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A BURGLAR PRO TEM Mammoch The summer night was soft and still. and the purple heavens were Even ablaze with myriads of stars. in the great London park a. bush seemed to have fallen, which comâ€" municated its influence to those who sat beneath the tall, motionless trees. In the far distance could be heard the faint rumble of traffic, but this only seemed to intensify the Si- jience within. It was a night when btrauge, sweet. confessions drop from faltering lips, and hearts, despite themselves, tell out the story of «love's awakening. Even in the fashionable West, a great London park is scarcely the place where one might expect to find the daughter of a Baronet, seated in the dim shadow of the trees, listen- ing to the warm words of love which were being whispered in her car with ' a sweet sense of pleasure that she did not even attempt to conceal. Yet. so it was. The tree under which they sat was broad and leafy, and aflorded them concealment. from the public gaze. And that was all they wanted. ' Duicie Hawthorn was the daughter of Sir Percival Hawthorn, Bart., the Chairman of Directors of the great shipping-house which, in the last few years, had leapt into such promin- ence. Indeed, the Anglo-Australasiâ€" an Steamship Company had not only become a formidable rival to the older-established shipping firms, but had actually surpassed many of them, and 'the Baronet was now one of the most prominent figures in the commercial World. Dulcie was not his only daughter, but her sisters were wont to confide among themselvos that "she could do anything she pleased with dear old dad." And now this “Baronet's ‘ darling” had given her heart to a man wholly unequal to herself ‘ in station, and an employee in the firm of which her father was head. Love is never amenable to reason in this respect. But perhaps it is not Love which is at fault, but arti- _ficial‘conventionality. Be that as it may, Max Villiers was only one of the many “heads of departments" in the great shipping house, with a salâ€" ary of £600 a year, and the thirâ€" teenth part of a prospectâ€"which he shared with twelveothor "heads of departments”â€"of imprOVing his po- sition at the next vacancy. And the daughter of a wealthy Baronet loved him. “Dulcie,” he said, with her hand in his. "I wonder what Sir Percival would say if he were to drop down here before us now. But perhaps he ‘ might not say anything. There are some occasions in a man’s life when speech deserts him.” Dulcie laughed. "I'm not so sure," she said. "Do yOu know, Max," and she drew a little closer to him, “I sometimes think Dad more than half suspects the truth already. He mentions you sometimes, when he is speaking gen- erally about the business to us at home. And, when he does so, he gives me such a. queer littlerlook that makes me blush dreadfully. And then he smiles and turns his head away." “My goodness!” ejaculated Max. "You donft mean to say~â€"" “I don't know." said Dulcic. “But it makes me wonder sometimes.” -‘The man was silent. ' This was a new and startling aspect of the case. "Max," went on the girl, "is there no chance of your present position being improved? I thought I heard Dad speak of a coming vacancy in the Sydney establishment. The pres- ent managing director there is, 1 be- lieve, retiring from active work, and someone will be appointed to take his place." “Yes,” responded Max gloomily. "We have heard all about that. But in all probability the new man will . be chosen from the present staff at Sydney. And even if this is not the case, there are others in the London house who are my seniors. and who may therefore take precedence over me. I’m afraid I cannot count on that appointment.” Dulcie poutod. “For two pins." she said, "I‘d _risk Dad's fury and indignation, and ask him plump to give you the ap- pointxnent.” The man gasped. “You would!” he said in astonish- mont. "Why, he would order my inâ€" stunt dismissal! For licavenfs sake, don't do anything so rash. My chance will come some day, and we must have patience. I am not un- recognized even now by Sir Percival, for he is always most kind in his treatment, and sometimes even does me the honor of asking my opinion in regard to certain matters of busiâ€" ness connected with my dcpa‘rtment. Yes. we must have patience, darling, and wait! I sometimes think it won't be very long in coming, though I have no reasonable or tangible ground for such a presentiment." “Well,” replied Dulcic with de- cision. "if it doesn't come quickly, I shall lose patience, and the! I shall do something- desperate." lll'ax laughed, and Dulcic, catching the infection, laughed too. “Something may turn up before then." said the man. And, rising they returned to their respective homes. i I- I I i I It was about two in the morning mum when Max Vi 4 'Which you are the head is responsible, itimated .by Rosonstcin and Gluck at fliers. awoke from a deep.’ sleep to the consciousness that some»! thing unusual was in the air. Sic: ting up in bed, he peered. about the room, and, to his ustonix’nment, saw the dim outline of a man seated- comfortably in his easy-chair. ’I‘hel man rose as he moved. and, slowly‘ walking across the room, turned on: the gas. "Glad you're awakc,‘ he said coolly. “I want to smoke, and didn’t like doing so before, for fear of giving you too big a fright when you awoke." He took out his cigarâ€"case, and carefully lit one of the cigars which it contained. Then he offered the case to Villiers. But the latter cle- clined. "No?" said the stranger in affect- ed surprise. “That's a pity. No- thing like smoking to clear the head for business!" “Business?” echoed Max, growing more and more indignant at the inâ€" trusion as he recovered his waking faculties. "I should like to know, first of all, what 'business’ you have here?" "Oh, there's no hurry for that!" said the man complacently. “I am here, as you see. and how I got here is easily explained. I took the trouble to procure a latchâ€"key which would open the outer door of your flat. Your inner doors, I notice, you leave unlocked, which is unwise, not to say encouraging, to men of my profession. The night-watchman in the hall below admitted me with a. little persuasion, and thus the usual obstacles were easily sur- .bills of lading. ‘ ll‘il: mounted." “But what, in Heaven's name, have you gone to all this trouble for?" asked Villiers. “Well,” responded the stranger, "since you are so persistent, I supâ€" pose I must explain the object of my visit. But I can‘t talk and smoke too, so please allow me to finish this cigar before I enter into.busi- ness matters." He leant coolly back in the easy; chair, which he had again occupied after lighting the. gas, and smoked for some minutes in silence. When he had finished, he tossed the stump of his cigar into the grate, and turned to Villiers. "Now," he said, with a sharp pre- cision which had not previously characterized him. "we can get to business. As you have doubtless alâ€" ready concluded, I am a member of that class of the community who subsist on the credulity and simplio ity of others. The pickpocket is the lowest member of this great class. I belong to the highest, where intelliâ€" gence, ingenuity, mastery of circumâ€" stances, and fertility of conception are required. You, on the other hand, are an honest, hardâ€"working plodder in the service of the Angloâ€" Australasian Steamship Company. And I have need of you." "Needâ€"of me!” repeated Villiers in bewilderment. “Precisely,” brushing a his immaculate frock-coat. explain further. The department said the stranger, speck of cigar-ash from "Let me of among other things, for the arrange- ments connected with the shipment of specie, bullion, and other valu- ables. A few days ago you received an advice from Messrs. Rosenstein and Gluck, of Hatton Garden, inti- mating their desire to ship a parcel of precious stones to Sydney .by the steamship Druid, which sails on the 23rd.” Villiers looked at his visitor in amazement. But he did not. express his surprise, as to do so would have been to tacitly admit the truth of the statement. “The value tinned the stranger nirily, of this parcel,‘.' con- “was esâ€" £40,000. Two of their most. trusted representatives will convey the parâ€"2 ccl to the ship an hour before she sails, and it will be your province to accompany them, in order that, on your side too, the deposit of the stones in the strong-room of the ship may be testified to. The captain of the Druid will have one of the three keys which will open the door of the strongâ€"room. A Second is in possess sion of your Sydney representative, and you have charge of the third. “Now what I want of you is this. I shall accompany you when you goi v old to the office in the morning. It will be quite easy for me to satisfy anyl curiosity which this step may arouse in your clerks, by amming. the role of an intending shipfon and ninkivng the 'nsual inquiries '19 Then you (‘aTr take me to your private [5‘ to {aim- givo you an illLXSfrafion of l 1. . , . Ephrase, ‘lionor among thieves. (live office, val‘t‘. :gine your word that. you will strictly ‘J strange look came into the lar's eyes. 0 you doubt me!" 1 g “b. " he said. “Let the without being observed, you ran f‘ll0\‘I:Il‘llLlil your share of the proposal, and, the key of the Druids. strong- room. I shall Inc-rely require to hold it in my hand for n sieond (:3 so. A little wnx will do tho rust!" There was an angry light. in Max Villiors' eyes as he listened-W1) this criminal proposal. Leaping out of bed. he began hastily to than-5s him» self. "You infamous scoundrefif“ he said with gleaming eyes. The burglar smiled, crossed his legs, and looked meditatiyely up at the ceiling. “As soon as that is accomplished," he resumed in his evenly modulated voice, “I shall count out to you the sum of £10,000 in Bank of England notes, as a trifling appreciation of the service you will have thereby rendered me. You sec, i trust your honor implicitly, and make no stipu- lation that you must wait for your recompense until the successful terâ€" mination of my plans. I think I know you, Max Villiers. and I am confident that, after helping me in this matter, you will have the wis- dom and good taste to forget the whole affair. £10,000 is a nice lit- tle nestâ€"egg, and it might go a long way to soften the heart of a certain gentleman when he considers the question of a prospective sonâ€"in-law." Max Villiers paused in the process of putting on his coat. “I don’t know who you are," he said in bewilderment. “But you ap- pear to possess some knowledge of things concerning myself which I imagined were shared by none. Be that as it may, however, the tempâ€" tation you put in my way is one which, though it. henefitted me in no inconsiderable way, would deprive me of all selfâ€"respect. You do not appear to have reckoned that in your proposal." The burglar laughed softly. "Selfâ€"respect is an elastic term,” he said with evident amusement. “And if, by any chance, you wound this imaginary moral organ, the sum of £10,000 will amply suffice to heal the wound so caused. Let us be practical. I have made you a proposal, for which I have oll‘ered you a handsome return. And this proposal you have absolutely no alâ€" ternative but to accept!" “Indeed!” said Villiers. “We shall see! In a few minutes I shall signal a policeman, and give you into cusâ€" tody for housebrcaking.” "My dear fellow.” said the burglar, "you do not really suppose I came in here without having foreseen some such intention on your part?: Your simplicity is positively refreshing! I have liet0â€"â€"" he took from his pocket :1 small sixâ€"chambered revol- ver and toyed with it carelesslyâ€" “a little instrument whose business it is to persuade obstinate people into doing that which I ask them. I don’t often use itâ€"but when I doâ€"” He looked steadily into ,Viiliers' eyes and left the sentence unfinished. “It is fortunate you have only your sister living with you, as that might complicate matters. You can easily explain to her that I am an school-friend of yours who has run in to have breakfast with you, preparatory to transacting a little business, with which I have already acquainted you. Then we will go down to the office of the Angloâ€" Australasian Steamship Company, where you can carry out the plan I have will receive immediate payment." Villiers smiled incredulously. “You surely do not think me simple enough to take that in?" he said. For answer, the burglar drew from his pocket a roll of notes, which he laid on the table. ' “You are at liberty to count them," he said coolly. For a moment Villiers was staggerâ€" ed. Then he shrugged his shoulders. “If you can control my actions here, he said, “you can do so at the office, and, when you have 0b- n taincd that for which you came, the same Weapon with which you recently threatened me would stop any de- mand on my part for these notes as the fulfilment of the bargain." Countzy Doctorâ€"W111, Silas, yer wife has gastric fever. Silas Hayrickâ€"Don’t see linow dict gasâ€"always used lanu‘s. l.in be. p- 'llli expressed, and for which you‘ ’Il'e L‘Xl-e“llii~l‘.l ‘ return, 1 will so for trust you .Ihat, before leaving this house, I will hand you these notes for you to con- {ceal wherever you please." ' "Your opinion of me is highly com- plimentary," said V'illiers with a nka how. "I will endeavor to prove that trust is not misplaced. by de- clining‘ to violate that trust reposcd in me by the Directors of tho Angloâ€" Austrulasiun Steamship Company. 1 cannot hinder you from following mu (loWn to the oflico, but I shall cer- tainly not do what you require of me." The burglar smiled confidently. "I think you will," he said, silence fell on the two. Max Viltiers moved restlessly about the room, not daring to ap- proach the door. for fear of that terrible Weapon which the. burglar still held in his hand. He was in a quandary}, from which he. felt powerâ€" less to extricate himself. There was something almost conr polling in the manner of his telnpter, whose forceful, determined personal- ity made him realize the more own weakness. He was firm, how- ever, on one point. He Would not, under any pressure, betray the con- fidence of his employers. But how he Was going to escape from his present difficulty he had not the faintest idea. So the hours wore on, and at half- and past eight they left the room to~ gether, with an admonishing look from the burglar, and entered the breakfast room. There was no cause for him to alarm his sister, so he briefly explained the presence of the burglar in the way the latter had suggested. Then they left the house, and walked in the direction of the office. The burglar was a pace behind him all the way, and Villiers had an uncomfortable feeling that the man's hand was thrust into his breast-pocket, ready on the smallest provocation to carry out his throat. At last they reached the office. Vilâ€" licrs went straight into his own de- partment, and the burglar followed him in. Slowly he went into his private office, the burglar at his heels, and shut the door behind them. "Now," said the burglar. “Look sharp! I have no time to waste!" Max Villiers faced him boldly. “I will not do it!” he said firmly. “You must!" said the burglaraand he drew the revolver from his pocket and pointed it at Villiors' head. For a moment there was silence. Then, in a voice clear and resolute, Villiers said: "Kill me if you like, but I will not betray the confidence of my em- ployers!” The burglar put the revolver in his pocket, and, going to the door, open- ed it. Sir Percival Hawthorn was outside, and, in response to a nod from the burglar, he walked in. "He‘s all right," said the burglar. “No more than I expected," said the Baronet. Villiers sank into a chair. It seemed as though his senses were dc- scrting him. “Mr. Villiers," said the Baronet, “I See We must put this little matter to rights, and put you at your case. As you have doubtless heard. the post of general manager at our Sydâ€" ney house is now vacant. The salâ€" ary is £2,000 a year. For reasons into which I need not now enter, I have had a growing inclination to promote you to the appointmont. But you are a young man, and, for the sake of my followâ€"directors, it be- hovcd me to make sure that you were proof against temptation. So I mentioned the matter to my friend, Detective Grace, and he consented to help me. You have stood the test well, and I am glad of it. You will be allowed a month’s leave of ab- sence, at the end of which time. We shall expect you to start for Sydney, there to take up your new appointâ€" ment." He came and laid his hand kindly on Villiers' shoulder. “This has given you a bit of n shaking," he said with a smile. “Well, we must make amends for that. Suppose you come to "l‘hv Chestnuis' to dinner this evening. I fancy I shall not be the only onc- there who will be delighted to Son you." And he looked ineanlnglv info the still buwildvrml face of Villiers. And he was right. For Dulcie laid wait for him as he came in, and, drawing him softly into a room where none but themselves might Sim. she threw ln-r arms about his neck and kissed him. “Oh, you dear old boy!” She said. “llad told me all about it this ofâ€" tcrnoon. And now we can beâ€"â€"~" And she broke off in confusion. But Max finished the sentence for henâ€"Pearson's Weekly. q ?'~â€"â€"-n MARVELLOUS BEACON. The Island of Ileligoland now posâ€" sesses a beacon which is not only the most powerful ever yet conâ€" structed, but is in itsolf an electric marvel. Instead of the costly Fres- pol lenses which have hitherto been tonsidcred il)”iS}-:,‘nsablo for large beacons, the Cartoon engineers have v:se:i yatabolic mirrors of glass, and rccnis to be crowned with perfect succ A flash of 30- We'vc never burned million «aiidleâ€"g‘vowcr is produced on hia ment MI E THE UNDERGROUND DWELLERS LIVE. PIGE F ll H0“! Little Better Than Wolves, Terrible Affrays Are Frequent. and The story of the mOvonient to oust. the St. i’ancras cave-dweller; f:om their haunts in the interests of the community reveals many extraordin~ nry facts says the London Express. A great number of the underground dwellings are situated in an area which has been condemned, and which will be pulled down as soon as room is available in which to re- liouse some of the tenement holders. For just fifty years the caveddwel- lets have been livingr in those planes in open defiance ,of the law. . in 1901 it was felt that the exis- mg slate of affairs could be tolerated no longer. Correspondence passed between the County Council and the St. Pancras Council on the subject. The L. C. C. wanted the whole of the underground dwellings to be done away with at once. The borough Council pointed out that the well- being of the poor would best be served by elasticity in the enforce- of the laws. For the sake of mercy, it was de- cidcd to give them three months' no- tice in each case, so that they might find shelter elsewhere in the time. Whether thi" scheme will work or not in the worst slum areas is doubted by experienced men of the district, who say that the only real remedy is 'to pull the rookeries down and have done with tlem once and for all.- T'he commercial life of these. people is one of tlte great troubles of sani- tary inspectors and police alike. They shelter each other. and are ready at a moment's notice to make common cause in the DEFENCE 01“ EACH OTl‘llER. If a man is wanted at night-time 20 or 30 will rush into one house, make for one of these underground dwellings, and tiere remain in do- fiance of law and order. To bring' them out is almost impo:.sible with- out real danger. The lights are all extinguished, no light from the out- side can enter the dens, and 'th0‘ crouching semiâ€"savages will not stick at murder if nece'sary, Most of them are'maddencd by drink at night-time. Among thmnselves they are little better than wolves. If no common enemy is on the scene terrible afirays in which men, women, and children are injured. are too frequent to at- tract more then an hour's gossip / from an interested audicnze. The clearing out of tltese hells is the devout 'dgsire of all the police who are unfortunate enough to B'e‘Bn‘ duty in St. Pancras' slums. The difficulty of tackling troublers of the peace is accentuated by the fact that often the slums are not silent, nar- row, back streets, but courts and alleys hidden away at the back of the back streets, accessible cn‘y by passages that will not admit more than one person at a time. How these reoplc live is a puzzle to everyone. The average lot eat scarcely anytl.ing. They keep them- selves ali\e by (kinking beer and the vilest of spirits. For the children there are crusts and crumbs that are given away from restaurants, bakers, and eating-houses. There is no money left for food or clothing after the drink and the rent are covered. The rent of these 'nauseous cells is rarely less than 43 or 5s a week. There are some per- son" who are driven to these slums cells for no other cause than EXCEEDING POVERTY. By the rest of the underground dwellers they are counted as Ish- maelites, and spend their lives in a gradual decline towards despair and degeneration until they, too, reach a moral level when even the wolves of the slums cease to distinguish them as beirg other than themselves. Statistics of nature of the underground rooms, not merely in these slums, but all through the bor- ough, slow how unfit they are for li\ing purposes. There are 113 rooms less than seven feet high from floor to ceiling 527 with the ceilirg less than one' foot above ground level, 92 where the ceiling is below the ground level. 527 where the ceiling is level with tie ground, 250 where the area is not six inches Lelow the floor of tie room, and 144} where tlte area is not open to the sky. Life in these holes in bad weather may mo 9 easily be imagined than described. It is not surpri-ing that, under such conditions of life the roll of pauper lunati's is su'elling in such an alarming manner as i'1 inâ€" dicated by the elliciul statistics. 'i‘i:e determination of tie St. Panâ€" cras Council to sweep these haunts away is received by the whole Com- munin will) approval and gratitude. Their forbcm'en'c I“as been most praisewortby; tl‘e prompt manner in which they are acting now that to way is clear for acfirn is C(1|.l.":lly so. -._., ._.§_ RAIN 130W (LL'NS. The new llll'ti ml of masking; z: iery by paimii g gun,»~ rainbow fr. " ion. With streaks of red, yellow, and blue, rendering tl'cm llllllS‘lifglzl‘Jl' able against any bud-ground, la; stood a very remarkable test at Alâ€" r‘e shot. A section of Horsu Artil- lery sent to engage the guns. did not lo"nle them until within a distance of 1,000 yards. This method is the the Busum, a distance of felt); mules. invention of a military officm'.