The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-03-07
Papers. miss-papersi Out OF the safe"

they are Of the very greatest Importance tt
u,. Your master seems to have lost his
memory for a while, and cannot help us III
finding out who has done this wicked thing.
| You have been a faithful servant for so long
that am sure you will do what you can Tor
US. Think for us. Try to remember II any
body besides yourself has had access to this
room when your master was out OF It,
James sat down. He felt that he must sit
down, though Lals Roy was looking at him
| with eyes full OF doubt and suspicion. The
whole enormity Of his own guilt though he
had not stolen anything, fell upon him. lie
had got tho key; he had given 1t to Mr..
Joseph; and he had received it back again.
In fact, at that very moment 1t was lying In
his pocket The worst that he had feared
had happened. The safe was robbed,
He was struck with SO horrible dread
and so fearful a looking forward to judgment
| and condemnation that his teeth Chartered
and his eye gave way.
"You will think it over, James said Iris;
"think it over, and tell US presently II you
can remember anything"
think it over, Mr.. James," Lala Roy
repeated in his deepest tone, and with an
| emphatic gesture OF his right forefnger
Think it over carefully. Like n lamp thai
| is never extinguished are the eyes Of the
| .aitnful servant.
They loft him, and James fell back into
his chair with hollow cheek and beating
heart
"He told me,n he murmured- -"oh, the
villan!-he swore to me that he had taken
| nothing from the safe. He said he only
looked in it, and read the contents. The
| scoundrel! He has stolen the papersl He
must have known they were there. Aud
then, to save himself, he put me on to the
job. For who would be suspected If not
OH Lord!-if not mef'
He grasped his paste brush and attacked
his work with feverish anxiety to find re-
lief In exertion; but his heart was not in 1t,
and presently a thought pierced his brain,
as an arrow pierceth the heart, and under
the pang and agony Of it his face turned
ashy pale, aud the big drops stood upon his
brow.
For he thought, Suppose TINT the thing
,ets abroad; suppose they were TO advertise
a reward; suppose the man who made the
key we're to see tho advertisement or 10 heai
aoout it,! And he knows my name, too, and
my business; and he'll let out for reward
i know he will-wbo it was that ordered
tat key OF him"
., magistrate; already he saw in magma
ION that locksmth's man who made the key
kissing the Testament, and giving his tssti
nony in clear and distinct words, which
could not be shaken.
"Oh, Lordl oh. Lord!' he groaned. "Ne
ono will believe me, even IL do confess tn,
ruth; and as for him. know him we'll: il
go to him, he'll only laugh at me. But
must 60 TO him--I must"
He was 50 goaded by his terror tina. h,
loft tho shop unprotected-a thing hs hat
never thought to do--and ran as fast as b,
could to Joes lodgings But he had lef'
them; he was no longer there: he had moi
been there for six weeks; the landlahy did
not know his address, or would not give it
Then james felt sick and dizzy, and would
have sat down on the doorstep and cried bu,
for the look Of the thing. Besides, he re
membered the unprotected shop. So hs
turned away sadly and walked back. vel
understanding now that he had fallen like
fool into trap, artfully set to fasten sis
picion and guilt upon himself.
When he returned he found the place full
OF people. Mr.. Emblem was sitting in hi
did not look Ia the least like man who had
and cheerfully. Mr. Chalker was also pres
ent, man with whom no one ever smiled,
and Lala Roy, solemn and dignitied and
man--an unknown man-who sat in the
outer shop, and seemed to take no interest al
all in the proceedings. Were they come
no asked himself. to arrest him on tho spot,
Apparently they were not, for no on,
took tho least notice of him, and they were
occupied with something else. How could
they think OF anything else. Yet Mr.
Chalker, standing at the table was making
speech which had nothing to do with the
robbery.
"Here | am. you see, Mr.. Emblem he
said; 81 have told you already that don't
want to do anything to worry you. Let IL.
be friends all round. This gentleman, your
friend from India, will advise you, am
sure, for your own good, not to be Obsti. |
nate. Lord! what is the amount, after all, |
to n substantial man like YOURSELF A sub
stantial man, lsay." He spoke confidently,
but he glanced about the shop with doubt
full eyes. "Granted that it was borrowed to
get your grandson out of scrape-sup
posing he promised to pay it back and
hasn't done so; putting the case that it Ia,
grown and developed itself as bills will do, |
and can't help doing, and can't be stopped
it isn't tho fault Of the lawyers, but the
very nature Of bill to so on growing-it's
Ikea baby for growing Why,after all, you
were your grandson's security-you can't es
cape that And when would no longer re-
new, you gave OF your own accord-comt
now. you can't deny that--a bill Of sale on
goods and furniture Now, Mr. Emblem,
didn't your Don't let us have any bitter.
ness or quarrelling. Let's be friends and
tell me may send away the man"
Mr.. Emblem smiled pleasantly, but did not
reply.
IA bill OF sale ID was, dated January the
18th, 1883, just before that cursed act OF
Parliament granted the five days notice. |
Here is the bailfiTs man in possession. You
can pay the amount, which is, with costs
and sheriff7s poundage, three hundred and
fifty-one pounds thirteen shillings and four
pence, at once, or you may pay five days
hence. Otherwise the shop, and furniture,
and all. will be sold Off in seven days
"Oh," James gasped, listening with bo-
wilderment 1--WE can't be going to be sold
upl Emblem's TO be sold up!"
Three hundred and fifty poundsm said
Mr.. Emblem. my friend, let US rather
speak of thousands. This is truly a happy