The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-07-13


Meriwether himself suspected me.
and set him on the track 2? A dozen
possibilities came into my mind and
made me half crazy.
But nothing came OF it al till Sat-
urdAy, when had to 20 over to the
Comptrolleris Office with a bundle Of
vouchers thst had to be hauled over
the Goals again. It wasn't my place
to attend to such things, but they nut
il on me because / happened not 10 be
busy just then; and Of course I
couldn't refuse to go, little as 1 liked
the JOB. There was one thing about
It, though; it would give me a chance
to get look at Mr.. Blackjack again.
aud thought / could tell something
by his face aS TO whether he suspeet-
ed me or not. IL he didn't take any
particular nf tiee OF me, why, then I'd
feel little easier in my mind.
He was writing at his desk when 1
came up with-my bundle, and didn't
seem TO see me till 1 put it under his
nose. Then he started up, sharp as q
knife.
"What's that >"
''ThOse vouchers OF WiIlorghby
Brothers and the Perrin contract
You know what to do with them, Mr..
ThrsIl says"
"AIl right Leave 'em here he
And 1 was turning away, glad
enough to get of, when he stopped
me short.
"Wsit a minute, I've something to
say TO you. now 1 think of it. You're
IN the " otfiee, are you ?''
"Yes, SIR"
"And your name is-?"
John Stebbins" trying TO look as
uneoneerned as / could, but you can
guess If my heart was in my mouth
or not
John Stebbins," he said after me
with queer kind Of look. '1s that
the name you always go by ?"
mo. sir. Most people call me
Jack" | answered, in an off-hand
way, doing my best not to look scared.
"Ah, indeed! Aud nobody, by any
accident, ever calls you George Mer-
i,0ether, for Instance"
mo, sir, they don't" a.
Bot my voice shook in spite of me,
and, do my best, ] could not help
dropping my eyes before the look in
his, that seemed to go right through
me.
YOU'RE quite sure he went on,
speaking very low, "that John Steb-
bins, or Jack-it's all the same-is
your real name?u
"Yes, it is,p 1 said, doggedly.
"And / don't know what you are
driving at, Mr.. Blackjack"
"I'll show you" And he took out
a slip Of paper from an inside pocket,
and laid it fiat on the desk before me.
II was the check with the false sigma
ture; and, as / got sight of the name I
had written, the room and ev cry
thing in it seemed TO spin round me.
1t was all could do TO keep from
staggering, / was that sick and dizzy;
but still Iried to put a bold face on
ii.
"Who signed that check ?'' he
asked.
And answered:
"GeOrgr Meriwether, / suppose. |
What do i know about it ?"
lyon know enough about It to send
you To Sing Sing" he said, very
quietly, folding up the paper and put !
ting il back in his pocket. "And / |
know ali that's necessary for my pur-
poses. You can go back TO your Of
flee, Mr.. Stebbins.
He began la write again, as IL he |
had nothing more to say. But
didn't go. s-.. ....-
'Mr. Blackjack, you've said a very
hard thing tn me. 1 think pve got !
q right tn ask what you mean by it,"
L began, for / had to make an effort,
th Ough L knew it was all up with me.
He turned upon me with savage
lCok.
''See here, sir {: I don't propose to
waste words with you, nor to give
you aHy unnecessary information. |
I've good memory for faces and
vote and you know as well as I do
why I'm likely to remember yours.
D0n't make a bad matter worse for
yourself by pretending not to know
| began to see that / had no chance |
at that, sure enough and in my
fright / stammered out something
bout being allowed to explain. But
he siiuO IiC UP ~tsortiy.
81 don't want any OF your expla ma
tions and don't ask you any ques-
tions. You've got just one chance to
keep out OF Jail, and wouldn't give
you that if didn't see, some excuse
for you in the way things have gone
lately" -..-. -
"Things have gone very hard for
honest men lately" 1 said, bitterly. i
"But that's no excuse for honest
men turning rogues," he answered
hack. "And honest men don't. 1
shan't psrley with you about that,
however. Your one chance is to
bring me seventy-five dollars week
from to-day. II yOu don't, you know
the consequences, and l know where
TO find you" r.. t...f.sT
Somebody came up to SPEAK to him
and / walked out without answering, 4
but il ever any whipped dog felt
me some time to remember that
things weren't as bad as they might
have been. might have been ex-
posed as y thief and arrested before all
the gentlemen in the Office, but Mr..
Blackjack had taken pains to speak so
that nobody could hear but myself
be didn't intend to expose
or punish me, provided brought the
money back and he allowed me q
weeks time for that. had to own it
was letting me off much easier than
had right to expect. But,
after all, what did it amount to ? For
how was going to raise seventy-fve
dollars at a weeks notice No need
Of my stealing George Meriwether's
warrant il I had had an earthly
chance 81 doing that.
COseIuded next week.