A Queer Incendiary Scheme

"I have a plan that will help us out. It is a last resort, and desperate, I know, but itissafe." The speaker was a well dressed, fine lcoking man, apparently not older than 30 His cold, gray eyes, aquilino and rather prominent nose and heavy chin were the unmistakable indices of a calculating, bold and resolute character. He spoko to a man of at least 50 years, neat in appearance, bul whose face betrayed anxiety and discouragement. The words were spoken in a down town Broadway restaurant, near núdnight, as the men described took seats at atable toward the rear of the room, in front of a mirror in which a reporter saw them. The newspaper man had hmched and was readini a novel. A partitiou concealed him from the strangers' visión. "Well, whatisit?" asked the older man, af ter drinks had been set before thein. "It is, as I said, a desperate scheme, but it will put us on our f eet again. I do not see any other way for us to avoid a failure from which we cannot recover." ''What is the plan:-' "There is an insurance of $14,UW on the stock and building." The speaker paused, but his compamon did not speak. They eyed each other tently and the younger man continued m a subdued voice: "We have stood by each other in hard times before this. You have paid for insurance policies for many years. IL the store should happen to burn and there were no evidences the fire was not accidental, we would not have much difficulty in getting the $14,000, and we could start out anew in splendid shape. But accidental fires do not come when they ought, jm" "I will not consent to any snch thingas you are drivingat." "But think oí it. You are on the verge 1 of ruin. You need not do a thing to incur ! risk. Your part will be to keep silent, and not to interfere. Intrust the business wholly to me. un a ceriam niLiii u, eiuau box would be placed in the cellar among the oils and paint stuffs, and where it would not be seen. You might bo out of town. You would bo summoned home to flnd the store in ash.es or badly damaged. We could then meet our notes and have fair sailing. ' ' "If the attempt should be detected we would be disgraced, even if we eecaped state prison. I would rather assign than try your scheme. " "Put confldence in me," persuasively nrged the younger man, ';and you will be in 110 peni and you will not regret your trust." "What wonld be in the box? ' "A atoase, a piece oí cheese stuck nearly full oL matches, the heads appearing, and Eome oil soaked combustibles. Thé mouse will not be able to gnaw out, and, getting hungry, will attack the cheese and ignite a match. Tho box will quickly be on five and the flames will spread like a flash, and before the burnin is discoveved the box will have been consumed. Then there will be no flence. The Ure would get sucn a &iui t the store would be very likely to go. It would undoubtedly burn the night the box was bidden." "A novel idea," said the older man, evidenüy relenting, yet lookins; very grave; "we'll think it over well before we takesuch a step." "U's perfectly safe, I teil you, ' rejoined the schemer. "You stay in New York a few days and let me go back and do the job. Tlien you WÜl be safe from suspicion. I woulil not have mentioned it to you if I had not feared you might discover the box and give the thing away. After a few minutes of silence the men drained their glasses and left the place.-