Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1897-04-22
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~ A. CONAN DOYLE

cut him adrift."
without losing a day"
'Well, we shall talk 1t over. You may
be sure Of that. But here we are at
the station. so I will just see you into
your carriage and then home to see
what my wife says to the matter"
AS he trudged homeward. thoughtful
and perplexed. he was surprised to hear
shout behind him. and to see Harold
running down the road after him.
"Why. dad" he cried. IT have Just
come from town, and the first thing
saw was your back as you marched
away. But you are such quick walker
that had to run to catch you.'
| The admirars smile Of pleasure had
broken his stern face into a thousand
wrinkles. You are early to-day" said
he
yes. wanted to consult you"
Nothing wrong?"
ooh no. only an Inconvenience"
What Is it. them"
Flow much have we in our private
account"
Pretty fair. Some eight hundred. T
think
"oh. half that will be ample. 1t was
rather thougntless OF Pearson"
| what then?'
well. you see. dad. when he went
away upon this little holiday to Havre
he left me to pay accounts and 80 on.
He told me that there was enough at
the bank for all claims. had occasion
on Tuesday to pay away two cheques.
one for ESQ and the other for f120, and
here they are returned with bank no.
tice that we have already overdrawn to
| fha ovfonf 0f hun In
The admiral looked very grave.
What's the meaning Of that. then?" he
| asked.
"Oh. it can easily be set right. You
see Pearson invests all the spare cap
ital and keeps as small q margin as
possible in the bank. Still it was too
bad for him to allow me even to run a
risk of having a cheque returned. I
have written to him and demanded his
authority to sell out some stock, and I
have written an explanation to these
people. In the meantime, however,
have had to issue several cheques: so
had better transfer part Of our private
account to meet them"
| "Quite so. my boy. All that's mine Is
yours. But who do you think this
Pearson is? He is Mrs. Westmacott's
brother"
Really. What a singular thing! Well,
can see likeness now that you men
ton it. They have both the same hard
type Of face"
'She has been warning me against
hfm-says he is the raneest pirate in
London. nope that it is all right.
boy. and that VIZ may not find our
selves in broken water"
Harold had turned little pale as he
heard Mrs. Westmacott's opinion Of his
senior partner. 1t gave shape and SUBJ
stance to certain vague fears and sus-
picions Of his own which had been
pushed back as often as they obtruded
themselves as being too monstrous and
fantastic for belief.
| HE is a well-known man in the city.
dad" said he.
"Of course he is-of course he is. That
IL what I told her. They would have
found him out there If anything had
been amiss with him. Bless you, there's
nothing so bitter as family quarrel.
Still it is just as well that you have
written about this affair, for we may
az well have all fair and above board"
But Harolds letter to his partner was
crossed by letter from his partner
to Harold. It lay awaiting him upon
the breakfast table next morning, and it
sent the heart into mis- mouth as he
/ read 1t, and caused him to spring I'D
from his chair with a white face and
staring eyes.
my boy! My boy"
| II am ruined, mother-ruinedw He
stood gazing wildly in front Of him,
while the sheet ofpaper futtered down
to the carpet. Then he dropped back
into the chair. and sank his face into his
hands. His mother had her arms round
him in an instant. while the admiral.
with shaking fingers. picked up the let
ter from tine floor and adjusted his
glasses to read 1t.
my Dear Denver" 1t ran. "By the
time that this reaches you shall be out
Of the reach Of yourself or of any one
else who may desire an interview. You
need not search for me, for assure
you that this letter is posted by a
fslend. and that you will have your
trouble in vain If you try to find me.
am sorry to leave you in such a tight
PLACE. but one or other Of us must be
squeezed. and on the whole I prefer
that it should be you. You'll find moth
ing in the bank, and about $4,000 UNI
accounted for. I'm not sure that the
best thing you can do Is not to realize
lldL yOu Cdu dIlu initiate your sen.
| ior's example. If you act at once you
may get clean away. If not, it's only
that you must put up your shutters,
but am afraid that this missing money
could hardly be included as an ordinary
| debt. and Of course you are legally re-
sbonsible for 1t just as much as I am.
Take a friends advice and get to
America. A young man with brains can
always do something out there, and you
can live down this little mischance. It
will be cheap lesson IL it teaches you
to take nothing upon trust in business,
! and to insist upon knowing exactly
what your partner is doing. however
senior he may be to you. yours faith
| fully. JEREMIAH PEARSON"
"Great heavens!" groaned the admir-
al. che has absconded."
"And left me both bankrupt and
thief"
mo. no. Harold" sobbed his mother.
"All will be right. What matter about
money"
Money. mother! 1t is my honor"
'The boy is right. It is his honor.
and my honor, for his is mine. This IS
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