The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-09-28

| Noho VI yOu DclicVeu IuIS Vi Hc,
said l. "NOne of you who know me p
And Merrivale said:
Look here, Forester, you're very
lucky to get of So"
And Carberry said:
Now come, we know too much to be
fooled. It's always your sly boots of u
good young man that does these sort Of
things"
And Grab said:
"I say, Forester, don't talk SO much !;
you'll give yourself away"
And Slower said:
go, 60 take glas, of brandy and
water, and don't 60 on like girl about
it,"
And what with shame, and rage, and
grief, could have died when out of his
dusty corner came little Old Dumps, in
his little snuf-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 incapa-
BILE of dishonest act, and, what is more,
will prove it before l rest. The man
who respects others always respects him
self. 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. l heard Grab and
Slower and Carberry laugh, but Merri-
vale gave us furious lCOk, and stood,
white to the lips. looking after us.
"Mr. Dumps" said 81 thank you
for your confidence in me. l deserve it
lin this, at least; but it sa yes my heart
from breaking under this disgrace. How
sball tell my mother p
"Don't tell her yet" said he. "Wait.
Others shall think of you 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 potted beef and
thin bread and butter.
The room was strange, old.fashioned
place, enough like room in a story
and there was a miniature of young
lady in the costume Of forty years before,
on the wall over the mantel and on
book. shelves old, calfbound volumes
Fielding's AE Eelia, Thaddeus of Warsaw,
Evelina-I can't tell you all of them
and on stand near the fire the prayer
book, with the book-mark hanging from
it.
And it was not until we had done tea
that he said to me, very apolOgetically,
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 con-
sidered it witty to call me. confess l
could not see the wit; but it rather hurt
them than me. l saw by your manner
that you had made mistake. My name
is Adams"
was 60 much ashamed of having used
the nickname, innocently as did it, that
| could have cried.
But my old friend comforted me. l
think that but for his sympathy that |
night should have taken my own life. |
] did not believe he could help me even
then.
But he did. said / could not tell |
you just what they accused me of doing
unless you kpew the ins and outs of our
business. And l 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, and bad clue. Your
character is cleared. The firm welcome
you lack, with regrets that they should |
have suspected you, and the real culprit |
is found. The real culprit is Merrivale,
and Slower is his accomplice."
And so it really was. They had |
doctored my books and meddled with
my proofs. They'd made me out thief
as plainly as though had bt ten one, and
they never guessc1 that cold Dumps"
with his suspicious aroused, had played
detective, and was able to come to my |
rescue in the EOur of need.
went back to my situation, and I've |
got on well ever since; but there's more |
of my story. Think of my dear old |
Dumps turning out TO be my uncle-my |
mothers own brother-and neither Of us
guessing it.
Long ago other people had quarreled,
and so separated these two, who were |
always friends.
Think of the little man in the shabby
wig and coat proving to be quite rich,
ard going down into the country to live
with his sister for the rest of his life.
In vacations and holidays go to see
them. They are happy together, and
the little tsa.ttble is set with the old |
china, and there is potted beef and jelly,
and Pm petted like child. And in my
uncle's room the old miniature Cf the |
young lady hangs over the mantelpicce
as it did in his lodgings.
And once he told me its sweet, sad
story. and l knew why the quaint old |
man in the office had a more true and |
tender gallantry to women, and was a
braver friend and a more perfect gentle
man than the young fops who grinned at
him from the high stools between his desk
and the window, and gave him the nick
name of Old Dumps.