The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1885-1888, 1885-08-21

watched you ever since you've been
here. | know what You arc. Nuu are
incapable Of % dishonest act, and, whit
is more will prove 1t before ! rest
The man who respects others always
respects himself The man who rcycr.
cnCcs God and honors his mother will
do no dishonorablc thing"
lie took my hand in his arm, an |,
lowing to the others, walked ont into
the street with me. heard Grab and
Slower and Carbcriy laugh, but Mcrri-
vale gave usn furious look and stood,
white to the lips, looking after us.
"Mr. Dumps, said |, 81 thank you
for your confidence in me. | deserve
tin this, at least; but it saves my
heart from breaking under this dis.
grace How shall tell my motheri'
Don't tell her yet" said he. "Wait.
Others shall think of you as do soon
Then We went ON in silence. He took
me to his own ROOM where he kept
bachelors hall. He made tea for me
and served me with sliced pottcd beef
and thin bread and butter.
The room was n strange, oldfash-
toned place, enough like u room in a
story, and there was miniature of
young lady in the costume of forty
years before on the wall over the man
tel; and ON book shelves old calf bound
volumes, and on n stand near the fire II
prayer book with the book mark hang.
ing from il.
And 1t was not until we had done tea
that he said to me, very apologetcally,
after | had called him Mr. Dumps:
Mr. Forester, excuse me, but | am
not named Dumps. That is the name
by which the young men ut the store
considered it witty 10 call me- con
fcss | could not see the wit; but it
rather hurt them than me. | saw by
your manner that YOU had made mis-
take. My name is Adams"
was so much ashamed of having
used the nickname, innOccntly rs ] did
it, that ! could have cried
But my old friend comfortcd me.
think but for his sympathy that night
! should have taken my own life. | did
not believe he could help me even then
But he did. said could not tell
you just what they accused me of do
ing unless you knew the ms and outs
of our business, and cant tell you
how he did it for the same reason.
But one day he came to me flushed
with triumph, and took both my hands
and shook them hard, and said:
MY dear boy, its all right I'd
watched before and had clcw. Your
character is cleared The firm welcome
you back with regrets that they should
have suspected you, and the real cul-
prit is found. The real culprit is Mer-
rivalc, and Slower is his accomplice.
And so it really was. They had doc
torcd my books and mcddlcd with my
proofs. They'd made me out Il thief
MS plainly as though ! had been one,
and they never guessed that "Old
Dumps" with his suspicious all aroused
had played detective and was able to
| come to my rescue ut the hour of need
went dnck TO my situation, and I've
got on well ever since, but there's more
to my story. Think of my dear Old
Dumps turning out to be my uncle
my mothers own brothcr-and neither
of us guessing ii. Long ago otherpcople
had quarrclcd, and so separated these
two who were always friends. Think
of the little man in the shabby wig and
coat proving to be quite rich and going
down into the country to live with his
sister for the rest of his life. In vaca.
tions and holidays | 20 to see them.
They are happy together, and the little
tea table is set with the old china, and
there is pottcd beef and Jelly, and am
pcttcd like child. And in my uncle 5
room the old miniature of the young
lady hangs over the mantelpiccc, as il
did in his New York lodgings, And
once he told me its sweet, sad story,
and | kncw,why the quaint old man in
the Office had more true and tender
gallantry than the younger ones, and
why they called him Old Dumps.