y Tuesday
next."

"By Tuesday next?" I queried.

"Yes. Do you know how much life insurance I carry and where?"

"A hundred thousand in the Equitable and a hundred thousand in the
Mutual," I replied.

"Quite so--" he answered. "Well then--I've got to have that money."

I looked at the stern, haggard face before me. Anxiety and sleeplessness
had wrought great havoc with the man.--What if it had touched his brain?
He interpreted my thought instantly.

"Leave your revolver alone, Mr. Wainwright! I'm quite as sane as you are
and a good bit smarter if you don't yet see my scheme."

"I think I prefer not to see it or hear it either," I answered.

"Nonsense, you've got to do both, and in the shortest possible time too,
for I've had to waste a week already. I observe you were about to open
my old Will. Well, it's no good. I've made another and here it is,
signed, sealed, published, declared, witnessed and all the rest of the
rot. This you will probate to-morrow morning. It appoints you my sole
executor, gives you absolute power for five years to continue and
conduct my business just as it is, leaves the bulk of my property to
clerks and charities (for I haven't got as much as a second cousin
living in the world), and it provides that my executor have one hundred
thousand dollars in lieu of his fees."

"That is generous," I observed.

"I think it just," he replied, taking no notice of my smile. "Now
listen," he continued. "By Tuesday morning you will be able to collect
on my life insurance. The proofs are complete. Yes, and genuine too. The
doctor, the undertaker, the guides, all honestly believe I'm the corpse,
and it does resemble me wonderfully. Lord, but I've sweated in working
it out! By Tuesday, I say, those Insurance Companies will be satisfied,
and they pay promptly, for the bigger the claim the better the
advertisement. But if they delay, the fact of my death will tie up those
devils who are trying to down me, for a few days at least. When you get
the cash, pay it out under my directions and we'll roast the whole gang
of them and Josiah Bateman will return to life ten times a millionaire,
for I tell you, Wainwright, this is the biggest thing you've ever been
in!"

"It is unique in more respects than one," I answered.

"It is simplicity itself. Only the details were difficult. Even getting
here, disguised as I am, was not easy without attracting too much
notice, and----"

"You might have saved yourself th