The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-09-07

"NfKn, who SHUTS UP THE Office AT
NIGHT?n
cigar. For half an hour he sat silently
| thinking.
He came to the conclusion that Mr..
Wheatcroft was right in his suspicion.
Whittier, Wheatcroft q Co. had lost inn
portant contracts because of underbid-
ing due TO knowledge surreptitiously OBJ
tanned. He believed that some one had
got into the store on Sunday while Nike
was taking a walk, and that this some
body had somehow opened the safe.
There was never any money in that pri-
vate safe; it was intended TO contain
only important papers II did contain
the letter book OF the firms bids, and
this is what was wanted by the man who
| had got into the office ana who had let
| himself out by the window, leaving il
| unfastened behind him. What grieved
| him when he had come to this conclusion
| was that the thief-for such the house
breaker was in reality-was probably
one of the men in the employ 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
cept by an employe? Paul was well ac-
quainted with the clerks in the outer
Office. There were FIVE of them, ipclud-
ing 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
I ate office, smoking cigar, with all
has mental faculties at their highest ten
tion, the clock in the corner suddenly
struck three.
Paul swiftly swung around in his chair
and looked at il. An old eight day
clock il was, which not only told the
- 1... L..A .l~I
ply miscellaneous astronomical informs-
tion. Ii stood by itself in the corner.
For moment after it struck Paul star
dat 1t with fixed gaze, as though he
did not see what he was looking at.
Then a light came into his eyes and a
simle fitted acrosss his lips.
He turned around in his chair slowly
ard measured with his eye the proper
tions 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 a minute. He rose TO his
feet and stood with his back TO the fire.
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 IL
and turned the minute hand back. IL
seemed as though this was more diff
| cult feat than he supposed or that he
went about IL carelessly, for the minute
| hand broke off short in his fingers. a
| spasmodic movement of his as tho
thin metal snapped pulled the chain of
its cylinder, and the weight fell with q
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 owe rcoat,
! I've just broken the clock. I know a
shop where they make specially of re-
! pairing tlmepieces like that. Pm going
TO tell them TO send for il at once. Give
| II to the man who will come this after
noon with my card. Do you understand?
| Cert the boy answered. 'tIf he
amt got your card, he don't get the
| clock. ~
That's what / mean" Paul respond
ed, as he left the office.
Before he reached the street door he
met Mr.. Whoatcroft.
"Paul, cried the Junior partner explo-
sively, "I've been thinking about that
about that-you know what I mean
And ! We decided that we had better
put detective on this thing at oncelp
Yes, said Paul, that's a good idea.
In fact, had just come to the same con-
clusiun. ~
Then he checked himself. He had turn
ed slightly TO speak to Mr.. Wheatcroft.
and now he saw that Major Van Zandt
was standing within ten feet OF thin, and
he noticed that the old book keeper 8
face was strangely pale.
1