It may help avert suspicion

"To-night. I will bring you the balance of the money--say, fifty dollars." "There ought to be more than that for me." "Oh, it will be all right! Only, you know, I will have to sell them below the market price, at some place where no questions are asked." "I've no doubt you'll do the square thing," said Philip, who did not know that this statement of Congreve's was only a flimsy pretense to enable him to appropriate a larger share of the plunder, as it may fairly be called. "I'll promise you fifty dollars, whatever the bonds bring," said Congreve. "Thank you." "Now, I must get ready, for the next train leaves for the city in half an hour." "I'll go along with you to the depot," said Philip. "No, you'd better not. After the loss is discovered, it might excite some remark, and possibly suspicion, if it were remembered." "Then I'll be going. I've got an errand over at the store. Shall I see you to-night?" "You'd better not come around till to-morrow morning. It may help avert suspicion." "Just as you say." "A pretty good haul!" said Congreve to himself. "I didn't think the little fool would have spunk enough to do it, but he has. I may pay him that fifty dollars, and then again I may not. I don't think I shall care to come back again to this dull hole to-night. I shall have to leave my trunk, but it isn't worth the sum I owe the landlord, and he is welcome to it. With the price of these bonds I can start anew cheaper." Philip left his friend, without the least suspicion that he intended to play him false. He felt very comfortable. He had got the bonds out of his possession, so that there was no danger of their being found on him, and he was to receive, the next morning, fifty dollars, a larger sum than he had ever possessed at one time in his life. He made up his mind that he would put it away in his trunk, and use it from time to time as he had occasion for it.