Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-08-01
THE bBFT-HANDBp THIEF.

GLOW many young men have been injured
and perhaps ruined by false suspicion! re-
marked my mercantile friend, as we were con-
versiug on the "panic," few evenings since
Suspicion is like an assassin IN the DARK
stabs its victim and he knows not from whence
the blow comes. Or IL may be like the Keen
frost which seizes upon the ears, the checks, or
the nose. freezing he flesh or driving back the
likelihood. and vet the poor man is totally igno-
rant of his situation till he comes IN contact
with heat. and begins to feel the stirring pain.
But believe | never told you of the only time
that suspicion of evil ever fastened on me. 1t
has nothing particular to do with the subject
under consideration, though it serves to show
how merchants sometimes lose money.
When mere youth was placed in the store
of Jacob Wharton. merchant doing a good
business. | was frugal industrious, and faith
full, and at the age of twenty-one | was advanc-
ed to the post Of book. keeper, with a good
salary. l had charge of the books and the
safe, and all the money left over after banking
hours was also in my care. | tried to do my
duty faithfully and l think succeeded. Mr..
Wharton was close, methodical man, with
quick eye and ready understanding of business,
and as | fancied he was satisfied, felt much
pleased.
had been book-keeper a year when l
though my employers manner towards me be-
gan 10 CndnSt. lc DtSdl W ItuI mt HluIt
coolly, and finally was sure he watched my
movements with distrustiul chances. became
nervous and uneasy, for feared had offended
him. But the thing came to head at length.
One evening when was alone in the store,
engaged in making up nay cash account, Mr..
Wharton came to me with troubled look and
spoke. His voice was tremuous, and could
see that he was deeply affected.
George" said he, 81 am sorry for the con-
viction that has been forced upon me fear
you have not been treating me as you should"
| managed, in spite of my establishment, to
ask what he meant.
81 fear you are not honest !" was the reply.
Had thunderbolt fallen upon me / could
not have been more startled.
Not honest! And there had been for many
years making it my chief aim and study how to
serve him most faithfully. do not remember
what l said frst-I only know the tears came
into my eyes--that my lips trembled-and that
my utterancc was almost choked. How long
had he held such suspicionsP asked him, and
he told me for more than two months.
"You have suspected me thus and still left
me in the dark After serving you so long
after giving to your interests all my energies
after striving for faith and honor, that might
win your love and esteem-to suspect me in Sc
cret-to look upon me as a thief and yet not
tell me Oh, would not have believed it
"Let us talk the matter over calmly" said the
merchant, his old kind tone coming back. lie
was touched by my agony and could see he
he was wavering.
! felt, at first, like telling him that he should
have done this before, but as he seemed ready
to reason now, found no fault.
"You have spent considerable money of late"
"How ?" | asked.
"Have YOU not built house?"
e. III Co., Il bo, Al
given my mother a comfortable home"
Mr.. Wharton was staggered for a moment by
my frank and feeling reply, but pretty soon he
asked:
"What did the house cost YOU P"
"Just fifteen hundred dollars Ny mother
owned the land. And l supposed you would
know where got the money. You sir, learn
ed me how to save it. | have been with you
six years. The first year you paid me fifty dol
lars, and I laid up twenty-five of it. The sec
ond and third years you gave me a hundred
dollars, and laid up sixty year. The fourth
year you made me a clerk, and gave me five
hundred. My mother was able to feed me, as
our little cot answered for the time. | got
along that year upon an expense of seventy-fye
dollars. The next year you paid me six hun
bred dollars, on condition that | would keep
your books. | saved five hundred of that
This last year you paid me one thousand, and !
spent only the interest of what | had previous
ly invested, so that the thousand was not
touched. Of course my mother has worked,
but she wished TO do it. | have paid fifteen
hundred dollars for my house, and have five
hundred dollars in the savings bank. That is
plain statements of my affairs"
My employer seemed more puzzled than be-
fore.
"Now," said /, 81 have given you an honest
statement, and will you be equally frank, and
tell me all that has happened to excite this sus-
picion."
II will" he replied, taking seat ner me.
"Within the last year | have lost more than
two thousand dollars 1t must have been taken
from the store. ! know this for | know the
amount of goods which have been sold, and
know how much cash have received | began
to be watchlul four months since. Two months
ago a man paid me in the afternoon, five hun
dred dollars. | put it in the drawer, and on
the next morning, before you came in, looked
Mt your cash account, and found only two hun
dred of that set down. From that time have
been very watchful, and have detected dozen
similar cases. J have noticed ever dollar that
came III after the bank account was made up,
and have also taken note Of the amount entered
upon the book, and during that time there has
been leaking Of owe. seven hundred dollars 4!
Now who has access to the drawer and the
safe ?"
l was astonished. could only assure my
employer that | knew nothing of it and | saw
that he wanted to believe me. ! asked him if
he had spoken Of this to any one else. Not a
living soul but me- he replied. l pondered a
few moments and then said -
"Mr. WHARTON could he made to believe
that even ignorantly had wronged YOU to the
value of u dollar, | should not feel the perfect
consciousness Of honor | now feel Some of
the clerks may find access to the money. But
are you willing to let the matter rest for a few
daysP will strain every nerve to detect the
evil doer."
lie finally consented to let me try my hand
at detecting the thief. He promised not to lisp
syllable upon the subject to any one else, and
also to leave the matter wholly in my hands for
one week. lie gave me a warm grasp when we
separated, and said he hoped would succeed.
On the following morning entered the store
with all my energies of mind conferred upon the
work before me.
There were four clerks or statesmen, and one
boy in constant attendance, besides myself, and
all money received had to pass through my
hands. Sometimes | made up my cash account
atnight, and sometimes not till the next morning.
In the latter case generally put the money
drawer into the safe, and locked it up. The
key to the safe was kept in mall drawer, TO
which there were two keys, one which kent.
while Mr. Wharton kent the other Tho o,l,,