Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-07-14
CHAPTER XVIII.


The six o'clock whistle had blown.
but Kennard still bent over his desk,
and a few of the older clerks waited
in the outer Office, not liking to leave
before the head Of the house. At last
one Of them pushed open the door, and
reminded him that the shops were to
shut down that night. But the boss
nodded mechanically without giving
any hint Of his intentions, and one by
one the clerks went home. Kennard
wanted to be alone. The events Of
the last few weeks had given him
plenty to think about, and he needed
quiet and the familiar surroundings
of his work-room for the decision he
had to make.
Mr.. Harlan's propositions had been
renewed. and now demanded prompt
and positive answer. With his plans
working smoothly, 1t had been easy
for Kennard to dispose Of the question:
with his self-confidence shaken, the
matter wore another aspect. Discour-
agement inclined him to course
which his life training rejected, and he
battled against or swayed with un-
spoken arguments, asking and an
swering questions which articulation
would have made stinging and pitiless.
Was he willing to surrender what
he had worked for, in the face OF per-
sonal disappointment and at the sug-
gestion of wholly material motives?
He had expected too much; and yet
1t was folly to be blind to what he
had accomplished. Perhaps it was not
much, but it was all in the right d.
rection.
What would Leslie Harlan think If
she knew he was to abandon what she
thought of vital interest? Kennard
smiled to find himself assuming that
Miss Harlan would be interested In
his decision. He was taking himself
rather seriously to imagine his friends
excited over his personal business af-
fairs! The men he had influenced and
developed, men like Culver, II there
were only half a dozen Of them, were
the only ones he should consider, and
they were worth all the struggle cost.
He would not abandon it, and the syn
dicate must wall until
The crash of a paper-weight falling
from his desk recalled Kennard to q
sense of his surroundings. The room
was in darkness except where the moon
sent narrow streak Of light through
the courtyard window. The tiny bell
in his watch chimed out 10:15 as he
touched the spring. He groped his
way to the clcset found his coat and
hat. and opened the heavy swing door,
As he did so, a peculiar sound struck
his ears. and he paused to listen. II
was a purring, grating noise, intermit-
| tent and varied, not unlike the gnaw-
ing of a mouse Now 1t would come
in long swishing sounds, and now In
muffied tapping. Kennard opened
the door little wider. The noise In
stantly ceased, but after a reassuring
pause began again. AS 1t was, he had
about concluded to dismiss 1t on the
mouse theory when longer swish than
| DVIOTe TSHSWcV SuiiOoity' SSi5
closing the door, he moved cautiously
to the half partition which separated
the clerical department from the hall
way, and cautiously peered over its
edge. At first he could not comprehend
what he saw Then gradually the
scene began to take shape and mean
ing. Flattened upon the floor among
mass of books. drawings and pa
pers. lay a man. his face close to the
page he was copying, his eyes strain
ing to see the figures and entries IN
the moonlight. Kennard could not I'm
mediately distinguish the workers
face. hut the rapidly waning light soon
caused the man to shift his position,
revealing the features OF Assistant Su-
perintendent Culver.
Kepnard had no notion to disturb
the man, but watched his work In abso-
lutte silence. He even argued against
his suspicious. Culver, encouraged by
his promotion. was merely studying
after hours to improve himself. That
was all there was TO the matter, and
no one but a suspicious fool would en-
tertain any other thought. Pitiful'
gasping OF hope in the hard clutch OF
fact-pitiful because 1t was useless;
and Kennard knew 1t as he watched
the nervous worker, who started at
every sound
| The private records of the office were
being stolen for some sinister purpose.
There could be no doubt Of 1t.
Once the copyist attempted to short
en- his labor by applying a stencil sheet,
but that left marks on the originals
which took time and care to eradicate,
and time was pressing as the moon
sank lower and lower. The work was
not confined to the books merely.
Plans of machinery, pay-rolls. cost
sheets, customers lists, every vital de-
tail of the business was being tran
scribed by the promoted foreman.
Darkness stopped the work long be-
fore it was completed, and by the last
ray of light Culver gathered together
his materials. He returned the books
to the safe. replaced the sheets and
plans in their proper places, picked
up his shoes, rolled his copies. tiptoed
his way across the room, stepped
through the clerks gate, closed II
softly, and turning found himself
face to face with Kennard.
For heartbeat neither man moved.
Then Culver's shoes and papers
dropped to the floor, his right hand
flew back to his hip pocket, and Ken
nard's fist struck him full in the mouth.
1t was too late for the assistant super
intendent to draw his revolver. Both
his hands were needed to parry the
rain of blows that followed. He struck
out wildly as Kennard's fist crashed
between his eyes, sending his head
back with a sickening jerk. Then he
sprang to one side. and gathering all
his force launched himself upon his
employer, only to be hurled to the
floor by the impulse Of his own mo-
ton. For a second he struggled to
draw his revolver, but the enraged man
standing above him fell upon him In
an instant, tore the weapon from his