The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-08

Wheatcroft was right in his suspicion.
Whittier, Wheatcroft d Co. had lost i'm
portant contracts because OF Undertaking
due to knowledge surreptitiously OBJ
tanned. He believed that some one had
got into the store on Sunday while Mike
was taking a walk, and that this some
body had somehow opened the safe.
There was never any money in that pri-
vate safe: ii was intended TO contain
only important papers. 1t did contain the
letter-book of the firms bids, and this is
what was wanted by the man who had got
into the office and who had let himself
out by the window, leaving it unfastened
behind him.
What grieved him when he had come TO
this conclusion was that the thief-for
such the housebreaker was in reality
was probably one of the men in the en-
ploy OF the firm. 1t seemed to him almost
certain that the man who had broken in
knew all the ins and outs of the office.
And how could this knowledge have been
obtained except by an employe? Paul
was well acquainted with the clerks in the
outer office. There were five of them. in
Guiding the old bookkeeper; and although
none Of them had been with the firm as
long as the major, no one of them had
been there less than ten years.
While Paul was sitting quietly IN the
private Office. smoking a cigar. with all
his mental faculties at their highest ten
sion. the clock in the corner suddenly
struck s
Paul swiftly swung around in his chair
and looked at it, An old eight-day clock ii
was. which not only told the time of dav
but pretended also 10 supply miscellaneous
astronomical information. 1t stood by it.
self in the corner.
For a moment after Il struck Paul stared
at Ii with fixed gaze. as though he did
not see what he was looking at Then a
light came into his eyes and a smile fitted
across his lips.
He turned around in his chair slowly and
measured with his eve the proportions of
the room, the distance between the desks
and the safe and the clock He glanced up
at the sloping glass roof above him Then
he smiled again and again sat silent for
minute. He rose 10 his feet and stood with
his back TO the fire Almost in front of
him WAS the clock in the corner.
He took out his watch and compared its
time with that Of the clock Apparently he
found that the clock was too fast for he
walked over TO It and turned the minute
hand back. IL seemed as though this was
q moro difficult feat than he supposed or
that he went about IL Carelessly for the
minute hand broke OF short IN his Hngors
\ spasmcdic movement Of his as the thin
metal snapped rulled the chain of its
cylinder and the weight fell with a clash
All the clerks looked un: and the red
headed office boy was prompt i'm answer to
the bell Paul rang a moment after
Bobby" said the young man 10 the hov
as he took his hat and overcoat - inst
broken the clock. I know sho6 whore
they make a speciality Of repairing time
pieces Ike that. I'm going 20 tell them 10
send for il NJ once. Give it 70 the man who
viii come this afternoon with my card. Do
you understands
Cert" tho boy answered. IF he amt
got Your card he don't get the clock"
That's what 7 mean" Paul responded.
as he LEFT the office
Before he reached the street door he met
NJ = teatcroft
Paul" cried tho Junior partner exnlo-
sivelv. I've been thinking about that
about that-you know what mean, And
I've decided that we had better put a de-
tective on this thing az orce"'
Yes" said Paul that's n good Idea. In
fact. ! had Just come "a the same conclu-
sion. T."
THEN 10 checked himself He had turned
slightly ~ speak - 1fr Wheatcroft. and
now no saw that Major Van Zandt was
standing within ter fPet 81 them. ana re-
noticed that tho old boo<keeper's face was
strangely pale.