The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1895-02-02
others up to him. I have left the

~ AAS SOSAu ~ HAtC~ III LIZ ~
tons about answers to urgent letters,
:ant than ever. This the old gentle
was not long IN perceiving.
what on earth Is the matter with
gou? he asked i%rritably. IF I've to
repeat everything three or four times
over I'd better get a monograph o. a
new secretary" he added. %savagely.
After this rough rebuke and threat
Harry pulled himself together as well
as he could, but was, on the whole.
so %singularly dull and preoccupied that
the old gentleman began to suspect a
screw loose somewhere. But then he
was given to such suspicious.
Next morning Mr.. Maynard was so
much better as to be in his study be-
fore his secretary appeared. The mo-
ment Harry entered the room the old
gentleman said, CURLY:
KINDLY take these to Thacker, and
you needn't trouble to return here to-
day, as l have nothing for you to do"
Or course Harry Interpreted this curt
dismissal according to the preoccupa-
ton of his thoughts with Bell. She
had complained to her mothers of his
presumptuous attentions, and her
mother had taken counsel on the mat
ter with Mr.. Maynard, who decided to
exclude him from his house, if not to
dismiss him from his employment. OF
this Harry had no doubt at all on re-
ceiving q curt command next morn
Ing to return to the city counting house
Tor the present. For three days he
plodded on at the counting house,
nearing nothing, saying nothing and
doing nothing intelligently. On the
morning Of the. fourth. day an. odd
question came by telephone from FL
mount:
"Is Lynn still there?"
Where else should he be or have
been? Had the old gentleman ex-
pected him to return to the house?
When the reply eyes" was sent there
came the command, "Send him here"
Harry accordingly started at once
for Hampstead with his mind in a
whirl of wonder and speculation, but
aothing Of all his imaginings prepared
him for his reception at Elmont. I'M
mediately upon his entering the study
the old gentleman said, with some un-
wonted emotion:
Lynn, your father was one of my
dearest friends, and for his sake I gave
you time and opportunity to escape
justice. You haven't don't it, 1 sup
pose, because any n who could COM
NIT so stupid a theft as you have CON-
mitted--"
"Theft!" exclaimed Harry, stagger-
ing back as from a blow.
'"Tut!' retorted the old gentleman,
with scathing scorn. "Don't make a
further fool of yourself and me. Is
this your writing, sir?' pointing to the
Endorsement of a .ten-pound note which
lay before him on the desk.
"Yes," Harry stammered, for the
note was the one he had received in
an envelope from Mrs. Maynard.
'"Then where did you get that note?'
Il cannot tell you, SIR"
"Then l a tell you. You got it
IN that DESK" striking the desk with
nis closed fist.
81 did not, sir" 's"
"You lie, sir, you lie, you lie!" re-
!terated the old gentleman, really be-
side himself with fury. II had writ
ten down the numbers of that note
and Of the three other fve-pound notes
which have disappeared with it. There
1t is; there it Isl" thrusting out the
sheet of note paper with the numbers
noted on it toward Harry.
"Youll he sorry for this, sir" Harry
cried, white and trembling.
"Sorry! DamnatiCn! That is too
much!' cried the old gentleman, start
ing furiously from his chair and max
ing for the bell. Just, however, as be
reached it he paused for q moment,
and then said, nor calmly, turning to
face Harry: go! Go! And thank
God you are your fathers SON."
Harry, having stared blsDkly at him,
muttered: "You thank God that you
are her father"
Then, without another word, he
quilted the room and the house.
=
Suppose Bell was persuaded into be-
lieving him to be a common thief Of
the lowest kind! This horror swal-
lowed up all the rest. 1t so dwelt
with him and maddened him that at
last he rushed to his desk and wrote
the following brief and hasty letter to
Bell: "'-+
"No. 2 Gore Terrace, Denmark, Hill.
Dear Miss Maynard: Your mother
knows me to be innocent Of the in
famous charge for which MI. Maynard
has dismissed me. AK her only to
assure you Of my innocence. Faith
fully yours. Harry Lynn"
Within five feverish minutes he had
written, addressed and posted this
cote in the pillar across the way.
Many hours must yet pass before he
could even hope for a reply, and these
he spent mostly pacing the little
backward and forward, wondering
how his letter would be received and
how answered. When at last the an
swer did cone it was as different as
possible from any that he had I'M
fagined. 1t was from Mrs. Maynard,
and al thus:
!"Dear MI. Lynn: 1t was only after
Bell had shown me your letter that I
learned from my husband that you
were dismissed. He did not wish to
speak of it, he said, for your fathers
sake. OF course, l know you to be
innocent, and so does Bell, but, we,
both wish your pride had allowed You
to explain to Mr.. Maynard how you
came by that ten-pound note. Bell
and I mean to call to e you the
first thing in the morning, when I am
sure you will give us the explanation
your pride prevented your giving my
husband. Bell joins me in kindest re-
CARDS. Ever yours most sincerely,
Margaret Maynard"
He was up and breakfasted early,
and then paced the room for days, as
t seemed to him. before the expected
cab drew up at last at the door. He
hurried down to let them in and to
usher them upstairs himself. On
opening the door he stood confronted
with Mr.. Maynard!