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

cigar. For half an hour he sat silently
think 'ng.
He came to the conclusion that Mr..
Wheatcroft vas right In his suspicion.
Whittier, Wheatcroit d Co. had lost inn
portant contracts because OF underbid-
ing due TO kaOw ledge surreptitiously oO-
tanned lie believed that some one had
2ot into the store on sunday while Nike
was taking a walk, and that this some
body had somehow ororCd the safe
There was never any money IN that pri-
yate safe; II was in,endcd to contain
only important papers. TX did contain
the letter book of the firms O,ds, and
this Is what was wanted Uy the MAJ who
had got into the Office ana who had let
himself out by tie window, leaving y
unfastened behiI;I him. What grieved
him when he had come to this conclusion
was that the tnief-foT such the house
breake. was IN rCa'ity-was probably
one of the men in the employ OF the firm
Ii seemed TO ham almost certain that the
man who had broken in knew oil the ms
ana oms of the office. And how could
this knowledge have been obtained ex-
cept by an employe? taul vas we'll ac-
quainted with tine clerks in the outer
Office. There wtre five OF them, includ-
ing the old boCkkeere-; and although
none OF them had been with the firm as
long as the Major no one of them had
While Paul was sitting quietly in the
private office smoking 4 cigar, with all
his mental faculties al their highest ten-
tion, the clock in the corner suddenly
struck three.
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 day, but pretended also 10 sup
ply miscellaneous astronomical informa.
tion. IL stood by itself in the corner. .
For moment after II struck Paul star
dat il with fixed gaze, as though he
did not see what he was looking at.
Then a light came into his eyes and
simle fitted acrosss his ips.
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.
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. II
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 snort in his fingers. A
spasmodic movement of his as the
thin metal snapped pulled the chain on
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 q moment after.
"Bobbv,n said the young man to the
boy as he took his hat and owe rcoat,
"Tve Just broken the clock. i know a
| shop where they make a specially OF re-
| pairing tlmepieces like that. Pm going
| TO tell them to send for IL at once. Give
| IL TO the man who will come this after
noon with my card. DO you understandY
| Cert the boy answered. "If 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.. Wheatcroft.
"Paul, cried the junior partner explo-
| sively, "Ive been thinking about that
about that-yo know what / mean!
| And | We decided that we had better
put a detective on this thing at oncei'
| "Nes, " said Paul, that's good idea.
In fact, / had just come to the same con-
| clusiUn. -
Then he checked himself. lie had turn
ed slightly TO speak to Mr.. Wheatcroft,
and now he saw that Major Van Zandt
| was stnnulng WITHIN ten teet OF thfn, and
he noticed that the old bookkeeper' q
face was strangely pale
CHAPTER Ill
During the next week the Office oI
Whittier, Wheatcroft a Go. had its usual
aspect OF prosperous placidity The rou-
tine work was done In the routine way
the porter opened the office every morn.
ing. and the office boy arrived few min
utes after IL was oponed the clerks came
at nine. and little later the partnerl
were to be seen In the inner Office read
ing the mornings correspondence.
The Whittiers, father and son. had had
discussion with Mr.. MhcatCroit as TO tn.
| most advisable course 10 adopt TO pre-
vent the future leakage Of the trade We
crets of the firm. The senior partner sue
cecCed i'm dissuading the junior partner
from the employing Of detectives.
i uNot x,e, y no safd Unnt vot Th...