Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-06-04

gered out into the office. The boys
were getting ready 20 go home. saw
they knew what had happened.
"None of you believed this of meP"
said /. "None of you who know me?"
And Merrivale said:
Look here, Forester; you're lucky
TO get off So"
And Grab said:
81 say, Forester, don't talk too much;
you'll give yourself away"
And what with shame and rage and
grief, could have died; when out of
the dusty corner came Old Dumps, in
his little snuff-colored overcoat and
held out his hand.
"Mr. Forester" he said, I've watched
YOU ever since you've been here.
know what you are. You are incapable
of dishonest act, and, what is more,
will prove it before the rest. The man
who respects others always respects
himself. The man who honors his
mother will do no dishonorable thing"
He took my hand in his arm, and,
bowing TO the others, walked out into
the street with me. l heard Grab and
Stover and Carberry laugh, but Merri-
vale gave us n furious look and stood,
white to the lips, looking after us.
"Mr. Dumps" said |, ~ thank you for
ycur confidence in me. deserve it-in
this, at least; but it saves my heart
from breaking under this disgrace.
How shall tell my motherY
Don't tell her yet" said he. "Wait.
Others shall think of you as do SOON"
Then he went on in silence. He took
me to his own room, where he kept
bachelors hall. He made tea for me
and served me with sliced potted beef
and thin bread and butter.
And it was not until we had cone tea
that he said to me, very apologetically,
after l had called him Mr.. Dumps:
"Mr. Forester, excuse me, but am
not named Dumps. That is the name
by which the young men at the store
considered it witty to call me. con-
fess | could not see the wit, but it
rather hurt them than me. | saw by
your manner that you had made mis-
take. My name is Adams"
l was so much ashamed of having
used the nickname, innocently as did
it, that l could have cried.
But my old friend comforted me. One
day he came to me, flushed with tri-
umph, and took both my hands and
shook tnem hard, and said:
"My dear boy, it's all right. I'd
watched before and had n clew. Your
character is cleared. The firm well
comes you back with regrets that they
should have suspected you, and the real
culprt is found. The real culprit is
Merrivale, and Slower is his accom-
plice."
And so it really was. They had doc
tored my books and meddled with my
proofs.
went back to my situation, and I've
got on we'll ever since; but there's more
of my story. Think of my dear Old
Dumps turning out to be my uncle-my
| mothers own brother-and neither of
Us guessing it.
Long ago other people had quarreled
and so separated these two, who were
always friends.
Think of the little man in the shabby
wig and coat proving to be quite rich
and going down into the country to
live with his sister for the rest of his
| life.
In vacations and holidays go to see
them. They are happy together, and
the little tea table is set with the old
china, and there is potted beef and jelly,
and I'm petted like child. And in my
uncle's room the old miniature of the
young lady hangs on the mantelpiece
as it did in his lodgings.
And once he told me it's sweet, sad
story, and l knew why the quaint, old
man in the Office had a more true ard
tender gallantry to women, and was a
braver friend and more perfect gentle
man than the young fops who grnned
at him from the high stools between
his desk and the window and gave him
the nickname of Old Dumps.-Butfalo
Times.