The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-09-10

"Do you mean that the Major isn't
| guilty., asked Mr.. Wheatcroft.
| .sThats what mean" Paul returned.
"But he has confessed" Mr.. Wheaton
| retorted.
~ can't help that, was the response.
"He isn't the man who opened that safe
| yesterday afternoon at half-past three,
| and took out the letter book
The old bookkeeper looked at the young
| man in frightened amaZement.
~ have confessed it, he said piteously.
| "I have confessed IL. F"
81 know you did, Major" Paul de-
| clared, not unkindly. "And l don't
know why you did. For you were not
| the man."
"And II the man who confesses is not
| the man who did II who is?"
~ don't know who he is-although
have my suspicious" said Paul; "but !
have his photograph-taken i'm the act!"
CHAPTER V.
When Paul Whittier said that he had
photographs OF the man who had been in
juring the Ramapo Steel and Iron Works,
showing him in the act OF opening the
safe, Mr.. Whittier and Mr.. Whcatcroft
looked at each other in amazement. Ma
ior Van Zandt stared at the young man
with fear and shame struggling together
in his face.
Without waiting to enjoy his triumph
Paul put his hand in his pocket and
took out two squares of blush paper.
There, he said, as he handed one TO
his father, "there is a blueprint of the
man taken in this Office at 10 minutes past
three yesterday afternoon, just as he was
about TO open the safe In the corner
You see he Is kneeling with his hand on
the lock, but apparently, just then, some
thing alarmed him aud he cast hasty
glance over his shoulder. AT that second
~ nnhfnnranh u IN an
have fuli-face portrait OF the man"
Mr.. Whittier had looked at the photo
graph, and ne now passed IL TO the i'm
patient hand OF the junior partner.
"You see. Mr.. Wheatcroft, - Paul con-
tinued, "that although the face in the
photograph bears certain family like
ness TO Major Van Zandtis, all the same
that is not portrait of the Major. The
man who was in here yesterday afternoon
was young mana man yo1ng enough
TO be the Majors son :"
The old DookkeeIer looked at the
speaker.
| "Mr. Paul, he began, "you won't be
hard on the -" Then he paused
abruptly.
II confess don't understand this at
all. - declared Mr.. Wheatcroft irasclbly.
81 am afraid that / do understand IL, )"
MIR. Whittier saio, With glance of com
passion at the Major.
! There Paul continued, handing his
! father "A second azure square, "there Is a
! photograph taken her ten minutes after
the first ~ three twenty Yesterday after
| noon. That shows he safe open ana the
same young man standing before it with
the private letter-book in hls hand. AS
the mead is bent over the pages oi tire
book, the view of the face Is not so gCod.
Bat there can be no doubt that il is the
same uan. You see that, don't you, Mr.
" heatC roft?'
hat of ~
hcetcrcft,l { r,iDly; "~ lat don't see is
why the Major here should confess il
he ism guiltyp'
II think know the reason for that"
said Mr.. Wittier gently.
There haven't been two men at our
DECKS, have theyY' asked MIR. Wheat
croft; "the Major and also this fellow
who has beer pbotog raphed?'
Mr.. Whittier looked at the old BOOK
( kCerer for n moment.
Major, be said, with compassion TO mis-
voice, ''you wor'i tell me that ii was
you who sold our secrets TO our rivals?
And tou night confess il egaIn and
again, should never bel eve ii. know
you better. | have known yCu tCo long TO
believe any charge against your honesty,
eV,u II YOU bring 4 yourself The real
cuiprit, tne man who is photographed here,
IL your son, isn't ht? There is no use
ot trying 10 cone ,al tte truth now, aud
there is no ncea TO attempt II, because
We fhoi be lenient with him fer your
sa c, a.or."
There was moments silence, brokon
by Mr. Wheatcrof,s suddenly saying:
The Ma jor's son? Why, te's dead,
isn't he? he was shot in brawl after
spree - ncwhele out West two or three
y'ers ago. At least that's what l uncer-
stood at tie time. -
"It is what ] wanted everybody TO
understand ct the time" said the old
hcokkoeper. breaking silence at last.
"But IL wasn't 80. rhe boy was shot,
but he was not killed. / hCred that I
would he warming TO him. and that he
would make fresh start. Friends OF
mine 30, MIN place in Mexico but luck
vas fsainst him, so he wrote me- and he
lest that. Then an ola ccmrade of mine
gave him another chance out i'm Denver
and for while he kept straight and did