Tom was soon busy setting up his camera on the front porch, with the lens pointed at the sky at an angle which just cleared the tops of the opposite houses. The rain poured down, while crash upon crash of thunder followed each successive flash of lightning. Nearer and nearer came the force and violence of the storm, until the centre of electrical activity was directly over the village. Tom exposed several plates, and had put the last plate-holder in position when his foot struck one leg of the tripod, almost capsizing the camera. A quick grab at the instrument prevented the catastrophe; but before he could get the camera in position, again, a blinding flash came, followed simultaneously by a crash which shook the building to its very foundation. For a moment Tom was dazed with the vivid light. Every object was illuminated with a brightness exceeding daylight, and then all became intensely dark. Tom capped his lens, seized his camera, and re-entered the house, where he found the club still discussing the topic of the evening. "Well, what luck?" they exclaimed. Tom shook the water from his clothes, wiped the moisture carefully from the camera, and replied: "Oh, so so! the last plate must be a dead failure, though. I knocked the camera half over just before that terrible crash." The following morning the Vaughans were at breakfast when a quick ring at the door-bell was heard, and Mr. Vaughan recognized the voice of one of his clerks, saying, "I must see Mr. Vaughan without delay, if you please." Mr. Vaughan surmised from the tones of the speaker that something had happened, and hastened to the door. "Mr. Vaughan," exclaimed the excited clerk, "please come over to the bank at once. We have been robbed, sir." "Robbed?" "Yes, sir; everything is in confusion. The vault is open, and papers and securities litter the floor." It took but a moment to recognize the truth of the clerk's statement. The vault door was wide open, but the lock had not been injured. The robbery had been committed by some person who knew the combination of the lock, or the vault had not been fastened the night before. Mr. Vaughan discarded the latter idea, for he had tried the vault door before leaving the bank, and knew that it was locked. There were three besides himself in the employ of the bank--James Hendrix, the cashier; Frank Wentworth, bookkeeper and assistant cashier; and John Salters, general utility clerk, the man who had notified him of the robbery. Neither Hendrix nor Wentworth had arrived, and Mr. Vaughan requested the clerk to gather up the papers which were still lying scattered over the floor, while he endeavored to find a clew to the robbery. While they were thus engaged the cashier entered, and appeared surprised to find the president already there. Mr. Vaughan immediately informed him of the robbery, and noted the look of indignation and astonishment with which the news was received. "Hendrix, what was your cash balance last evening?"