ing if you call the police rather than hand that package over to me.
It'll be a big sensation for Wall Street and upper Fifth Avenue, to say
nothing of what the yellows will make of the story for the rest of hoi
polloi. The newsboys will be yelling extras all over town, printed in great,
red letters, 'A Club-man Held-Up in Broad Daylight, For $25,000 In
Securities That Didn't Belong to Him. Billington Rand Has Something To
Explain. Where Did He Get It?--"

"For Heavens sake, man! don't!" pleased the unfortunate Billington. "God! I
never thought of that."

"Of course you didn't think of that," said Holmes. "That's why I'm telling
you about it now. You don't dispute my facts, do you?"

"No, I--" Rand began.

"Of course not," said Holmes. "You might as well dispute the existence of
the Flat-iron Building. If you don't want to-morrow's papers to be full of
this thing you'll hand that package over to me."

"But," protested Rand, "I'm only taking them up to--to a--er--to a broker."
Here he gathered himself together and spoke with greater assurance. "I am
delivering them, sir, to a broker, on behalf of one of our depositors who--"

"Who has been speculating with what little money he had left, has lost his
margins, and is now forced into an act of crime to protect his speculation,"
said Holmes. "The broker is the notorious William C. Gallagher, who runs an
up-town bucket-shop for speculative ladies to lose their pin-money and
bridge winnings in, and your depositor's name is Billington Rand, Esq.--
otherwise yourself."

"How do you know all this?" gasped Rand.

"Oh--maybe I read it on the ticker," laughed Holmes. "Or, what is more
likely, possibly I overheard Gallagher recommending you to dip into the
bank's collateral to save your investment, at Green's chop-house last
night."

"You were at Green's chop-house last night?" cried Rand.

"In the booth adjoining your own, and I heard every word you said," said
Holmes.

"Well, I don't see why I should give the stuff to you anyhow," growled Rand.

"Chiefly because I happen to be long on information which would be of
interest, not only to the police, but to the president and board of
directors of the Kenesaw National Back, Mr. Rand," said Holmes. "It will be
a simple matter for me to telephone Mr. Horace Huntington, the president of
your institution, and put him wise to this transaction of yours, and that is
the second thing I shall do immediately you have decided not to