A Neat Swindle

An ïngeiuous iruuu uas uft wur mitted upon a wealthy merchant residiug near Paris. He reeeived a letter informing him that the writer liad j eertained that a box contaiuing treasure was burieil in his garden, and offering to indicate the exact spot if he would agree to divide the spoil. The merchant was at iirst inclined to treat the letter as a hoax, bal upon receiving a ; second and more pressing one he sent ] an answer agrecing to the proposal. The next day he was waited upon by gentleman of agreeable manners, and it was arranged that the search should be made at night, in order to prevent the neighbors from tallnng. The box - a very weighty one - was duly unearthed, and, when taken into the house and opened, was found to eontain 8,000 francs in silver pieoes of 5 francs each. The merohant, much pleased at the result of the search, at once handed over the half which he had promised to his informer, who remarked that it was rather a heavy lump to carry to the railway station, distant about a jnile, and fluit, perhaps, the merchant could oblige him with notes or gold instead. This the merchant was very happy to do ; but he regretted it bitterly the next morning, as he saw that the 5 franc pieces were spurious.