Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1895-08-09

able business. He
Ind boon heard to boast TINT Lo Ind
III his concern the three finest Young
men in tho city. There was his own
son, Chnrlcy--ho was certainly fine
young man, and his father was moro
than little proud Of him. Then there
was Evan Jones, the head bookkceper.
and thlrdly-a sort of head clerk md
general manager, who made himself
felt everywhere, and of whom even his
employer WAS half inclined to stand in
awe-Walter Stcrnc.
Sterno had many peculiar ways of
his own. He owned tho very resuect
able house he lived in, and neyertbc
less he was accustomed to mako The
inct TINT he supported his mother.
who was also his housekccpcr, IN ex-
cuso FOR all sorts of UNNECESSARY econ.
omics; though not only Abel Leon
ard, but his fellow clerks, were we'll
aware that Walters bank account had
been steadily climbing upward from
the very hour, ten years ago, TINT he
had entered the establishment And
yet Sterno was welcome visitor nt
tho house of his employer; for he
could BIO entertaining in many ways.
Three very fine young men were
these, and undoubtedly Abel Leonard
was justified i'll being proud of them 4:
Dut the time had come, Ill tho natural
course of human events, when tho old
gentleman must necessarily DO Duz-
zled. For forty years he had Ind no
partner Ill business, and for half TINT
time ho had accustomed himself to
look upon his daughter Belle MS n girl ::
but now two important facts were
slowly dnwning upon him. Ono was.
that he must speedily assign the
charge OF his business to younger and
more active management and the
other was. that two of his very fine
young men were rivnling each other
IN wcll-dircctcd efforts to establish
even nearer connection with him
self than that OF partner in business
Abel Leonard had always pretended
to keep sharp eye after his books and
balances, but of late years this had
been little moro than n pretense. nm
TIL, now that he seriously contemplated
n change i'll his arrangements, he once
moro made pratical reality of his
formal examinations.
Perhaps tho old gentleman was not
rs quick at figures as he had once been.
and there were some accounts TINT
puzzled him sadly. At all events he
went over them again and again. Sill
no called no ono to his assistance.
though, MS Charlie was cashier Evor
Jones head bookkeopcr, and it WIS
Walter Stcrne's duty to go over tbinns
after them. he could have very ensiiv
had everything explained. To be sure,
Walter had been absent for two or
three days, just before the worst OF
the puzzle came. That night Leonard
went home with clouded brow, NM
q good deal less of pride than usual II
his heavy step.
"Thcrc can no no doubt of If,
there's deficit in the cash account
and it was we'll covered up, too fnlsc
entries and false footings, and what
not; but they could not deceive old
Abel. l wonder how long this In,
been going on 2"
And then, assomobody whispered tc
him, there came tho thought of Wal
ter Sterne's comfortable bank account
so large for young man with hi,
salary and expenses.
: 81 hope not" said Abel. "I won.
der what Bollo thinks of him?"
After dinner that evening Abel called
his daughter into the library and mn.
folded his terrible news. So absorbed
was he That ho hardly noticed Belle,
sudden change of color when he dimlv
limited his suspicious.
= But, father, may you not be mis-
taken?"
"No, not about the deficit"
but who could have takcn the
money!" wy
"Any two of them could, if the,
worked together, or nav be ono ~
them could have done it alone. The,
have chances every now and then, buy
Walter has the most"
She could say little more, but tb,
whole thing seemed impossible.
"Walter will be back tonight. y sa;t
the old gentleman, land / will sa,
nothing about it till he has had n looi
at the books"
Tho next day old Leonard sent dow
word that he was ill, and did not max,
his appearance on that day, or the da,
following, SO that the three fino youn,
men had it all their own way. Thu
second evening Sterne came up to III,