The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-04-14
CHAPTER II.

surprise and bewilderment of the Young
clerk shall be explained
| ..' " ..
CHAPTER IL,
Mr.. Winter aud Charles Lennox arrived
at the store at about six in the morning.
The front door, when the house was closed,
was always barred on the inside, and could
not be opened from the street but there
was small door which opened into the
rear of the store-room, and this was used
by the merchant and his clerks. Mr..
Winter and Charlie entered together, the
former walking on into the counting-room,
and Charlie going forward to unfasten the
front door. As Mr., Winter entered the
countingreoD. she-ssw something on the
! floor litsle different from the scraps of
paper he was used to seeing there, and
picked it up. He looked at it closely, with
a troubled expression gradually settling
upon his countenance, and started with it
tosCharlie. Then he stopped and looked
again. Directly Charlie came in.
"What does this mesn?" asked Mr.
Winter, as he held a small piece of paper
to Charlie. f.. !.
"Why, it is a railroad ticket" answers
ed Charlie, good for seat from here to
Bowling Green" s s.t.- 4
81 know it" said the merchant, land
that is what puzzles me. 1t is the same
ticket that ] gave to VIII for his trip"
when did you give it to himf' asked
Charlie.
II gave it to him last evening, Just be-
fore closing for the night" was the an
swer. -l... t.rs .l-..l .s . Hat
Then be must have dropped it before
leaving the room" suggested Charlie.
NO." replied Mr.. Winter, II happened
to notice him when we were on the steps
outside, and saw him put it in the side
pocket of bis coat :" q.
"And L, since l think of it, remember
seeing him take it out of his coat pocket
and put it in the watch-pocket of his vest,
while we were at the supper table" said
Charlie. "There is.some mystery about
it. Surely he has not been up to anything
wrongY
no" answered Mr.. Winter, as he saw
Charles glance of suspicion in the direc-
ton of the money-safe. He is honesty
itself, and however mysterious this little
circumstance may appear, it will be salts
factorily explained when he returns. He
was here in the night for something, but
not for any dishonest purpose" sHa
"You may be mistaken" replied Char
lie. "Many a man acts honestly for a
while, in order to get good chance steal
without being suspected. He and / are
the only ones, besides yourself, that have
access to the safe, and notwithstanding
your opinion of Willis honesty, all may
not be right. He has but little money Of
his own, and he may have come and taken
all the money he could find, with the in
tention of collecting those bills in Bowling
Green, and then disappearing There is
no telling what he may have done, and
as suspicion must rest on one of us if any
thing is wrong, insist that you examine
the safe to see If anything is missing
would hate to find Will thief, butt want
to sustain my own character"
"Well." said the merchant, 81 harbor
no such thoughts, but TO satisfy you we
will see -"
The two opened the safe and looked in.
Then their eyes met.
You see which was right" said Char
lie
II see, but can hardly believe was the
answer. at is all gone!" he cried, in a
rage. Every dollar is gomez
"What is TO be done?" asked Charlie.
"W hat is to be donel" repeated Mr. Win.
ter, in storm of rage at the thief and with
a stare at Charlie for asking so foolish
question. "Done?" he repeated. "Why
the thief, whoever he is, must be caught
1t must be done, tell you, if l have to
spend years in search of him. The only
fear | have is that the money may all be
squandered before can find him. If that
should be the case, / am ruined man.
l had about fifty thousand dollars of my
own in here, and twenty thousand of Mr.
Johnson's, which he deposited last eve
ming. He will be in this morning for it,
and although / don't think the law would
compel me to replace it, still | will do So
| think should feel better by doing so =
But we must be at work. am compelled
to believe that Will has stolen the money;
and, as you say, he may be intending to
collect those bills in Bowling-Green for his
own use. Do you think he will run the
risk of going to Bowling Green after this?"
Eyes, sir, think he will He will not
consider himself running any risk at all, "
replied Charlie. HE knows the conf
dence you have in him, and thinks he will
not be suspected until the train comes in
this evening without him. By that time
he thinks he will be out Of your reach -
My advice is to telegraph at once for him
to be stopped"
81 will do so without delay. Mr..
Wheeler knows him, and will telegraph
to him to point him out to the police and
have him arrested" replied the distressed
merchant, and spatching up pen he has
thy wrote the following: - '...
... LOUISVILLE, Sept. 20, Sis A. N.
Mr.. WHEELER:-YOu know u clerk Of minC
named WIN. Neville. He has robbed my safe
and will most likely be down on the expires
train this morning. / wish you to have hin
secured and sent back to this city. Search hin
for money before he has a chance to hide it o.
throw it away, and telegraph to me as soon a
you have any news in regard to him. Pleas,
do this without fail. WIN. WINTER.
"Here, take this and hurry to the tele
graph Office with it." said the merchant
as he handed the dispatch TO Charlie, wht
FASTENED to do his bidding.
This was the telegram that nearl,
crushed Will Neville with bewilderment
when read to him by Mr.. Wheeler
Mr. Winter was very much relieved
when Mr. johnson told him to take hi
own time to replace the moaey which hat
been placed on deposit by him, and he al
so intimated that he knew not whethe
he would be justly entitled to it, unless tn
money should be recovered from the thlei
4 IL \