his partner soon after the latter
had observed Mrs. Dinneford in the store.

A little over six weeks from this time Mrs. Dinneford was in the store
again. After she had gone away, Freeling handed Granger three more
notes drawn by Mr. Dinneford to his order, amounting in all to fifteen
thousand dollars. They were at short dates.

Granger took these notes without any remark, and was about putting them
in his desk, when Freeling said,

"I think you had better offer one in the People's Bank and another in
the Fourth National. They discount to-morrow."

"Our line is full in both of these banks," replied Granger.

"That may or may not be. Paper like this is not often thrown out. Call
on the president of the Fourth National and the cashier of the People's
Bank. Say that we particularly want the money, and would like them to
see that the notes go through. Star & Giltedge can easily place the
other."

Granger's manner did not altogether please his partner. The notes lay
before him on his desk, and he looked at them in a kind of dazed way.

"What's the matter?" asked Freeling, rather sharply.

"Nothing," was the quiet answer.

"You saw Mrs. Dinneford in the store just now. I told her last week that
I should claim another favor at her hands. She tried to beg off, but I
pushed the matter hard. It must end here, she says. Mr. Dinneford won't
go any farther."

"I should think not," replied Granger. "I wouldn't if I were he. The
wonder to me is that he has gone so far. What about the renewal of these
notes?"

"Oh, that is all arranged," returned Freeling, a little hurriedly.
Granger looked at him for some moments. He was not satisfied.

"See that they go in bank," said Freeling, in a positive way.

Granger took up his pen in an abstracted manner and endorsed the notes,
after which he laid them in his bank-book. An important customer coming
in at the moment, Freeling went forward to see him. After Granger was
left alone, he took the notes from his bank-book and examined them
with great care. Suspicion was aroused. He felt sure that something
was wrong. A good many things in Freeling's conduct of late had seemed
strange. After thinking for a while, he determined to take the notes at
once to Mr. Dinneford and ask him if all was right. As soon as his mind
had reached this conclusion he hurried through the work he had on hand,
and then putting his bank-book in his pocket, left the store.

On that very morning Mr. Dinnefor