The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1897-06-09

by Jove, it would be done.
He knew that young Langley had
lately been little pressed for money,
and had obtained advances from the
cashier. This would make his guilt all
the more palpable, and it seemed to him
as he thought over the foul plot that
fate itself was on his side. aiding him
and abetting him in the vile scheme
that now was alive in his subtle brain.
Saturday morning came in due
course. AT IL o'clock Mr.. Cardew en-
tered the large Office where all the
workers were engaged, and said to the
cashier in voice that all could hear:
I'm going down to the works. shall
be back in an hour or So"
Within 20 minutes of his departure,
Mayhem cautiously approached his
room, and there, sure enough, on the
partners desk lay small purse. He
did not stop to examine the contents,
but, hastily putting it in his pocket. he
rushed downstairs into the cloakroom,
which, fortunately for him, was deserted.
Yes. That was Langley's coat, but he
must make sure by looking in the pock-
ct and seeing some documentary evil
dence, to make certainty more certain
He accordingly pulled out the first pa
per that came to hand. an envelope adj
dressed -. Langley, Esq" The right
coat, of course. With quick move
ment he placed the well-flled purse in
the right-hand pocket of the overcoat.
and then carelessly sauntered back to
the Office and went on with his work.
At one o'clock Mr.. Cardew returned.
Very agitated he went rapidly to mis-
room, and found the purse missing. In
an instant he was out in the great Of
flee, where he said in a loud tone:
| Gentlemen, disgraceful robbery
has just been committed in my room.
Let no one leave the office on pain of in
slant dismissal"
Everybody except one we know sat
dumfounded. Mr.. Cardew went on:
"A detective and two of his men are
waiting below to make thorough
search of everybody in these offices. [
| have to apologize to you. one and all,
for submitting to such process. but it
is inevitable. If anyone objects. he must
resign his position in our employment"
| No. No one objected. Messrs. Cardew
d Co.'S employees were too well off to
risk losing their comfortable situa-
tions, and they would rather have been
searched every day and night than have
resigned the same. Mr.. Cardew. finding
all going smoothly. summoned the de-
tectives. and. OF by one, each empIoye
was taken into the partners room and
thoroughly searched.
| The inquiry proved useless; but the
detective did not give in.
with your leave" he said, turning to
Mr.. Cardew, we'll have a look at the
G, ercoats now"
| Mr.. Cardew led the way. Five min
utes later he returned. looking very
stern The purse was in his hand and
overcoat. Mayhem grinned with joy.
| His triumph over his rival was at hand
at last. But he changed color, and a
sick feeling rushed to his heart, when
Mr.. Cardew tapped him on the shoulder
and said:
Come into my room at once"
Wondering and amazed. he obeyed.
| followed by the detective.
Mayhem" said the partner, sternly,
lis this your coat?"
"Yes, sir; that is my coat"
do you know that this purse has
| just been found in that very overcoat?
My boy, won't be hard on you, but you
bad better confess"
/ Mayhem was too thunderstricken to
speak He could only stand and stare
at MIR. Cardew as though he had gone
mad.
Come" said the latter, putting his
hand on his shoulder. you are very
young. and perhaps if | give you one
chance you will turn over new leaf.
You can go, but never let me see your
face again
Still wondering. still amazed. the
wretched youth skunk from the room,
and no one at that establishment ever
saw him more.
| How had it occurred that the purse
deposited by Mathew in Jack Langley's
| pocket had found it's way into the pock-
ct of the plotter himself II happenedin
the most simple and yet in the most
wonderful manner. Jack Langley's
overcoat pocket contained large rent
at the base, and when Mayhem had in
serted the purse, ne had, of course, not
known of this, otherwise he might
have remembered the ominous fact that
his own coat with the pocket wide
open was underneath. By some strange
cause, perhaps by the passing of Some
one in the cloakroom, who stumbled up
against the coats, or by heavy wagon
going in the street and shaking the
floor, the weighty purse had fallen
from the coat above into the pocket of
the coat beneath. so that Mayhew's
coat, which occupied the latter position,
received it. And that is why Jack Lang
ley was not disgraced. and why he who