Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-11

dealing with the father whom he had
never seen. as tenderly 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 profited by his day il bed that only
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 dismissing him.
He walked into his office, therefore,
with scowI on his rudy face and
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 ''good 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. 81 suppose you have got the
books already to show me. -
Ono, haven To said Lemuel cody
Nugent shot suspicious look at him
from under his shaggy grey eyebrows.
"What do you meant" he asked.
''Just what I say. 1 have memoran-
dunn 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 1 to tell that your
statement is correct?''
"Hear it first, and then form your
own conclusions.
"Well, read it and then IL see But
mark me, Strange, l am business man,
and of course, shall have the books
subjected to an experts examination be-
fore you finally leave.
I'm sure I've no objection, but I
defy anyone to balance them in any other
way than that which gives the results 1
have here.
IL
Are brievy these l am indebted to
you IN the sum of S73 ,204 80.
t'What!' almost shouted Nugent.
''You are indebted to me?''
"PreciselY. -
"Not exactly, MIR. Nugent; 1 have
probably be able to repay you.
Borrowedl' with a sneer. "That
game is played out. Borrowed, indeed!
We IL see about that. - And Mr. Nugent
turned to his desk, hastily scrubbed a
note in his large and ungainly writing
and touched an electric button. One of
the clerks appeared at the door. ''Taks
this note at once, said Nugent, his
voice quiVering with rage. ''Take a cab
and tell the man to drive like h-l?' and
the clerk obedienuly vanished.
''What was that for? - asked Strange,
who still maintained his unconcerned at
titude.
cit was request to the captain of the,
precinct to send policeman here in plain
clothes Immediately
s'What for?'' in a tone of innocent
wonderment
''What for? You Internal scoundreli
Why to arrest you for embezzlement!'
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, within
an air of provoking calmness. "You ares
putting yourself to a great deal of I'M
necessary trouble. 1 don It think you'll
need a policeman for any such purposeA
as that. %
in tone which he vainly end9aeredst6
keep calm.
because you are not going tagive
me into custody, and you are not gohg to
me. Do you know whatssyou
are going TO do. David Nugent? ssEfth
sudden change of tone.
Nugent began to think that Bis efnbez-
zllng clerk had4est control OF wits
and said nothing.
"I'll tell you whafsyeu are going to
do. You are going TO write me a little
document which via. testify that you
have examined your books anstgfind that
up to date they are correctly balanced.
You are further going to give me an in
terest, not large one, for T 'afsss 10 man
of moderate ideas, but still M inSesest
IN your business and in the Lucky Shef1s
mine; and, lastly, Mr.. Nugsnt ''-anda
for the first time since the inteRview be-
gan, the speakers voice s4rembleds !
slightly with excitement-''y oI are g9Sa
ing to allow me to pay my addresses %
your daughter, Miss Grace, and do all I'D
your power to persuade her. to ma54y
me, and he, stopped.
"why! What in Co.'s. Name be-
gan Nugent reparin Fffther his pre-
cofiatsntial cfekk with tor
nado of indignatEss whele was inter
rupted by the lad Sent with the
note to the police tsep. "If you
please, sir, the peTsdn you sent for is
here, he said, as he entered with a
tap at theASs.. ''Tel1 him
to come in, - roaredsNuge
stay said Strange, s'tell him to
wait for the presentsszEenry - and the
young man discreetlF wzskaGew.
''Now, - said Leuiael wfeais hand on
the door knob tS1all I teffthe police