The Weiser semi-weekly signal. (Weiser, Washington Co., Idaho) 1904-1911, 1905-06-03
Vnder Suspicion
IOriglnal.l

smooth tongue He could saw moro
nattering things to girl In a few min
utes than could say In a week. In
oeed his remarks were such palpable
nattery that l wondered the girls
would swallow them.
lnere came a leakage in the gold
aust passing through our hands, and
was suspected of being the thief. Up
TO this time Florence March and I had
been getting on admirably, but now
one day heard Boutelle pay her one of
MS 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. 1 was called into
private office one evening after stop
ping work and searched. The other
clerks were put through similar proc
ess, but nothing was found on any of
US. was put under special surveil-
lance, and 1t was not long before dis
covered that new man who had come
Into the assaying room and who ap-
peared to have taken desperate fancy
to me was watching me.
Florence March gave me to under
stand that she did not believe l was
guilty, but instead Of resuming her for
mer relations with me she accepted
more and more Phil Boutelle's atten-
tons. / charged her with her perfidy,
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 spy, / saw the girl who
should have stood by me associating
on terms Of intimacy with the man
whom 1 believed responsible for the
suspicion resting upon me. Boutelle
endeavored to maintain friendly rela-
tons with me, but 1 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 l 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 thiefr 1
asked.
"Yes."
ITO a certaintyr'
"Yes."
"How was the discovery accomplish
ed?"
| 'That is secret"
returned 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. l walked by hel
without looking at her.
Boutelle pleaded guilty, so there was
no evidence brought forth to show how
his iniquity had been discovered. Thu
was very disappointing to me. One
day soon after he had disappeared
from the world, while I was in thu
private Office of my employers, asked
if / would ever know how the culpri
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 NOR
on her account"
"Do you refer 70 Miss Marchr
81 do"
After a few words whispered be
tween them one of the partners said;
"NIiss March discovered Boutelle'
rascality."
was thunderstruck. GLOW did sh
do it?" asked.
"For that you must go to her."
hurried to Florence. She cam
! down to see me, maintaining reserve
81 am told you discovered the thief'
L said. "Would you mind teiiihg III
Row you accomplished it%
st suspected him from the moment
heard he accused you. Besides, he wa
too broad with his compliments.
seemed to me they were intended
cover some object"
"You mean thatT
certainly"
"And why did you desert me t'
him?"
"To rescue you from the position 70
occupied" ~
"And how did you do thatr"
; 81 tried to win his confidence D'
! failed"
, "WellT
81 can't tell you any more. You WI
q blame me-" 49,. %,
mo" / said, now knowing tnat p
had saved me- Il VIII not blame 20
! rnow believe IN you thoroughly"
J eWeIl, permitted BIN 20 become econ.
intimate that one evening he SAT-
neag as 10 put bis bead Just above y
shoulder. When ! went % my room