us bags. A covered carriage was posted in an
adjoining street, into which the whole party entered, flurried and
excited, and rapidly drove to Irving's residence. There the contents of
the bags were carefully examined. The actual cash was easily disposed
of, but what was to be done with the bonds?

The arrangement finally agreed upon, to be detailed presently, shows
that if there be circumstances in which a little learning is a dangerous
thing, one of them is not just after the perpetration of a gigantic
burglary.

The Monday following its execution confusion and amazement reigned in
the bank. The clerks on their arrival were astounded to find the safe
doors wide open, torn and smashed by the tools which lay scattered over
the floor, and the night watchman, gagged and bound, was discovered,
nearly dead, in a neighboring room. One of the clerks jumped into a cab
and rushed to Police Headquarters in Mulberry street to report the
robbery. Irving was sitting in his office, busy with the night reports,
when the messenger was introduced to tell of the bank's calamity.

The excellent chief listened with breathless attention, and was
naturally horror-struck at the perpetration of such a crime. Calling a
couple of his trusted sleuths, he hastily communicated the surprising
news, and the three hurried with the clerk back to Greenwich street.
Arrived there they minutely examined the premises, and gave it as their
opinion, judging from the style of the work and from the tools which lay
around, that the burglary had been committed by a well-known burglar
named Harry Penrose, and that the night watchman, whom they immediately
placed under arrest, must have been his accomplice.

The president had sent word to the bank that he was unwell, and would
not be able to attend to business that day, but the terrible news was
immediately telegraphed to him, and, in spite of his illness, he hurried
to town. It is impossible to describe his astonishment and distress at
the sight which met his eyes. In the presence of the clerks he held
anxious consultations with the detectives, who assured him that they had
already taken the first steps to unravel the mystery, and that every
possible effort would be made to discover the criminals. In the privacy
of his own office he explained to the reporters that he had left in the
bank four hundred thousand dollars in cash and bonds, every farthing of
which had disappeared.

As soon as the news was publishe