The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-10-28
A CALCULATED REVENGE,
CHAPTER +.

| e"s " ''S "a 'toi' eo'4pa'.' but u
last had discovered that OF which wa
in search. : .'. .'7
lwhissled down my speaking tube 70
Mr. Jenkin, the head clerk Of the firm.
"1s Mr.. Maetarlane come yet ?"
No, sir" was the reply. ......
felt annoyed. He ought to have M
rived halt al hour ago. Was it poss;bI
he had taken fright? ,1a &
| gave orders he should be sent to me
directly he came.
had been engaged on an important 1t
fair, but | believed I had carried it through
successfully. So FIR MS knew my cxnm
nation OF the books had been made with
out exciting suspicion, but it was Difficult
to be quite sure. 79#Il
Hal! an hour passed before Mactarlan,
made his appearance. When he entered
the room it was evident he though. he wa!
about to be reprimanded for his tardy ar
rival, Tor he began to apologize. IN
l listended to his excuses, which han
rened to know were pure inventions, aud
then turned to the matter in hand. "
Can you explain these fisures?"
asked him quietly, opening the ledger at !,
certain page. 0- a.a
He gave slight start, and then moved
slowly forward to inspect the entry.
"What is it that requires explanation q
he asked. TG t ~
According to the returns which have
received from Frodsham 4 Walker" !
replied, 'the amount OF alloy in their last
consignment does not tally with that
stated i'll your entry. Moreover, they dc
not seem to have been allowed the us,,a
discount, though YOU have deducted i,
from the sums for which You have &C.
counted" ra3 4'.i.s1. "a
The evidence was as clear as day. He
could give no explanation.
1t must have been mistake" he said
eve used not to allow The discount. and
[suppose must have overlooked the re.
cent change in my instructions"
slt's a curious mistake" / observed
at has occurred in the only case in which
in the ordinary course OF business, We
should have no check on your transac.
tons. Pure accident rendered me sus.
pcious, and ! resolved to see ii there were
any ground Tor my suspicious.
lie made no reply.
slave you anything to say?" I de-
manded. 80. :.
"Only that it was q mistake" he reitcr
ated.
Il am afraid that excuse will scarcely
be sufficient. 4 mistake which results i!
Il loss to the firm OF a hundred and seventy.
five pounds is not one that can be passed
over"
"What do you mean to do?" he asked.
Naturally, I shall put the whole affair
before my partners. In the meantime you
will remain here till they decide whal
steps to take"
He moved 4 step toward the door, but
had my hand on the bell, and he stopped
e have told you it WIS 4 mistake" he
repeated; "but I am ready to suffer the
consequences OF it. 1t will ruin me to re.
place the money, but can give yon hal
OF it, and you can retain the balance by
degrees from my salary"
THAT is not the usual method in which
ENLIGHTENMENT is treated, | replied, coldly
"Do you mean that you will prosecute
me?"
~ have no doubt whatever that the firm
will. -
..[t's no good putting it on the firm" he
said angrily. ut is YOU who have discov.
cred it all . No one will know u word O.
lit you don't speak" ..ra
"Iou confess it then?' asked.
81 confess to nothing except mistake
Il is for you to undertake the responsi
bility Of treating it as anything more
Are you going to ruin me? Don't yor
know that il l am arrested my life i.
wrecked? ?"
l hesitated. It is serious thing te
blast mans prospects forever, however
he may deserve punishment. He saw m,
hesitation and took advantage fit.
"Why doyou wantto injure me? What
good will it do you? You know l am til,
best man in the whole place Is it wist
to lose me? I will work as hard rs n dozc1
OF them if you will let me of. You vii
always have q hold over me in future
and ii you see me Sinking you will Away
be able to keep me up to my work. I
only YOU will keep SILENT No one els,
| knows"
His argument was the worst he coule
have used; it, determined me finally.
saw that if consented to hold MY tongu,
should be as much at his mercy rs he u
nine-we should be accomplices. xii
1T is too lac" I said. "You shoul,
have thought OF all this before. Nave n.
choice"
You will send me to prison then?" &
81 shall report what | have dis
icovered?" sg
very well, them" he saidin whisper
iii you do, | swear I'll have my revenge
Another couple Of years, and ! shoul,
have made my fortune; now you ar
destroying everything. Take carer'
81 am not to be hindered from doin
my duty by idle threats" retorted as
rose. W. q.
"You will find they are not idle" h
returned. '.I'll make you repent thi
day, ii have to wait half my life for it.
I disdained to hear more. I lett tn
room locking the door behind me. Mac
farlane made no resistance: he knew
escape was impossible. To reach til,
street he would have to traverse a room
inllof men, even supposing ] could no
have prevented him from leaving thu
room. T'z
An hour aiterward he was given int,
custody. When the trial came on Their
was no difficulty in proving his guilt; /
also came out that he had squandered tn
money he had appropriated in dissipation
and that he was even n moro WORTHLESS
character than had believed. I felt n
conjunction for the part had played.
had only fulfilled my duty. Nor did m
ticipate that his threats we're anythin
more than the expressions OF the hat
which he naturally felt toward me. p
He was condemned to two years i'm
prlsonment with hard labor. si
CHAPTER II. '5@{
The two years passed swiftly bAs.1 ha
nearly forgotten Mac!arlane. The onl
result Of the affair as regards me had bee
that my partners conceived an exargera,
ed notion OF my ability and tact, and re
posed greater confidence inme than beiore
| The firm OF which I was a junior par
ner was an old established one. Our bus
ness was that Of manufacturing golG
| Smiths and was n r,rofftahle ono Hou