The Washington times., 1895-02-17

1 enjoyment might not again come to him for
years. He was uil Of practical Jokes, bus
had too much respect for his godfather 10
play Z en OF on him. This thought sign
oi graee. lut Brown Con whom ne did play
them) thought the Contrary.
AN uncaiculating joker. . he said. 'svould
/ pay ip"m on everybody. but Mas er Regi-
hold mas very shrewd conviction on which
side s breal is buttered
hard conclusion surely to arrive at on
one SO young IN any case but peculiarly so
IN that OF Lrglnald Jones. For Regs,Ie. az
be was called. was thOushtless and unnre-
meditatiye even to rfcklessness "a ba -bad
bad good cause TO repent OF: while his man
Esrs and appearance were frank and vouthf1I
, even Tor bis years However. IL il alyvavz
useless to argue with nv friend Brown when
he entertains prejudice, and did not at
tempt o do so.
One day when bad received a copsion-
ment OF script from my brokers opened in
his presence the 5, erpt drawer in nv desk
and placed il there. rs It was my custom TO
do since ] had left town. II was az safe there
a. il would have been at G.y bankers. aud
much more convenient for exchange and the
cutting OF OF The coupons.
Now think that is risky thing to do"
Observed Brown.
''Bu'. my dear fellow, you have known Of
the drawer" replied 1. smilingly 'and
have never taken an improper advantage
OF it,"
II have known it., ne answered eraveIy.
without taking any notice Of the implied com
piIment: hut Master Reginald did not know
of il. and nov he does know"
1t was true that Reggie had been in the
room, Tut l had paid no mors attention to
the circumstance than 10 the fact OF NY fox
terrier Rip having been also present, and I
said SO. perhaps a little tartIy. for I was
vexed at Brown unworthy sus picions
'Yes, but your dog has not a bad name, and
your Young lriend"-
"He has nothing of the kind I inter-
rupted hotiv HE has only been a little
Wild and wayward, and shown an iRcapacity
for business. Why, II be TOOK that scrip
which you must forgive ne for saying is a
no ion that should not have entered YOUR
mind-he would have no more idea of how
to dispose OF ii than L should Of Chaldean
manuscript
Nevertheless, should put It somewhere
else till his visit was over" replied Brown.
coidly, lyon can't be TOO careful with trans
ferable securities"
Then the subject dropped. for I was not
going 10 quarrel with my old friend on ac-
count OF Master Reggie Jones. and the sub
lect could no longer De pursued without heat
at least on one side In a. few days Browns
visit came TO an end, and the cay after the
boy left me-
1t was Just as l was starting for nv usual
morning walk and ere did so am ashamed
to say that | looked in NY desk to see IL be
Lad not gone on with ny securities. / need
not say that they were all there safe enough,
aid | made up my mind thar when ny god
son came 10 take final leave Of ne, as hs
had promised to DO I would add to the send
OF present I bae intended give min little
soiatium for tie wrong ny suspicion had
done him. As for Brown. who was ny senior
lea
There is no fool like an old fool.'
The next week I went up to the town, as 7
gave out and tried 10 persuade myself. on
business, but my time was largely consumed
in seeing old friends anc dining out. One OF
my hosts was Eilerdale. who, ike myself. had
retired from business; We had been al college
together. but though 1 often talked about
him, We had no communication together for
years. We ran against one another in the
str ct, and he insisted on my going home
with him. After dinner We discussed our IN
dergraduate days and renewed our youth over
bottle of port.
by the by" he remarked. suddenly. 'I
was glad 10 Oblige yOui friend by giving him
an introduction to my stock broker. SeiIerby.''
You must be thinking II somebody else
1 SAIL. i never wrote to you about anything
OF the kind"
Indeed. you did. and now remember the
name Il was Reginald Jones'"
Before ID O'Clock the next morning I found
myself ar Mr.. Selleriys Office. He assured
me, among other things, that he had ths
pleasure OF dong business with my friend
Jones to the extent $1,000
Master Reggie was 10 sail for Australia on
the ensuing Thursday and TO come down to
wish his godfather goOdby on the previous
day l returned home ar once to find two
things, neither Of which surprised me-(D
that NY transferable securities were 10 longer
in nv secret drawer and % a letter from
Reggie himself iameHting that he would be
too pressed for time to pay me his promised
visit. N the meantime he was in the bosom
OF his family. which. l could very easily
understand. was very much agitated by his
approaching departure.
From inquiries at the docks, we found that -
Mr.. Reggie's boxes were already on board the
good ship Adelaide, and these were taken
possession of by an officer in charge, who had
also a warrant ID his pocket for the apprs-
henslon Of the young gentleman himself.
II was with little anxiety but mut distress
OF mind that took the train to BlaekWalI on
Wednesday evening. upon receipt of a tele-
gram which must have puzzled our country
postmistress not a little:-"Your bird is
caught; the seed is nthe cage"
On board the ship found nv young friend
in custody and very much east down.
Il am come for nv scrip, / said Cthough
I could see he knew we'll enUugh.)
II have not got your scrIp,' he answered.
audaciously enough, but looking as pale as
death.
''You had better not make me angry BY
adding lies to theft" said. felt was
trembling with rage. and the detective. who
was in fun possession of my Intentions in the
matter, here iudiciously put in his oar
The young gent is right enough, sir. in
saving he ain got no scrip, but hs got the
money as he sold it for, and that's what We
mean to have, you know. It's in these two
boxes now, 1 daresay, marked cartridges, is
it not. offieer!'
''Yes. sir. it is" For he had not put his
prisoner to the personal inconvenience OF
giving up bis keys.
Then Master Reggie threw himself on his
knees and the mercy CT his godfather.
How could your fathers son have sunk to
be thief?'' inquired'sternly.
1T was . sudden temptation, the seeing
you put the bonds in that secret drawer" he
sohbed. $50 overwhelming that could not
resist it,
The reply was much more eficatious than
he had any idea OF. because it eorroborated
the theory had formed on the matter: for.
though many people are deaf to sentiment,
there is nobody who does not ike his theories
being proved correct.
''Wel, sir,' l said. ''unIess 1 hear Of YOUR
going wrong again. shall not prosecute YOU
for your present offense nor say anything
about it to ANYBODY"
And l never did.
Brown asked me one day whether had had
ing that young scapegrace' my secret
drawer. And was able truthiully to reply
why, of course not"
Indeed I brought hack the scriD as Il hap