ut
the store?"

"Never."

"But always when you had business dealings with him he gave you the
ready money, very rarely a check?"

"Never in all my experience a check, always the cash."

"Yet the sums involved were usually considerable?"

"In one or two instances they reached a thousand dollars, if you call
that considerable."

"And he always had the money on hand?"

"Well, I can't quite say that; it always involved a preliminary
discussion of the transaction; I had to see him and tell him what I
wanted and then go again after the money. It was as if he wished me to
think he did not keep any large sum about him at the store."

"Did he ever, in talking with you, express any apprehension of robbery
or violence?"

"No, never."

"You had spoken to him about those bonds before?"

"Yes, Monday I saw him and asked him if he would take them off my hand."

"And he gave you to understand that if you would wait a day or two he
would buy the bonds."

North nodded.

"Hadn't you learned prior to going to the store that McBride had just
received three thousand dollars in cash from Atkinson?"

"Yes, I knew that,--Langham told me."

"So that it is reasonable to suppose that McBride had at least four
thousand dollars in his safe Thursday afternoon."

"I suppose it is, but I saw only the thousand he paid me for the bonds."

"That came from the safe?"

"Yes."

"I guess that's all for the present, North."

"Do you mean you shall want to see me again?" asked North, rising.

"Yes, you won't leave town to-day; the inquest is to be held this
afternoon, you will probably be wanted then, so hold yourself in
readiness."

"I hope you will arrange to get through with me as soon as possible,
Moxlow!"

"We won't put you to any unnecessary inconvenience if we can help it,"
returned Moxlow, with a queer cold smile.

"Thank you," said North and quitted the room.

He sauntered out into the street; he was disposed to consider Mr. Moxlow
as something of a fool, as a rank amateur in the

The Just and the Unjust

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