Literature.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 134, 10 June 1904, Page 4

Literature.

, MYRA BROCKLEY'S JOKE. (Continued.) Mrs Ilervey spoko to the loss ofthe blank cheque, and then the detective .said : \ "I have sent a man down to make inquiries at the gas collector's office to discover through whose hands Mrs Hervey'e cheque passed. My belief is that she tore olf the two together and handed them both over to Mrs Bryant." Mr Stevens was then produced, and Jane, the housemaid, who protested that if the man; she had seei was not Mr Stevens, it must have been his ghost. Constable Gregson was of opinion that the clerical gentleman he had seen coining out of the bank . was younger and of slighter build than Mr Stevens, and George was inclined to believe that he wore no moustache ; though he seemed less confident than ho had been on the previous day. The director then asked to see the ladies of Mr Brockley's family. The manager consented to the demand, but haughtily declared that the proceeding was wholly uncalled for. Mrs Brockley and Myra had been kept in absolute ignorance of the events and suspicions of the last twenty-four hours. Mr Cumberland's presence at the breakfast table had told them that some business of importance was on foot, but they were accustomed to make no inquiries as to the affairs of the Uank, and had not concerned themselves in any way about the present business. Great, therefore, was their surprise at being summoned to a conference in the tank, parlour. Mr Cumberland went to the point at once. "Miss Brockley," he said, handing Myra the cheque, "have you ever seen this before ?" The colour rushed to her face, and the police officer interrupted quickly : "It is my duty to warn you, miss, that anything you say " But Myra broke in hastily. "What is the matter ? Is there anything wrong with the cheque ? Is it not a good one ?" Both her father and Mr Cumberland began to speak, but George interrupted them both. "Whatever is wrong is my fault. Miss Brockley. I cashed it and am responsible to the bank. Please say nothing." Myra looked from one to another in evident distress and confusion, and her father said sternly :

"The cheque is forged, Myra. Mr Hammerton was dead when it was drawn."

"Forged ! Oh, papa, indeed—indeed, I did not know ! How could I ? I did not know Mr Hammerton was dead till you told us at the show, and I never even looked ut the signature of the cheque."

Her father's face became sterner still.

"What have you to do, with it 7' he asked.

Myra looked round, colouring more than ever.

"I will tell you all I know about it, papa. But may I not tell you alone ?"

Mr Brockley looked at the director, and he looked at the detective who said :

"Just as you please, gentlemen. It is for you to proceed in this matter or not, as you see fit. But if I hear much more it may bo my duty to step in." Coomber had a regard tor the young lady, and a grateful remembrance of kindness shown by her to his wife and children during a severe illness. He had no wish to take her into custody. "You may withdraw, I think, Mr

Coomber," said the director. "But I fear, young lady, that I must hear I your story." Myra's story was soon told. Her likeness to her cousin was a standing family joke, and on the evening of Jack's arrival her mother had commented upon it afresh, and had laughingly said : "I believe, Myra, that if you were to put on Jack's clothes, no one would know you apart." The idea had tickled her fancy, ami on her return home to fetch her racquet on the following afternoon her eye had fallen on her cousin's coat and travelling hat hanging in the hall ; she was seized with a sudden desire to dress herself in them and try the effect. "I slipped off my dress and put on my habit," she said, "looping up the skirt so that it did not showunder the coat, and when I looked at myself in the pier-glass I was so like Jack that I felt convinced no one could tell the difference. At this moment II head a cry in the street, just under the window, and looking out, I saw that someone in the.sidi street opposite our house had fallen heavily, and seemed unable to rise. A momentary impulse induced me—quite forgetting how I was dressed —to rush down and help him up, which I accordingly did. "He said he had hurt his ankle, and could not walk for the moment. He would not have cared for this, but that he had to go to the Burfordshire Bank to cash a cheque, and was afraid he should !>e too late. If he could not get the money that afternoon it would be a great inconvenience to him in his business. He looked so distressed and worried that I was sorry for him. He said at last to me : " 'Would you be so very kind as to cash it ?' "I said at once, 'Give me the cheque, and I will get the money and bring it to you nere.' It appeared to me a delicious joke actually to go into the bank and take in Mr Hervey ; and I had no idea of anything bting wrong. I could hardly help laughing outright when Mr Hervey took the cheque quite gravely, and gave me the money just as he would to any strange man. I took the money back to the man, called a cab for him, and helped him into it, and then I came home and ran upstairs as fast as I could, for I saw Jane in tho hall, and I was afraid she would recognise me. I put on my dress again, and went back to the show, and found that neither mother nor Jack hud noticed how long I had been away." Mr Brockley's astonishment as he listened to this avowal may readily bu imagined. Mr Cumberland could scarcely conceal his amusement ; and George stood by, red and uncomfortable, feeling far more guilty than the narrator of the story, whose pleasure in her successful imposture seemed quite as great as her mortification at having been entrapped into active assistance in successful forgery. But when Mr Cumberland made it plain that the matter could

not ho suffered to rest at, this point, but that the forger must, .if possible, he traced nn<l punished, she began to regard the affair in a more serious light. The first step, after sending Myra to the drawingroom with orders not to leave the house in case her evidence should he again required—was to recall the police officer, and send him to pursue the clue furnished by My ra-

It is neediess to go through all the steps by which the story was unravelled ; suffice it to say that the forger was found to be the son of the man by whom the bills due to the gas company were collected. The young man had betted heavily on a horse race, and had not. the money to pay up.

In helping his father with his ac:ounls during a few days holiday at lome, he discovered the blank •heque. folded up with the one given ly Mrs Hervey. Amongst the other .heques that were in his hands was

one of Mr Hammerton's. He knew Mr Hammerton to be a rich man, likely to have a large balance at the bank, and he contrived to keep his ■.•heque for a clay or two, and practised the necessary imitation of his .-signature ; but as he was taking the forged fraft to the bank, he began to feel nervous lest he should be recogy nised, and his identity proved when the forgery should he discovered, as

it was sure to be the next time Mr Hammerton examined his pass-book. Ho debated with himself how best to avoid the danger. The fall and

the excuse were easily planned, and the success of the ruse was complete. i-Ie got off to .Manchester, where he was employed, but was traced, and confessed his guilt. His father offer,d, however, to repay the money.

And in order to spare Miss Brockley the pain of appearing in the witness !)ox, and, perhaps, with some idea that the affair would bring ridicule

upon the bank if made public. Mr Cumberland induced the other directors not to prosecute, but to be confont with the recovery of the money. (The End.)