and
bearing the express company's shining green seals, his fingers tingled.
The immensity of the sum intrusted to his charge perturbed him a trifle.

Bart relocked the safe, stowed the envelope in an inner pocket, and
opened the drawer of a little stand leaning against the safe.

He took out a revolver. Mr. Leslie himself had advised him to always
have one handy in the express office. Bart had never touched the weapon
before. It had been loaned him by Mr. Haven, and Darry had brought it
to the office. Bart slipped it now into a side pocket.

He noticed in detail the entry on the messenger's slip. The prepaid
charges on the Martin & Company consignment were seven dollars and
seventy-five cents, or five cents for every hundred dollars or fraction
of it over the first fifty dollars, which was charged for at regular
tariff rates, twenty-five cents.

"It is fifteen thousand dollars, right enough!" mused Bart. "Now, to
make sure of the form of receipt."

He filled out a special receipt that acknowledged besides the usual
delivery, a verification of the amount of the inclosure, its acceptance
as correct, and left