Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-14

in your employ seems. open to suspicion
no stranger could act IN such way with
ont instant detection. Think what any
Jury would say to such state OF things.
We've as yet go no direct proof but, with
such circumstantial evidence to start with,
direct proof is absolutely sure to come.
WHY. he might hope to carry on such
game of that safely for many years at
any rate till he had restored what he had
taken. as all those young rascals always
mean to do some day when some impos-
sible horse wins some impossible Derby.
And. Pm afraid, previous good character
in such cases always goes against man.
IL doubles the guilt of his downfall, and
is. indeed, the very means and cause of his
being able TO fall. Adam Brown is the
man.
John Buffers anger passed suddenly, as
If ashamed of itself; and there was no mis-
taking the profound grief and distress of
the tone in which he answered me.
You'll excuse me. said he. SIT was
because saw all this just as well as you
do that came here, hoping you, as a prac.
teal and unprejudiced man, would help
ME to see t'other side of things. Aud |
was disappointed you didn't, and that was
what made me fly. Don't you go to mis-
| take me for being any softer than my
neighbors. If you can prove to me the
man who's been tampering with my check.
book is Adam Blown, I'll treat him like
viner. Mr.. Standish-that / will I'd
sooner cut my own throat than throw
ernst to my own son, if / had one, if
couldn't trust him as my own right hand.
| And. if you believe it, sir, Adam Brown
has been more to me than if he was my own
! son. For he's the orphan boy of the only
woman | ever wanted to marry, or ever
shall. l don't suspect him for one mo.
! ment-not l. But for that very reason
want you to show me how to put him
| above suspicion of any outside man, such
as you. Take my word for it it's not Adam
Brown. II it was, I'd have done his bust.
ness for him very quick, without bothering
myself to come to you. But make as if
thought it was you prove the innocence
of an innocent lad, and, by lingo, you'll
take off my mind the biggest load OF bricks
that ever was on.
The speech was inconsistent enough.
But one thing was plain from it-John
| Butler was determined to disbelieve the
clear evidence of his own reason. He had
not come to me to find out q thief but to
get me to prove to his own satisfaction
that the thief was an innocent man; and
at the same time to acquit him In his own
eyes of intentional self.deception. He
knew how he would have to act if he found
his trust deceived, and the severity which
he thought his duty in such cases fright
ened him, lest he should be compelled to
exercise it toward Adam Brown. / could
halT or,aIlinu or ha Of he
workings OF his mind, or being touched by
them, too. l had never suspected my
substantial client of having been the victim
from London to Carcester.
Then, l asked again, little hypo-
critically, "you are convinced in your own
mind, from your previous knowledge of his
character, that Adam Brown is not the
MANI
stand here. And, more for his sake than
my own, mean to know whoeis the man. -
" Have you spoken about it to Adam
Brown %
eNot l. I'd as soon speak to You, MIR.
Standish, on the supposition that it might
have been goa.
every good. If Adam Brown"
II sir p
''Since Adam Brown is innocent, we can
very soon put him beyond the reach of any
sort OF suspicion, and without bringing the
people at the bank into the affair-at least,
not in any way that would make them
/ think anything was seriously wrong in any
particular direction. In the frat place,
arrange with them, both here and at Red
port, not to cash any check of yours not
| bearing a certain private mark (which yeu
will keep secret from all your employees
without forthwith advertising you of the
person by whom it was presented. This
will have the effect of narrowing matters
very considerably. What had better be
done further l think we will wait and see. "
81 You quite understand, Mr.. Standish,
that whatever you do will find out who
was the real man-not young Adam Brown?
II doubt if l quite like to do that about
the private mark after all. 1t seems a bit
mean-like to my mind.
:" It's the best way of clearing Adam
Brown if-since he's innocent it seems to
me, said l.
''You think that Well, you're right,
l suppose. And, by lingo, as he's inno-
cent why should / be afraid If he wasn't
if I wasn't as sure OF it as I'm alive
but it can't be I'd sooner doubt my own
right hand | will. I'll settle about the
private mark this very day"
PART II NEXT WEEP.