The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1876-10-04

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robbed them Of one hundred pounds.
They urged me TO confess. / was
innocent, aud / said so. Then they
told me they did not wish 10 be hard
on me. / was young. The city was a
bad place for boys. They would be
merciful, and only dismiss me without
recommendation. All / could say had
no effect. They proved me guilty be-
fore they accused me, they said and
at last staggered out Of the office.
The boys we're getting ready to 90
home. / saw they knew what had
happened.
"None of you believed this of me, /"
said /. "None of you who know me p
And Merrivale said
"Look here, Forester, you're very
lucky to get off So"
And Carberry said:
"Now come, we know too much to
be fooled. It's always your sly boots
of good young man that does these
sort of things"
And Grab said:
~ say, Forester, don't talk so much;
you'll give yourself away"
And Slower said:
20, go take glass of brandy and
water, and don't go on like a girl
about it,"
And what with shame, and rage,
and grief, / coulil have died; when
out Of bis dusty corner came little
Old Dumps, in his little snuff. colored
overcoat, and held out his hand.
'Mr. Forester" he said, "I've
watched you ever since you've been
here. / know what YOU are. You
are incapable of dishonest act, and,
what is more, will prove it before
rest. The man who respects himself,
the man who honors his mother will
do no dishonorable thing"
He took my hand in his arm, and,
bowing to the others, walked out into
the street, with me. ] heard Grab
and Slower and Carberry laugh, but
Merrivale gave US furious look, and
stood, white to the lips, looking after
us.
"Mr. Dumps" said /, II thank you
for your confidence in me. / deserve
tin this, at least; but it saves my
heart from breaking under this dis
grace. How shall | tell my mother ?"
"Don't tell her yet" said he. swat.
Others shall think as do soon."
Then he went on in silence. He
took me to his own room, where he
kept bachelors hall. He made tea
for me, and served me with sliced pot.
ted beef and thin bread and butter.
The room was strange, old fash.
ioned place, enough like room in a
story --and there was a miniature of o
young lady in the costume of forty
years before, on the wall over the
mantel; and on book shelves old,
calEbound volumes-F Fielding's Ame,
liza, Thaddeus of Warsaw, Evelina-I
can't tell you all of them; and on q
stand near the fire the prayer.b book,
with the book-mar hanging from it.
And it was not until we had done
tea that he said to me, very a2ologet-
ically, after / had called him Mr.
Dumps:
"Mr. Forester, excuse me; but ]
am not named Dumps. That IS the
name by which the young men at the
store considered it witty to call me. /
confess | could not see the wit; but il
rather hurt them more than me. IsaW
by your manner that you had made a
mistake. NY name is Adams"
was so much ashamed of having
used the nickname, innocently as ]
did it, that / could have cried.
But my old friend comforted me.
think that but for his sympathy that
night l should have taken my own
life. 1 did not belieye he could help
me even then.
But he did. said / could not tell
you just what they accused me of do.
ing unless you knew the ins and outs
of our business. And / can't tell you
how he did it for the same reason. But
one day he came to me, flushed with
triumph, and took both my hands and
shook them hard, and said:
"My dear boy, it's all right. I'd
watched before, aud had a clue. Your
character is cleared. The firm well
come you back, with regrets that they
should have suspected you, and the
real eulprit is found. The real cul-
prit is MerIivale, aud Slower is his
accomplice."
And so it really was. They had
doctored my books and meddled with
my proofs. They'd made me out q
thief as plainly as though l had been
one, and they never guessed that "Old
Dumps." with his snspioions aroused