Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1877-06-21

I
/ 'sThat handkerchief must feel very
unpleasant, Mr.. Thatcher. If you
will follow me, will show you your
state-room, and give you little COM
fort
With look the young man fol-
lowed Captain Dolphon, and soon
found himself in well-furnished lit
tie apartment below the deck. There
/ he found chairs, table and good
library.
''This is to be your home for some
time the captain said when he saw
that his passenger had surveyed the
apartment. 81 will now relieve
you"
A moment later the 'kerchief drop
ped upon Clyde Thatcher's breast,
and he sprang forward and laid his
hand on the shippers arm.
Where is the Neptune bound for"
he cried.
"Benares 20
The young man started back with a
grOan, and his face became deathly
white.
" And when will she return to
Beachy?" he asked in subdued
tone,
Captain Dolphon's smile might have
answered him.
" Never! This is to be the Nepe
tunes last voyage!''
There was world of meaning in
the shippers words, and Clyde
Thatcher felt them go to his heart
like knife.
Listen to me, then,'' he said
calmly. ] know the man who has
plotted for my death. Do you know
that | am cashier and book-keeper
for Grame & Co. p
II don't know anything" Captain
Doiphon answered.
The person who is at the bottom
Of all this villany is Winter Gracme.
He has robbed the firm, and has
tampered with my books. discov-
ed this last night. Now he has put
me out of the way, and will doubt
less cover my name with infamy by
spreading the books before the peo-
pie. But this is not all. / don't
care for myself, Captain Dolphon. l
could face his lying accusations and
beat them back successfully. But
there is one over whose soIl my dis
appearance will fall like mantle of
death. Ii you have ever loved, listen
to me, and don't darken the life OF the
best girl in Beachy. Before the Nep-
tune sails let me gain the shore, and
defeat this dark plot and cunning"
Captain Dolphon Slowly shook his
: head and'moved toward the door.
i've saved two thousand dollars
from my salaries, cried the youth,
springing after him, land you shall
; have every cent if you will send me
ashore before the vessel sails ="
Then the skipper laughed and
turned away.
"YOur offer is no inducement," he
said, coldly. The Neptune is al
ready under sail
As the door closed behind the skip
per, Clyde Thatcher sank into a chair,
and completely overcome, buried his
face in his hands.
A gentle undulating motion told
him that Captain Dolphon had spoken
the truth, and he knew that the Nep-
tune WAS leaving Beachy far behind,
"What, Clyde a defaulter? No,
no! White, there must be a mistake
here!"
The speaker WAS Joshua Graemc.
of the firm of Graeme < Co., and AZ
he finished speaking, he adjusted his
spectacles, and bent over the ponder
Gus ledger which his partner had
lately taken from the iron safe.
There is conclusive evidence OF
fraud Oh all these pages" was the
partners emphatic answer. "Well,
he does not seem to have the knack
of covering up his tracks. l think l
could have succeeded better. But
look for yourself, Graeme, and see if
l have reached wrong conclusion" j"
For many minutes Joshua Graeme,
who was accounted the clearest busi-
ness man in Beachy, turned the leaves,
but only after careful examination.
He could not be blind to the evidences
of fraud that greeted him, and when
he closed the volume and turned to
his partner his face was white, and
his lips tremhled.
II never even suspected him; but
| will punish, nevertheless.
But Winter Graeme came to say
that quite late on the proceeding
f night he had seen the accountant
, talking to Captain Dolphon, and the
r Neptune's absence put the finishing
: touch to the evidence of the young
, mans guilt.
The news spread rapidly through
, out Reachy, and among the many who
: came to the store to inquire about the
< startling affair, was fair young girl
e who had deep blue eyes and golden
hair. She showed Joshua Graeme 9
4 pale face when he turned to reply to
ber uuestion and her hand beat the lie