Connecticut western news., 1890-03-26
VOL. XIX.
MT. Pearson were at white heat of

'hooh ucTe, hOUy, saIu Iuo cIuel, "what did you do with that $2O0.
 My heart sank. So it had not been posted, then.
 s'I followed your instructions, sir" replied. "Put it into an envelope with the bill and one of our receipt forms, and addressed it to Mir. Pear son."
 "And 1 suppose you'll swear that l got it," cried old Pearson, in fury.
 "Haven't you got it, sir?"' I asked.
 ssGot it [" cried he; chow dare you ask me? Of course haven't got it."
 ''Did ou post the letter yourself?" asked Mir. Montcalm, little more tcmpcrately. He was always gentle man; and then out came the whole story.
 Mr. Montcalm's face grew very long as he heard it.
 Then tue whole office was called in and each of the clerks was interrog ated. They were evidently innocent of any knowledge of the matter, and the office boy who collected the letters was cer- tain that he had not seen this one, though the clerk to whom he gave the mail had some faint recollection of having noticed one addressed to Mir. Pearson, but this as such slight evil deuee as to be worth hardly anything.
 When PhiPs turn came to be ques- toned, his answers were 80 hesitating that Mir. Montcalm's suspicious were aroused.
 "Are you sure that you know, noth- inp of it?" he said again.
 Phil looked at me, apparently invol- untarily, and I felt myself coloring from sympathy.
 '.Nothing, sir" he replied.i
 "Well, this shall be seen .o," said MT. Montcalm. ''I should be sorry to suspect any one of you, but $200-it is serious loss, and it must be some where. Come into my room, Pear son." he added, "and we'll talk the matter over."
 "One of those two scapegraces has got it, I'll go ball." I just heard Mir. Pearson say as they left the room, and be glanced at Phil nd me.
 s.Nonsense, nonsense," replied the chief; "they're both as honest as the day. It'll turn up"
 
 were rot found, the suspicion was forced upon me that at least Phil knew something of the matter. We had both been g little hard up lately, and could it be that Phil had borrowed the notes? And yet it seemed SO unlike him that I dismissed the sus- picion indignantly at first, but it re- turned agaisIand again, until at last 1 made up my mind to ask him straight cut about it. Once or twice did half begin, but it seemed such a dreadful insinuation to make that I always broke off before I had really put the question.
 One day, about 8 week after the dis ap' earance of the letter, it was ru- mored in the office that the detectives had Q clue. The report was a false one, I believe, but it frightened me, and determined to ask Phil all about it that night. "Come what may" I said to my self, ssI'll share the disgrace at any rate-we'll pull toget' CT still" To my surprise, however, Phil began when we got to the door of his rooms he lived alone, having no near rela- tives, while lived with my uncle.
 "Jack." he said, s'I want to speak to you. Will you come ill for 8 sec ond?" .=
 I followed hir1 wi bout word, and when we reached his room he shut the door, and then turning to me with the old half-sheepish look which his hand some face had always worn when he wanted me to help him out of some scrape, he said:
 "Jack, old fellow, hadn't we better bolt?"
 My heart gave jump. It was true, then. couldn't answer word, but just wrung his hand in silence. And so it was settled. There was no need of an explanation between us. Why he had taken the money-where it had gone to-was nothing to me compared with the fact that Phi was 4n trouble. | And now the trouble had become as much mine as h's; and, indeed, as l walked home few minutes later, had so completely identified myself | with it that l was almost uncertain whether it was Phil or or both of us that had taken the money. If any one had accused me of the theft I cou d not have denied it.
 We arranged our plans very hur- riedlv. We were to go to Montreal the next day. When all details were settled and we were sitting down to- gether by the fire in silence, Phil sud- denly looked up.
 "Don't you think we'd better just send 8 line to Montcalm," he said ]; "he's been very good to us both." | So we concocted letter together, saying that we had taken the money in 8 moment of temptation, and we hoped to begin afresh. We thanked him for all his kin mess to us, and promised to send back the amount the first money we earned. Then we both signed it, and, as I had written the letter, Phil addressed the envelope. When we reached Montreal we be- gan at once to look for something to do. But something to do is no easier to find in Montreal, apparently, than at home. It is not necessary to relate the story of the next fortnight. We husbanded our money with the utmost care, but it grew less and less. and cur hearts sank lower and lever as we made attempt after attempt to get work here or there; and at last, just fifteen days after leaving the states, we found ourselves with two dollars in our pockets and no prospect of ob- taining more.
 "Look here, Jack" cried Phil, on the evening of that day, elm as hum gry as hunter and tired out. These two dollars won't last us long; we shall have to starve then. Let us go into the Windsor and have a right.