Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-11

Mr.. Whittier said. with a glance of COM
passion at the major.
There" Paul continued. handing his
! father a second azure square. there is a
| photograph taken here ten minutes after
| the first-at $40 yesterday afternoon. That
shows the safe open and the same Young
man standing before it with the private let
| ter book in his hand. AS his head is bent
| over the pages of the book the view of the
face is not SO good. But there can be 70
doubt that 1t is the same man. You see
that, don't you, Mr.. Wheatcroft?"
II see that of course" returned Mr..
| Wheatcroft, forcibly; what 1 don't see
| he isn't guiltyr'
Il think 1 know the reason for that"
said Mr.. Whittier. gently. u.s..
books. have they?" asked Mr.. Wheat u-
| croft; 1.-The major and also this fellow who
| has been photographer
Mr.. Whittier looked at the old book
| keeper for moment.
Major" he said. with compassion in
| his voice. you won't tell me that 1t was
you who sold our secrets to our rivals?
And you might confess it again and again.
| should never believe it. 1 know YOU
better. I have known you too long to be-
| lieve any charge against your honesty,
even If you bring it yourself. The real
| is your son, isn't he? There is no use of
| trying to conceal the truth now. and there
Is no need to attempt it, because we shall
| be lenient with him for your sake, major"
| There was moments silence. broken by
Mr.. Wheatcroft's suddenly saying:
| THE majors son? Why, he's dead, ism.
| he? He was shot in a brawl after a spree
somewhere cut west two CT three years
ago. At least that's what I understood at
| the time
| ut is what I wanted everybody to under
| stand at the time" said the old bookkeeper
| breaking silence at last. Blu. it wasn't
so. The boy was shot. but he was not
| killed 1 hoped that it would be warning
| to him. and that he would make :. fresh
| start. Friends of mine got him a In
| Mexico-but luck was against him. SO he
| wrote me, and he lost that Then an old
ccmrade of mine gave him another chance
| out in Denver. ana for Il while he kept
| straight and did his work well. Then he
| broke down once more and he was dis
| charged. For six months l did not know
| what had become Of him. I've found out
since that he was a tramp for weeks and
| that he walked most of the way from Col
| orado to New York. This fall he turned up
| here in this city, ragged, worn out sick
/ wanted to order him away. but couldn't
took him back. and got him decent clothes
and told him to look for a place for
knew that hard work was the only thing
| that would keep him out of mischief. He
| did not find place-perhaps he did not
| look for one. But all at once 1 discovered
that he had money. He would not tell me
| how he got it. l knew he could not have
come by it honestly; and so 1 watched him.
I spied after him, and at last 1 found that
he was selling you to the Tuxedo Com
| pany.'
| "But how could he open the safe?" cried
Mr.. Wheatcroft. You didn't know the
combination"
old know" said the old bookkeeper with
| pathetic dignity. "And / didn't have to
tell him. He can open almost any safe
| without knowing the combination. How he
| does 1t, l don't know. 1t is his gift. He
listens to the wheels as they turn and sets
first one and then the other and in ten
minutes the safe Is open.''
| How could he get into the store?' Mr..
| Whittier inquired.
| He knew I had key responded the
| old bookkeeper. 'and he stole it from ne
He used to watch on Sunday afternoons
! till Mike went for walk and then he IN
| locked the store, and slipped in and opened
the safe. Two weeks ago Mike came back
Unexpectedly and he had just time to get
| office"
Yes" Paul remarked. as the major paus-
ed. mike told me that he had found
| window unfaStened."
| II heard you asking about it," Maj. Van
Zandt explained, land I knew that if you
were suspicious he was sure to be caught
sooner or later. So I begged him not to
try to injure you again. offered him
| money to go away But he refused my
money-he said he could get 1t for himself
Tow and 1 might keep mine till he needed
1t. He gave me the slip yesterday after
room. When 1 found he was gone. 1 came
| here straight. The front door was unlock
ed; walked in and found him just closing
the safe here. I talked to him and he re-
|
to give up his idea-and he struck me. Then
| left him, and I went out. seeing no one
as 1 hurried home. That's when Mr.
Wheatcroft followed me. 1 SUPPOSE Tho
boy never came back all night 1 haven't
seen him since; don't know where he is
but he is my son, altar all, my only son.
And when Mr.. Wheatcroft accused me. 1
confessed at last, thinking you might be
easier me than you would be on the
boy"
MY poor old friend" said Mr.. Whittier,
sympathetically, holding out his hand,
which the major clasped gratefully for a
moment
Now we know who was selling lis to
the Tuxedo people. we can protect our
selves hereafter" declared Mr. Wheatcroft.
| And in spite of your trying to humbug me
into believing you guilty. major, I'm will
ing to let your son off easy"