Middletown transcript., 1882-01-06

! and business courtesy, and it was Law
ishly extended to them, especially the
sympathy, in many and varied expires
sions thereof. Still, as the day went by,
and after William Belford's return. a
good many people seemed to be in need
of money, and those who had any right
to draw on BeIford Brothers Eat sight''
began to do so.
We've weathered it, father,n said
Marvin at three O'Clock.
How about tomorrow ?"
Well, the funeral won't be till the
day after that
Johns, or the concerns? 1 tell
you, my boy, there is something in the
air. That thing will have to come out
if we suspend. There is one thing we
might do"
''Not with my consent
"Never mind, now. will think
about it. That would tide US over, and
we could arrange afterward.''
"Never! And we can weather it
just as well Without
"Don't you be too sanguine. You'd
better look in at Johns with me On our
way uptown
That had been a dark day at the
bankers elegant residence. Gideon
Street had been glad to get away from
it in the morning on the plea of busi-
ness necessity. He had discovered, be-
fore going, that his affection for his
step-father had been stronger than he
knew, and so the blow fell on him the
more heavily. He had also been aston
ished at the extreme of grief expressed
by Ruth Faraday, but he had been
greatly puzzled by thing he heard her
whisper to herself as she leaned above
the cold face. of her uncle: Il know
now part of what he meant. What
can the rest of it be +? This was com
ing, then, and he knew it ~
Gideon had not heard Mrs. Belford
say, in the shelter of the curtained win |
dow, I'm glad my own property is
settled on me. William will be in con-
troll of everything else. -
Nevertheless, it was not without |
some show of reason that Gideon had
remarked to Ruth, before he left the
house, " will say just one word. Pm
glad there's one person besides myself
with heart enough to be genuinely
sorry
"Why, Gideon, I loved him.
He loved you, too, and you will
know it some day."
elm sure he thought everything Of
you. But can't talk now. Do you
think they will come here right away 9'
"Of course they will. I don't mean
to be here when they come"
Ruth was within breath of saying,
wish you would p but she did not
say it, and so when William Belford
and Marvin called to mingle their grief
with that of the stricken household,
Gideon was not there.
It was the middle of the day before {
the funeral, and the inner parlor of the
old clearinghouse contained only Mr.. !
William Belford and his son. Business ]
went on in the outer Office after man
ner strictly conformed to the needs and
of some sombre a state of
affairs.
Marvin, it is only as a loan." Il
"I protest p
"You have no rights as yet. If you f
and Ruth were already married, it
would be different. am my brothers. s
sole executor" {
"What of that, fatherP Ruth is of |
age. This is her own private property. '
You've no control. I doubt if Uncle S
John would have any by right if he t
were alive.'' t
"It's a deposit, Marvin. I won't l
break if 1 can help it ~
The oblong, tape-bound package lay /
on the table before him, and he tore it
open with movement so sudden that {
Marvin's outstretched hand was all too
late.
"What ! What is this ?''
Mere waste paper p S
Whose work is this ?'' s
It was hard to say which face of those 1
two was changing color and expression |
the more rapidly as their eyes glanced t
from each other to the heap of trash on f
the table. S
"Could Uncle john
"No, indeed Nor old Ruggles.
This is worse than the deficit. 1t is ]
utter and everlasting ruin p
There is but one other man,"
"Gideon Call him in !
In moment mere Mr.. William Bel f
ford was sternly pointing to the con- c
tents of Ruth Faraday's special deposit, r
and demanding, "What does this i
mean, Mr.. Street ?'' ,
Rubbish, should say. Why ?"
"What do you know about it Pn !
Nothing at all"
Mr.. Street, do you know we have
found a large deficit in the books of
this house ?'' h
Parfacf1v XUal1 - I
"And now here in this robbery, evi- Q
IDENTIFY committed by some one who had /
access to the vault.'' 2
cit looks very badly indeed" Not f
a hair of Gideon's yellow beard and
fiinched, but the latter had t
a quiver in them as if they were begin f
ming to curl little. Il
Haveyou any explanation to Offer? h
the banker. j
HPossibly I have. The plundering t