Evening star., 1895-09-07
day mornin' wan O. them was unfastened
whin wint to open it to let bit O. air
into the office here"

day mornin' wan O. them was unfastened
whin I wint to open it to let a bit O. air
into the office here"
You sleep here always. don't your Paul
proceeded
1--WE sIep' here iviry night for three year
now come Thanksgivin'. Mike replied.
I've the whole top O. the house to myself.
It's an ifgant apartment I have there,
Mister Paul"
When Mike had left the Office, Paul took
a chair before thasfre and lighted cigar.
For half an hour he sat silently thinking.
He came to the conclusion that Mr..
Wheatcroft was right in his suspicion.
Whittier, Wheatcroft & Co. had lost i'm
portant contracts because of undertaking
due to knowledge surreptitiously obtained.
He believed that some one had got into the
store on Sunday while Mike was taking a
walk. and that this somebody had some
how opened the safe. There was never
any money in that private safe; it was
intended to contain only important papers.
It 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-
pioy 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 OBJ
tained except by an empioye? Paul was
well acquainted with the clerks in the
cutter office. Their. were five of them. in
GLIDING the old bookkeeper; and although
none of them had been with the frm as
long as the major, one of them had
teen there less than ten years.
While Paul was sitting quietly in the
private office. smoking cigar. with all his
mental faculties at their highest tension,
the clock in the corner suddenly struck
three.
Paul swiftly swung around in his chair
ana looked at 1t. An old eight-Gay clock
1t was. which not only told the time of
day, but pretended also to supply miscel-
laneous astronomical information. 1t stood
by itself in the corner.
For moment after it struck Paul stared
at 1t with fixed gaze. as though he did
not see what he was looking at. Then a
light came into his eyes and smile fitted
across his lips.
He turned around in his chair slowly and
measured with his eye 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 aglin, and again sat Silent
for minute. He rose to 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 It's
time with that Of the clock. Apparently
he found that the clock was too fast, for
he walked over to 1t and turned the min
ute hand back. 1t seemed as though this
was a more difficult feat than he supposed
or that he went about it carelessly, for
the minute hand broke off short in his
fingers. spasmodic movement of his as
the thin metal snapped pulled the chain
eff its cylinder. and the weight fell with
a clash.
All the clerks looked up; and the red
headed office boy was prompt in answer
to the bell Paul rang a moment after.
Bobby" said the young man to the boy
as he took his hat and overcoat, I've just
broken the clock. 1 know a shop where
they make a specially of repairing time
pieces like that. I'm going to tell them to
send for 1t at once. Give it to the man
who will come this afternoon with my card
Do you understand"
Cert" the boy answered. IF he amt
got your card, he don't get the clock"
That's what 1 mean," Paul respond ed
as he left the Office.
Before he reached the street door ne met
Mr.. Whea tcroft.
Paul" cried the junior partner explosive
ly, I've been thinking about that-about
that-you know what l mean! And I've de-
c.ded that We had better put a detective on
this thing at oncer'
Yes" said Paul, that's a good idea.
In fact, +! had just come to the same con-
clusfon. T.
Then he checked himself. He had turned
slightly to speak to Mr. Whea.crofr, and
row he saw that Mai Van Zandt was
standing within ten feet of them, and he
tottced that the old bookkeeper's face was
strangely pale.
Continued in Mondays Starr