The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-06-24
CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER III.
One morning Mr.. Morton entered the
Office In some haste.
"It is all arranged" she heard him say,
sand find must leave at once. i have
your certificate filled out, and / believe
you said the funds were ready. You can
give them to me today, suppose"
"No, i cannot" returned Mr.. Allison,
who was at the moment deep In the con-
tents OF a private drawer at the safe.
"They are not In town, and / must first
sell some Government bonds now In the
fe-deposit vaults at Boston. / will try
to have the money for you in the course
OF orty-eight hours"
Morton made no reply, but Mile
CHANGED to look up just then, and she
> was much startled at the reflection OF his
face, presented by q mirror hanging on
the opposite wall. Plainly, Mr.. Allison's
words had not pleased him, for the ex-
preston on his dark features vividly
illustrated rage and disappointment. His
white teeth were set with q vicious force,
and his fists fercely clenched. In her
tremor and confusion at this unexpected
sight, her pen dropped from her fingers,
and she was glad for an excuse to bend
over and hide her face, which must have
betrayed the disturbances OF her feelings.
When Mr.. Allison sat down again, Nor
ton had fully recovered himself to all
outward appearance, and, after q little
more conversation In too low q tone for
her to understand 1t, he went away.
In the afternoon Mr.. Allison astonished
his clerk by asking II she thought she
could take sole charge of the Office for a
day or two. lie was going to Boston at 8
o'clock, and could not tell just when he
would return.
She answered him In the affir native,
but with noticeable hesitation, for she
had strong reasons for wishing he would
not go.
81 don't think you will have any
trouble, Miss Thorndyke," he said; "if
anything comes up that you can't man
age, put it of until return, or let it
CO."
Had she dared, she would have tried to
dissuado him from going, for she was
sure the result of his journey would be
to put a large part of his property In
Morton's hands. She did not speak
then, but she was so uneasy she deter
mined to watch for an opportunity OF
doing SO. BY and by he happened to look
up and see her eyes resting on him, with
HI tApTtsSlou WnlCu cdusCu MN W ACaNc
bis desk and come to her side.
"what is it, Mil-Miss Thorndyke!"
he asked in tone she had never heard
say to me-"
"I-I-yes," she stammered, and then
stopped short. She had not yet over
come a habit OF flushing up whenever he
addressed her-a habit not at all unbe-
coming in his eyes, though il was pain
fully confusing to her. While he was
waiting for her to recover herself the
office door opened, at which he stepped
back with an air Of annoyance, and,
turning, confronted Morton. Miles
chance was lost, for Morton stayed until
train time, and the two gentlemen went
out together.
al will leave the safe for you TO lock-"
said Mr.. Allison in giving his final direc-
tions; "you know how--shut the door
hard to, turn the handle that works the
bolts until II is square across, and then
turn the knob two or three times towards
the left"
After he was gone she reproached her.
self moro than ever that she had not
spoken the warning that had been at her
tongues end. II could have done no
harm, aud would at least have put him
on his guard. But regrets were useless,
and she could only hope, rather forlorniy,
that all might turn out well.
Being in O somew hat disturbed state Of
mind, and having no work to do, she
tried to compose herself with Q new book
left in the office by Mr.. Allison, and she
found IL so interesting she was 10th to
Law it down at O'Clock, the hour of
closing. As her supper would not be
ready before half past six, and her quar-
ters at present were comfortable and
quiet, she determined to stay awhile
longer, first taking care to lock the door
that she might be secure from. Interrupt
tion, though, indeed, there was little
chance OF that, as nearly every one in the
building left early, and nobody ever
came in Mt that hour.
As she was about to settle down she
thought OF the safe. "I'll fasten that,
too, else may forget it--which would be
dreadful, l suppose, though there is no
money in it nor anything else burglar
would take the trouble to carry away"
She never before had had occasion to
lock safe door, and she carefully fol-
lowed Mr.. Allison's directions.
"Oh. how heavyl" she exclaimed, tug
ging at the ponderous weight as she drew
il back for a long swing. "He said
must shut 1t hard to-" and exerting all
her strength, she closed the door with a
bang. Then she shot the bolts and
turned the knob until significant little
click told her all was secure. "There,
now everything is fast," she said.
And so it was, even more than she
thought, for in turning away a quick tug
at her gown caused her to look down,
when she saw with dismay she had shut
into the safe part OF one OF the folds of
her skirt. At first she was disposed to
smile at this mishap but very soon the
full gravity Of the situation dawned on
her and filled her with the liveliest un-
casiness. One or two Intellectual pulls
showed that the iron monster could not
be made 70 give up its grip until its jaws
we're forced apart--in other words, until
the door was opencd-which, as she
neither knew the combination nor had
the necessary strength, was OF course out
OF the question. Had her gown been an
old one, she might have freed herself by
tearing the cloth; but, IL being a new
and very pretty garment, she was unwil-