"He has broken his neck! He is dying. He won't last five minutes!"

CHAPTER III.

A TERRIBLE PLOT AGAINST A HELPLESS YOUNG GIRL.

A gasp of horror broke from Kendale's lips. Yes, Lester Armstrong was
fatally injured, he could see that.

Glancing up, he saw that they were within a few doors of his lodgings.
Picking him up by main force, he carried him thither at once and placed
him upon his couch. He had expected to see him breathe his last, but to
his great surprise Lester Armstrong opened his eyes and whispered his
name.

"It is all over with me, Clinton," he whispered. "I--I realize that my
fall was fatal, and that it is a question of moments with me, but I--I
cannot die until I have told you all, and you have promised to go
quickly to my darling and tell her my sad fate."

"Any commission you have you may be sure I will execute for you,"
replied Kendale, and even while he spoke he was wondering whereabouts in
that room Lester Armstrong kept his cash.

Between gasps, his voice growing fainter and fainter with each word,
poor Lester told his story, of his love, his wooing and the climax which
was to have taken place in two hours' time.

Kendale listened with bated breath. To say that he was amazed,
dumfounded, scarcely expressed his intense surprise.

Armstrong, his poor plodding cousin, to strike such luck as to be about
to marry an heiress! It seemed like a veritable fairy story. Who would
have thought the poor cashier would have known enough to play for such
high stakes?

Almost as soon as Lester Armstrong had uttered the last word, he fell
back upon his pillow in a dead faint.

"The end is not far," muttered Kendale. "I suppose it would look better
to send a call for an ambulance and have him sent to the hospital."

He acted upon the thought without a moment's delay, and while the wagon
was _en route_ made a quick search of his unfortunate cousin's
apartment, a sardonic smile of triumph lighting his face. And as he
transferred the money to his pocket, a sudden thought rushed through his
brain--a thought that for the instant almost took his breath away.

Like one fascinated, he looked down at the white face. "I could do it;
yes, I am sure I could do it," he muttered, drawing his breath hard.

At that moment the ambulance wagon rattled up to the door. In another
instant the two attaches entered the room.

"What is the difficulty?" queried the man, and briefly Kendale
explained.

"It se