The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-03-08
Under Suspicion
Ioriginal.l

Phil Bouteile aud | worked for assay
ers Phil was redheaded, freckled,
generally hcmely fellow, attentive to
business and despite has unprepossess-
ing appearance very attractive to wo-
men. This I accounted for from his
smooth tongue. He could say more
flattering things to a girl in few min
utes than could say in a week. In
deed his remarks We're such palpable
fattery that | wondered the girls
would swallow them.
There came leakage In the gold
dust passing through our hands, and
was suspected of being the thief Up
to this time Florence March and | had
been getting on admirably, but now
one day heard Boutelle pay her one Of
his sickening compliments. and from
that time she seemed to be completely
under his influence. Then | heard that
Boutelle had accused me.
The leakage in the dust was very
small, but it was constant, so that in
| course of time It must be very large.
The thief had some method of carrying
it away in infnitesimal quantities, but
| with great regularity. ] was called into
private Office one evening after stop
/ ping work and searched. The other
clerks We're put through similar proc
ess, but nothing was found on any of
us. was put under special suryei-
lance, and 1t was not long before / dis
covered that new man who had come
into the assaying room and who APP
peared to have taken desperate fancy
to me was watching me.
Florence March gave me to under
stand that she did not believe / was
| guilty, but instead Of resuming her for
mer relations with me she accepted
more and more Phil Boutelles atten-
tons. ! charged her with her perldy,
which, though 1t panied her, made no
difference In her treatment of my rival
and accuser. My position was indeed
! painful Conscious Of being suspected
by my employers and fellow clerks and
watched by a spy, saw the girl who
should have stood by me associating
on terms of intimacy with the man
whom / believed responsible for the
suspicion resting upon me. Boutelle
endeavored TO maintain friendly rela-
tons with me. but spurned him.
But one day the tables were turned.
missed Boutelle from his work and
upon inquiring learned that he had
been arrested the night before During
the morning | was called into the Office
Of my employers, and an apology was
made to me for the spying that had
been done on my movements.
you have discovered the thiefg'
asked.
Eyes.
ITO a certainty"
yes
How was the discovery accomplish
edY
'That is a secret
Ireturned to my work and that after
noon passed Florence March on the
street. Now that was indicated and
the man she had taken up with in my
stead was known to be the guilty par
ty, / felt that could show her my
opinion of her conduct with better
grace than before | walked by her
without looking at her
Boutelle pleaded guilty, so there was
no evidence brought forth to show how
his iniquity had been discovered. This
was very disappointing to me. One
day soon after he had disappeared
from the world, while I was in the
private office of my employers, asked
Ii would ever know how the culprit
had been discovered.
"Why do you wish to known
Because a girl whom respected de-
serted me for him, though he accused
me Of the crime Of which he was him
self guilty. am curious to know more
on her account"
"Do you refer to Miss March?"
81 do"
After a few words whispered be-
tween them one Of the partners said:
"Miss March discovered Boutelle's
rascality."
was Thunderstorm. How did she
do it," asked.
For that you must go to her"
hurried to Florence. She came
down to see me, maintaining a reserve.
II am told you discovered the thief"
/ said would you mind telling me
how you accomplished itY'
81 suspected him from the moment
heard he accused you. Besides, he was
too broad with his compliments It
seemed to me they were intended to
cover some object"
sYou mean thatT'
Certainly"
"And why did yon desert me for
hImTs
ITO rescue you from the position you
occupied"