Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-11-22

angry. On this particular morning they were in a strange tangle. as If he had been rubbing them in some dire strait of perpleXity, and his manner was charac- tcrized by embarrassment.
 'Er-gentlemen," he began; there's 8 matter I want to speak to you about this morning." He paused and stretched his collar with his fingers as if it choked him. '"To make a long story short he continued. with a great effort II dropped some money in this room yesterday after noon. Now, don't say a word. I'm not mistaken about 1t. I wish I were. The money was dropped right here-f1ve ten dollar bills in a roll. The room has been searched. and the moneys gone. Some body's got 1t. Now I don't want to be harsh. I know the temptation. Perhaps the man who found it didn't know it was mine. We'll say he didn't know where 1t came from. He just found it and put it into his pocket.
 Well. what shall we do about 1t? If he keeps it any longer he'll be a thief and he'll be putting eleven honest men under unjust suspicion. He ought to give it back for the honor of his fellow work men. And I'll say this: If he brings it back today thatll be the end of the mat ter. I won't make any charge against him, and he can keep his place in the fac tory. I'm willing to forgive and forget. But'-he gave a sudden, determined nod and all the little tufts of hair became as rigid as curled wire springs after today the mans thief. I'll hunt him out and punish him for the reputation of this fac tory and for the sake of the honest men here.''
 He opened his mouth to say something more, and then, suddenly changing his mind, he hurried out of the room.
 There was brief silence, and then Car ter said in a voice so charged with guilt that Briggsy looked around in wonder at the men who seemed to have no ears:
 Its a mistake. He never dropped it here"
 This remark met with scant approval. It was the general opinion that the "old man knew what he was talking about
 They all had something to say upon the subject except Briggsy. and by and by his silence began to be noticed. There were whispers, and peculiar glances were cast in his direction. It seemed long to the dinner hour, though Briggsy was not hungry.
 Just after the whistle blew one of the men called out: "If any man or boy here knows anything about that money let him be decent and own up and not let the rest of us bear the brunt of it. He'd bet ter. for the old mans got fire in his eyes and the detectives will do the rest" The detectives! Briggsy had not thought of them. He credited them with unfailing ability to unearth anything, It would never do to let them get in their work. And that man had said, "Let the guilty one own up!" The resolution of last night when he had pounded the table ana 5aid he would do it. rose before him. But to brand himself like that! And yet there was no time to lose If the detectives were called in which of the employees might be accused?
 The result of Briggsy's meditations up- on this matter was the conviction that he must do something, and do it mighty soon, yet the afternoon kept slipping 1 away. Briggsy had a scared eye on Car ter most of the time, and he tried to keep the other one on the door. through which he momentarily expected to see the de- tective of his imagination appear with handcuffs for the guilty. No such calam- ity occurred, and the time to quit work arrived at last.
 Briggsy sneaked out of the room first, and he felt that every eye was on him. The grimly humorous fancy came to him that some of these men would think
 themselves mighty smart before long. 1 His legs felt like pieces of string, but they carried him to the door of Halletts pr- vate office. He knocked and ad- mitted.
 1 HalIett sat in his accustomed place, and nobody else was present except a strange man, rather shabby and of sad cOunte-
 nance. who was leaning on the edge of | the big roll top desk. Briggsy eyed the