The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-06-01
details; but I was charged with being

| You'd have to understand our partic-
ular business, as well as bookkeeping,
to know how 1 was supposed to have
| done it; but they believed had robbed
them of 100.
They urged me to confess. was in
nocent, and I said so. Then they told
me they did not wish to be hard on me.
I was young. The city was bad place
| for boys. They would be merciful and
only dismiss me without recommends
ton. All 1 could say had no effect.
They proved me guilty before they ac-
cused me, they said; and at last stag
gered out into the office. The boys
were getting ready to go home. 1 saw
they knew what had happened.
"None of you believed this of me 2"
| said l. "None of you who know me?
And Merrivale said:
"Look here, Forester; you're lucky
10 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, 1 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. L
know what you are. You are incapable
of dishonest act, and, what is more, I
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,
bowling to the others, walked out into
the street with me. l heard Grab and
Slower and Carberry laugh, but Merri-
vale gave us furious look and stood,
white to the lips, looking after us.
"Mr. Dumps" said I, II thank you for
your confidence in me. deserve tin
this, at least; but it saves my heart
from breaking under this disgrace.
How shall tell my mother?"
Don't tell her yet" said he. "Wait.
Others shall think of you as do SOON"
Then he went on in silence. He took
bachelors hall. He made tea for me
and served me with sliced ported beef
and thin bread and butter.
And it was not until we had done tea
that ne said to me, very alphabetically,
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. l con-
fess l could not see the wit, but it
rather hurt them than me. l 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 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 them hard, and said:
"My dear boy, it's all right. I'd
watched before and had a clew. Your
character is cleared. The firm well
comes you back with regrets that they
should have suspected you, and the real
culprit 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.
1 went back to my situation, and I've
got on well 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 ported beef and jelly,
and I'm petted like child. And in nv
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 its sweet, sad
story, and l knew why the quaint, old
man in the Office had a more true and
tender gallantry to women, and was
Drawer friend and more perfect gentle
man than the young tops who grinned
at him from the high stools between
his desk and the window and gave him
the nickname of Old Dumps.-Butfalo
Times.