Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-08-24

aOG only tO thhe OnS uoAoJ, ooo ~
secrete it as well.
Again, if Mr.. Balfour wished tc
steal, how much better it would have
been to sell the goods and pocket the
money. This was strongpoint agains
Thomas. The only possible reason
why Balfour should have sent the
empty carrier to Thomas was to create
o suspicion against the latter, in case
either was suspected of theft.
Whoever the thief was, Mr.. Dock
felt said to himself, he was certainly
the most daring, as well as the slick
est of rogues.
The very next morning the mystery
deepened. Mr.. Dockfelt was again
appealed to by Mr.. Thomas and Mr.
Balfour, who made the same statement
as on the previous morning-a bill had
been sent to the cashier aud had dis:
appeared. Mr.. Dockfelt again searched
each of the clerks, but did not dis
cover the missing money, which was,
in this case, twenty-dollar bill.
Mr.. Dockfelt was very much puz'
zled. What bold or clover thief was
this who dared to steal the very day
after the first theft, when he must
know that the proprietor would be
keenly watchful.
When the same thing happened on
the next day, too, Mr.. Dockfelt was
perplexed and exasperated beyond
words, for he saw, if this pilfering
continued, that he might be seriously
affected. Yet he did not wish to dis
charge both of the clerks, as this
would surely prevent his discovering
the guilty party.
On the morning of the fourth day,
when he arrived at the store, Mr..
Dockfelt was much incensed to find
the doors rot, Yet-opened, although it
was later br ten minutes thnn the
usual time. He opened the store him-
self, and waited, impatiently, for the
clerks to arrive. Soon the shipping
clerk appeared, to his employers
great relief, for he had some. ship
ments which he wished to send out
as early as possible. Then the other
clerks began to arrive, and among
them Balfour and Thomas. The for
mer was ono OF the first to take his
place, and he soon made sale.
Now, the store was built, as gro.
ceries often are, in two divisions, so
that it was impossible for Mr.. Balfour
at his post to see who was making
change. Mr.. Dockfelt purposely took
Mr.. Thomas's place, just as the car.
rier came along from Balfour's coun-
ter. The proprietor was curious to
see whether the money would be there.
He took down the carrier, and found
the tip and bill there, exactly as
would be expected. Mr.. Dockfelt
stayed at the cashiers desk for half an
hour or moro, and every time that Bal
four's carrier came up, the money was
safe. This certainly looked bad for
Thomas.
The next day the climax was capped
and more than capped. MIR. Bal
four was down late, SO Mr.. Dockfelt
undertook to wait on customer at
his counter. The gentleman bought
somo miscellaneous groceries, and
gave in payment silver dollar. The
change for that arrived all right; but
the next customer rendered in pay
ment q S. bill, aud Dockfelt sent it
along to the cashier.
The cup came back empty.
Mr.. Dockfelt lost his temper, and
rushing furiously up to the cashiers
desk, demanded of Thomas what had
become of bill and check. The
cashier merely replied that he had
received an empty carrier, and so re-
Every well," said Mr.. Dockfelt.
"Give me my change and then come
into the office. Simpson will keep
the cash.
Mr.. Thomas was very sober when
he entered the merchants private
Office, ard had nothing to say when
Mr.. Dockfelt remarked, pointedly,
that he was sorry the theft had oc-
Cured. Mr.. Dockfelt continued:
"Fred, have I not always been kind
to you? Have I not done my best by
you? Tell me, have I ever treated
you meanly?"
'Mr. Dockfelt, replied Thomas,
"during the short time I have worked
for you, you have always been the
kindest Of employers. 1 also think
that have tried to serve you we'll
and faithfully. Therefore, it grieves
me sorely to see that you must now
suspect me of dealing dishonesty
with you. In this matter, however,
you are mistaken. I am innocent"
ssI wish from the bottom of my
heart, Fred, that I could believe
you," answered his employer. "But
how can +? You say yci are inno-
cent. Then who did steal the money?
You surely don't accuse both Balfour
and myself of conspiracy against you?
You evidently did not know I was
clerking when you secreted the
money"
"Then you believe me guilty, Mr..
Dockfelt?"
eyes, Fred, it is not possible for
me to come to any other conclusion. !"
"Well. then," said sMr. Thomas,
"what do you propose to do with me?
Have you already sent out for an
ocoo, io orract mnon
"No, Fred, no. I called Jor to
give You another chance. Surrender
the stolen money, apologize to Bal:
four, and all will be WE'LL"
"Did l not tell you I was inno-
cent?" cried Thomas. "What, then,