Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-04-30
CHAPTER H.-ieantinued.,


x.;th one of these letters one afternoon
inst xs he was taking up his hat to go
cut.
Just sign it yourself, Hugh" he said,
caxeIessiy; you can do it as well as
IN. and am in q hurry"
@Siga it with my own name. do you
mean, sirg"
really of very little importance, but the
1nsp will expect to see my signature,
suppose. -,
Huah hesitated a little
..Syo,,Jdn't it be better" he began.
Ear the first time in his dealings with
HIN an ominous frown darkened the
elder mans brow.
anoa't be s. squeamish fool, Beverley"
Ae said, ifritably. The thing is OF no
sflDortance whatever; but leave it if you
F,ke. anly it can't go till tomorrow, in
chat case / can't stop to sign it now,
I'D I'm off to catch the train to London,
aHd shan't be back till late"
He was gone almost before the words
we've out OF his mouth, and Hugh saw
him striding down the street at great
rata.
Without another moments hesitation
aale Young man sat down and signed the
letter, as he had been requested to-s tcl'
a friae was not worth Vexing Mr.. Beaie
xhout, he thought.
He settled down again then to his or
1ipal,y work, which he was conducting as
usual in his employers private Office.
When Hugh first met his guardian the
next day, he was conscious of a little
anxiety as to the mood in which he
slould find him; the slight disagreement
with regard to the signing of the letter
If IL was worth calling disagreement
siaa been his first experience of any APP
proach to sharpness on Mr.. Beale's part
Consequently the young man was very
relieved to find that the cloud had COM
pletely blown over. that he was treated
with as much kindness and geniality as
before After that Hugh took care not
to xaske any trivial objections again that
might be likely TO annoy his employer.
Brom that time it became quite COM
mon thing for Hugh to not only write
hut sign the less important of Mr.
BeaIe's letters, and many were the
sraises that the hop merchant bestowed
upon his ward for the time and trouble
he thus saved him
connection between the older and younger
maa had gone ON smoothly. Hugh was
really becoming useful to his employer
In q good many points he was mastering
what had at first seemed hopelessly in
tEieate to him. One afternoon Mr.. Beale
came into his office in an unusually iovial
mood; he laughed and talked Mostly, and
Hugh had an uneasy doubt whether he
lTr.i had r.af haas11 hav 81
amount of wine with his midday meal
I'm off to London again, Hugh, for
few days, and shall leave things in your
charge; / know it will be all right" he
said
Hugh answered that lie would do his
best TO deserve his confidence; but he
felt little uneasy, too. Mr.. Beale's alb
sences of late had grown more frequent,
and he had reason to believe that his DIES.
tination was not always, as he affirmed
it 60 be, London.
Hester, too, was as much in the dark
as to the reason and the whereabouts
Of these mysterious visits as he was
Mr.. Beales manner of late had altered
somewhat; he was as uniformly kind to
his ward as he had always been, but
there was a certain reckless air about
precoReeived notions of solid, respon-
sible man of business. Was it possible
that the man was contracting drinking
habits, or that he had something weigh
ing on his mind!
His next words went far towards dis
peiling the latter notion, at any rate for
the present. He clapped Hugh on the
shoulder with a jolly laugh.
"HOuh - ha III Sc Ia% tax xoy. xv,,n{a
for me yesterday was perfection in the
way of imitation I defy anyone to de-
teet that the signature is not mine; !
wouldn't mind betting 95 that you conld
cash a check that you had signed your
self without the least difficulty"
Il shouldn't like to try. sir"
What! not if / were standing by and
saw you sign it? Why, my dear boy,
ITS practically the same thing as if |
had done it myself"
Yes, of course, I know that. and if
you want me to do it | will" said Hugh,
but he did not look comfortable over it.
NO, l don't want You to do it, said
beaie, with a laugh; but / tell yon
what would be a good joke. Suppose
you make out seven days promissory
note IN your own favor, sign it with my
name, and see if you can discount it, /
would take long odds you wouldn't have
tse least difficulty
= don't suppose | should Hugh said
WITH 3 smile. Il can copy that flourish
Of yours at the end, sir, to a nicely"
Know you can. Well, sit down, and
tets see what you can do. Here's
lofm: You see how to fill it up Make
u out for $40; and, look here, we'll have
httle bet on it. I'll lay you 95 You
get the money"
No, thanks" said Hugh, laughing and
coionng; my finances Just now are not
IN state to admit of betting and of
course ii / do get the money I'll hand it
over TO you directly you come back"
VI course; l don't propose to make
you present of it, my lad. But how
goines IT, he added, laying his hand on
AS shoulder, that you are hard up
no bad habits, hope, Hugh"
no, sir, don't think so; but perhaps
%in not very good manager; | don't
seeln To have much to spareo