stating that Lester Armstrong had suffered from loss of
memory since he had received the fall on that fatal night.

"Well," said Halloran, as his friend laid down the paper, "you see, the
game's up."

"By no means," exclaimed Kendale, perfectly sober by this time. "It's a
poor rule that won't work both ways," he added, excitedly.

"I don't understand your cause for rejoicing," returned Halloran,
gloomily.

"Don't you?" cried Kendale. "Then let me make it clear to you. We not
only have one fortune through the girl that I tied myself to, and can,
as her husband, collect all in good time, but with a little strategy I
can come in for the Marsh millions. We can decoy Armstrong into a coach,
and let the world find out his fate after that if it can. I will coolly
take his place, just as I did in that other affair, and who is there to
question that I am not he."

"But they know you there. You worked a week in the employ of Marsh & Co.
You forget that."

"It was at one of their branch stores," was the reply, "and they had
never heard of Armstrong there, and had never seen him. I left in a
week. I did not resemble my cousin so much at that particular time for
the reason that my mustache was shaven off then. Without that you would
be surprised to see what a wide difference there is between us."

"It is a great scheme, if you are sure that you can carry it through,"
said Halloran, breathing hard and eying his companion fixedly.

"Trust that to me," replied Kendale, jumping up and walking the floor to
and fro excitedly.

It was midnight when Halloran left Kendale's apartments. During those
long hours the two plotters had concocted a diabolical scheme, which
they meant to carry out ere the morning light dawned.

All unconscious of the nefarious plot against his life, Lester Armstrong
was up with the sun the next morning, and was down to the office at an
early hour transacting the great amount of business that he found upon
his hands, contingent upon being the head of the firm of which he had
for so many years been but an humble cashier.

Despite the sudden wealth which had come to him, all that day he felt a
strange depression of the heart, a strong impression of impending evil,
which he could not shake off. Even those about him noticed what a gloomy
look there was in his eyes.

He was the last one to leave the great building that night, and as he
stepped out upon the sidewalk, he muttered to himself: "I wonder what is