Show j LITERARY DEPARTMENT t. t 01 EI A Kodak I am very sorry Fred I have got gotto to like the girl very much and she has been very faithful to her duties and a good clerk and all that but I cannot permit th this s pilfering to go on it will lE lead ad to something worse before long I think the the best way to save her feelings will willbe be to just tell her at the end of the week that we dont don't require her services any longer and in that way get quietly rid of her without any direct accusation You know linow we took her solely on her own recommendation without a asking king for any references references references-in in fact fad Ill I'll do her herth herthe herthe th the justice to admit that she frankly frankl told us she co could ld not furnish any being a stranger in the place But this stealing has been going on for a month now and andas as far as we know or can find out she is the first one here in the morning and andis andis is here alone long enough to give her heran heran heran an opportunity to help herself Another thing I have noticed and that is that she has had several little trinkets lately which seem to me decidedly more extravagant extravagant extravagant ex ex- than a girl with her means could afford to indulge in unless she has come by them through such means as I begin to fear she is guilty of Fred bit his lip and was silent It would not have have helped the case at atall atall atall all for him to have told his father just then that he knew the source from whence she had derived those little gifts which he had contrived to convey to her in such a way that she would not be able to detect the giver and so return them and which it had afforded him such delight to see her wear little dreaming at the time that they would only serve as an additional means of strengthening suspicion against her He had only been wa waiting ting a favorable opportunity y to speak to her of his feelings feelings feelings feel feel- ings and assure himself of her sentiments sentiments sentiments senti senti- ments before telling his father of the hopes ht he had been cherishing but ut before before before be be- fore that opportunity arrived this unexpected unexpected unexpected trouble and threatened disgrace had cast a shadow over the fair name of the girl he secretly loved II Ill Ill I'll stake my life father that she hasn't a trinket about her but what is honestly come by he exclaimed after some h hesitation and th that t she is a thoroughly honest and trustworthy girl Dont Don't discharge her lier this week father Give her her give give me one week more and let me see if I cannot discover the thief I promise that if I find it is indeed she I will not try to shield her But let me have that much time to try and discover the real culprit I I I dont don't see how you are going to do doit doit doit it replied Mr Adams looking around the apartment II There is no way that I can see but of getting h here ere ahead of the thief whoever it is but of course the money will not be taken with you looking on and there is no way for you to fa conceal yourself in the room here You know I have been accustomed to leave money in that drawer for the convenience of giving Riving change if it should be needed before I get down in the morning and nobody knows but you that I Ie am in the habit of counting it every night before leaving and that for forthe forthe forthe the last month it h has s not balanced with the cashiers cashier's account but constantly shows a deficiency It must he be taken in the morning before we get here and Miss Mary is as she has said herself the first otje ote here indeed here indeed she has a akey akey akey key of her own so that she can get in inas inas inas as early as she pleases Freds Fred's eyes had been roving around the room while his father was speaking There was as he said no possible chance for his conce concealing l ng himself anywhere anywhere anywhere any any- where in the room without making the fact of that concealment evident and thus defeating his purpose As he glanced over at the desk which stood on the opposite side of the room near the window and in one drawer of which was kept the money for posta postage e stamps express packages etc and from which sums that could not be accounted accounted accounted ac ac- counted for had been missing for a month past his face lightened The window faced another window of a large larg building the side of which was separated separated separated separ separ- only by a narrow arch archway way and which was for the time vacant and a suggestion occurred to him which he seized upon at once II Ill Ill I'll admit it does look black against her father he said II But I believe I Ican Ican Ican can find a way in a weeks week's time either to vindicate her or prove that your suspicions suspicions suspicions sus sus- are just though I believe that it will vindicate her Just let me have lone one more week and if I dont don't discover l' l the culprit by that time I will make no further plea II All All right my boy said Mr Adams I a aJ J smiling and perhaps not altogether without an intuition as to the cause of his sons son's earnestness II I I can stand the loss of a few more dollars I guess Find the culprit and you may name name your own reward II I I dont don't desire any reward replied Fred But his troubled face told another story and one that his father was not slow to detect Not only Mary Allen but the other two girls and boy in th the employ of Mr Adams' Adams printing establishment mis missed ed edthe the fr frank bright smile and pleasant word with ith which their employers employer's son had been wont to greet them and into Marys Mary's pretty eyes crept a look of hurt surprise mingled with a deeper feeling that went to Freds Fred's very heart But he main maintained his feelings feelings' in ill inthe inthe the meantime however studying each face and act of the with a scrutiny he had nev never r bestowed on them before and by night he had pretty well settled in his own mi mind nd as to the cul cul- t. t To make that suspicion a certainty certainty certainty however was the task that remained If any of them in passing near the window where the desk stood had chanced to glance at the building opposite opposite site they might have noticed that it had been provided with a shade with the exception of one pane of glass where the shade had been cut away The days day's work went on as usual except that Mary remarked to herself with a little faster beating of heart that it was the first day since finding the employment employment employment employ employ- ment that had been to her such a boon that Freds Fred's eyes had failed to meet hers her's with an encouraging or friendly smile in which of late she had imagined she could detect a warmer sentiment The next morning the hands were at their work as usual when Mr Adams and his son entered the establishment Both gentlemen looked serious but on Freds Fred's face was also clearly manifest a alook alook alook look of triumphant satisfaction Young people said Mr Adams addressing his I I 1 have rather an unpleasant subject to introduce this morning but it is not of my choosing and I would prefer to give you an opportunity opportunity opportunity to acknowledge your act than to charge you with it Which of you is first in here in the morning I 1 believe I am sir answered Mary to 1 which the others assented l' l t Well Well I am s sorry ry to report that hat for some time past I have been heen missing small sums of money from the drawer where I keep the change and to which you have all access as occasion requires requires re re- q quires ires conti continued Mr Adams Now I will put it to you formally Miss Allen do you know anything in regard to the missing money I 1 do not sir she r replied plied lifting her eyes to his face with with- witha a look of perfect perfect perfect per per- innocence and and truthfulness while Fred in his delight and joy could scarce restrain himself from embracing her on the spot J Jimmie Wilson do you or you Miss Douglass or you Miss Ferns j f Ir A most emphatic denial was the unanimous response w Well ell said Mr Adams it seems that we e must resort to some other means to ascertain the guilty party What have you to say Fr Fred d Merely to ask the young people if any of them recognize anyone in this responded responded- Fred drawing o out t a small plate and laying it before them There was an excellent photo of the interior of the room and bending over the open drawer of the desk in the act of taking some silver from it was was the the unmistakable able profile face and figure of Jimmie Wilson With a startled cry he drew back covering his burning face with his hands ands If If you will tell me the whole story I will let you off with no greater punishment punishment punishment punish punish- ment than being discharged from my mys s service rv ce said Mr Adams sternly or orI I will call an officer Overcome with the terror of of this threat Jimmie sobbingly confessed th that t the he had been the thief having coaxed the watchman to let fet him in on the plea that he e wan wanted ted to get to to work early and then slipping lipping out again and not returning until after Mary arrived so that if the theft was discovered suspicion would fall upon her Mr Adams heard him to the end then quietly requesting him to get his hat attended him to th the door then returning to Mary who was standing standing standing stand stand- ing a little apart from the rest he said in a tone of kindness There is a little story connected with this discovery which there is not a fitting fitting fitting fit fit- ting opportunity to tell here but if you ou will allow my son to escort you to our house this evening to dinner I wi will l be happy to make you acquainted with my wife and you can hear the sequel of th this s affair Mary bowed too happy to speak after one eloquent look from Freds Fred's eyes and went back to her duties with a light heart At the appointed hour Fred accompanied her to his home when after being introduced to his mother who took the sweet girl to her heart and embrace at once they told her er the story The moment I looked at the window of the building opposite Fred red said it occurred to me that I might make use of it as as' a point from which I could obtain obtain obtain ob ob- tain a view of the place and the thief I found I could photograph the room accurately And I had a shade put up leaving only one pane of glass exposed in in front of which I could could place my Kodak and do the work without being seen in return Arriving there early and arranging my Kodak about half an hour Lefo before e your time of arriving the thedoor thedoor thedoor door opened and Jimmie Wilson camer came I r waited until he was in the very act of taking the money as you you see and nd then secured my snap shot that vindicated you my darling and has made me the happiest man alive all alive all by the aid of that blessed Kodak I He He had not intended to make his avowal of love in such a fashion I but buthis buthis buthis his joy and affection burst from him simu simultaneously and the next moment he t had her in I rapturous em embrace brace from which she made no effort to disengage disengage disengage disen disen- gage herself Good by my dear daughter Mrs Adams whispered as she bade her good-by good before resigning her to Freds Fred's care to escort home You shall be my daughter in a very velY few weeks if I have anything to say about it And that she not only had considerable considerable considerable consider consider- able to say about it but said it was evidenced by the modest but delightful l little wedding that took place not long after at which Fred and Mary were the principal parties interested and if their faces were any indication the very happiest that could be found anywhere A Ih II |