I suppose I must have been working away for two hours when I heard a commotion in the outer office, the door was flung violently open and a tall, broad officer dashed in, slamming the door behind him. He was breathless and could not speak. He was perhaps no more breathless than I, for he wore the cross-batons and stars of a superior general, and across his broad chest were three rows of medals, ribbons and decorations. He tore off his gold-laced hat and wiped his brow. “Pardon me, general,” I began. “Shut up, Heine,” he gasped. “Forget that general stuff, and help me out of this.” It was my turn to gasp. “Jim,” I said, “what is the meaning of it?” He sank down into a chair. “I have got away with £20,000 from a bank,” he said rapidly. “Gee, it was easy money, Heine. A bit of note-paper that I borrowed from a kid on leave from one of these army headquarters, a suit of clothes, and it was like taking money from a child. But they’re after me; one of those damned English officers spotted me and asked me in the street who I was. I just had time to jump into a cab and bolt.” The dreadful truth was slowly dawning upon me. “Twenty thousand pounds,” I said, “you have got £20,000 from a bank--from the Jermyn Credit Bank, Jim?” “Sure thing,” he said, “do you know them?” I passed my trembling hand across my brow. “Leave the money here in my desk, Jim,” I said. “I will take care of it, then, when the coast is clear, you can come back for it.” “Give nothing,” he said brutally. He walked across the room and took a cautious glance from the window. “I am going,” he said, “they didn’t pick me up.” “Don’t go with that money,” I cried in alarm, “it will be bad if they catch you with the goods. Be a good boy and leave it here,” but before I could finish he had thrown open the door. “Hell!” said Jim, as Major Haynes walked in. “Friend of yours, Heine?” said Major Haynes; “dear me, what excellent company you are keeping. I hardly know who to expect next. I shan’t be surprised to find the Minister of War here one of these fine days. How do you do, general?” “Quit kidding!” growled Jim. “What horrible language for the commander of the 9th Army,” said Major Haynes, and then--“I suppose you know it is an offence to wear a uniform to which you are not entitled?” It was now my turn to speak. “This man,” I broke in, “is a thief. He has robbed a certain bank of a large sum of money.” “As to that I know nothing,” said Major Haynes, “all that I am concerned with is the fact that your friend is wearing a uniform to which he is not entitled.” “He is a robber,” I cried excitedly, “he has obtained by trickery and fraud a great amount of money.” “From the Jermyn Credit Bank?” asked Major Haynes in a tone of interest, “the officers’ friend, the help-one-another association? How perfectly shocking!”