Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-07

ing information I0dL ne, Jack, was the
| happiest man in the world. He had nc
secrets from Proudfoot, so he told him
| dealing with the father whom he had
| never seen. as tenderIy as he could, the
| sad story which Mrs. Vanderveer had
related the evening before, and Proud
foot listened very gravely and shook his
head once or twice during the course OF
| the tale
| Next morning David Nugent, who had
so profted by his day in bed that only a
| lump on the back of his head now re-
| manned to remind him of his midnight
adventure, kissed his daughter, and
| looking mighty well-fed and respectable
| betook himself down town to his office
| feeling not in the best of tempers; for
| though he had quite made up his mind to
part with Strange, he did not relish, now
| that his anger was cooled, the task of
actually dismissiug him.
He walked into his Office, therefore :,
| with scowl on his rudy face and a
| manner which the clerks, who seldom
saw him, still recognized as ominous
and which caused them to put on a sud-
den appearance of intense devotion to the
tasks on which they were engaged, which
had its amusing side.
When he entered the private Office he
saw Strange sitting in a revolving chair
carefully trimming his nails with a fine
air of unconcern. AS his employer came
in Lemuel wheeled round and calmly
said 'fgood morning., without conde-
scending to rise.
Nugent glared at him and sitting down
heavily in his own chair, looked out of
the window for few moments without
speaking. Apparently he did not derive
much satisfaction from what he saw over
the way, which indeed consisted only in
the huge plate glass windows of the bank
building which occupied the other corner
of the narrow side street,
''Well, Mr.. Strange, he grunted at
length. Il suppose you have got the
books already TO show me.
emo, haven ITO said Lemuel cody :.
Nugent shot suspicious look at him
from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
'What do you mean?'' he asked.
"Just what say. have memoran-
DUN here which will show how we stand,
but it would be useless to bother you with
the books. You would not understand
them anyhow.
care you aware, Mr.. Strange, that
this is very extraordinary conduct on
your part? How am I to tell that your
statement is correct?'
''Hear it first, and then form your
own conclusions,
Well, read it and then 1 IL see. But
mark me, Strange, am business man,
and, of course, l shall have the books
subjected to an expert IS examination be-
fore you finally leave
81 IN sure I've no objection, but I
defy anyone to balance them i'll any other
way than that which gives the results 1
have here. -
'And those results
" Are brievy these. 1 am indebted to
you III the sum of S73 ,204. 80
WHAT almost shouted Nugent
"'You are indebted to me?''
'PreciselY. -
''Then, by God, you are a swindlerl"
'Not exactly, Mr.. Nugent; l have
only borrowed the money, and shall
probably be able to repay you.
Borrowed!'' with sheer. "That
game is played out. Borrowed, indeed!
Wen see about that. - And Mr.. Nugent
turned to his desk, hastily scrubbed
note in his large and ungainly writing
and touched an electric button. One of
the clerks appeared at the door. ''Take
this note at once,'' said Nugent, his
voice quivering with rage. ''Take cab
and tell the man to drive like h-l?' and
the clerk obediently vanished.
"What was that for?'' asked Strange,
who still maintained his unooncerned at
titude.
"It was a request to the captain of the
precinct to send policeman here in plain |
clothes Immediately -
"What for? You Internal scoundreI!
Why to arrest you for embezzlementi''
and Mr.. Nugent looked as though he |
were about to have a fit, so purplish |
grew his face and so swollen the veins on |
his forehead.
"'Dear me, - retorted Strange, with |
an air OF provoking calmness. ''You are |
putting yourself to a great deal of I'M /
necessary trouble. dom t think you III |
need policeman for any such purpose |
as that.
"And why not, pray?" asked Nugent
in a tone which he vainly endeayored to
keep calm.
'fBecause you are not going to give
me into custody, and you are not going to |
prosecute me. Do you know what you |
are going to do, David Nugent?" with
sudden change of tone.
Nugent began to think that his embez-
zllng clerk had lost control of his wits
and said nothing.
81 IL tell you what you are going to
10. You are going to write me a little
document which will testify that you
have examined your books and find that
Up to date they are correctly balanced.
You are further going to give me an in
,erest, not large one, for l am a man
If moderate ideas, but still an interest
Ii your business and in the Lucky Shot
nine; and, lastly, Mr.. Nugent and
or the first time since the interview be-
ran, the speakers voice trembled
lightly with excitement-''y are 60
ng to allow me to pay my addresses to
our daughter, Miss Grace, and do all in
,our power to persuade her to marry
ne - and he stopped.
why! what in God IS name be-
ran Nugent, preparing to wither his pre-
umptuous confidential clerk with a tor
lado Of indignation, when he was inter-
upted by the lad he had sent with the
tote to the police station. elf you
,lease, sir, the person you sent for is
lere, he said, as he entered with a
tap at the door. ''Ten him
o come in, - roared Nugent.
"Stay,'' said Strange, ''tell him to
Tait for the present, Henry and the
Dung man discreetly withdrew.
Tay,r,,al ~. |