The daily Alaskan., 1905-05-22
Under Suspicion

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 business and despite has unprcpossess- Ing appearance very attractive to wo- men. This I accounted for from his smooth tongue. He could say more aattcring things to girl In a few min utcs than could say in a week In deed his remarks were such palpable iattery that wondered the girls would swallow them,
 There came a leakage in the gold dust passing through our hands, and | was suspected Of being the thief Up to this time Florence March and l had been getting on admirably, but now one day heard Boutclle pay her one Of his slckenng compliments, and rom that time she seemed Co be completely under his influence. Then I heard that Boutelle had accused me.
 The leakage in the dust was very small, but 1t was constant so that In course of time 1t must be very large, The thief had some method of carrying it away in mtnitcsimal quantities but with great reyuiarity. was called into a private office one evening after stop ping work and searched. The other clerks were put through a similar proc ess. but nothing was found on any or us. was put under special survei- lance. and 1t was not long before l 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 10 under stand that she did not believe l was guilty, but instead Of rcSuming her for mer relations with me she accepted more and more Phil Boutelle's attcn- tions. I charged her with her peridy, which, though 1t pNined her, made no difference in her treatment Of my rival and accuser My position was indeed painful. Conscious ot 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 I believed responsible for the suspicion resting upon me. Boutelle endeavored to maintain friendly rela- tions with me but spurned him.
 But one day the tables were turned. I 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 thiefE ' asked.
 Yes"
 "To a certalnyT "YcS."
 "How was the discovery accomplish edy"
 That is a secret"
 I returned to my work and that after noon passed Florence March on the street. Now that I was vindicated and the man she had taken up with in my stead was known to be the guilty par ty. I felt that I could show her my opinion Of her conduct with better grace than before. l walked by her without looking at her.
 Boutelle pleaded guilty, so there was no evidence brought forth to show how h;s iniuuity 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. l asked if I would ever know how the culprit had been discovered.
 'Why do you wish to knowF'
 Because a girl whom respected de serted me for him. though he accused me of the crime of which he was him self guilty. I am curious to know more ! on her account,
 Do you refer to Miss March|
 "I do"
 After a few words whispered be tween them one of the partners said:
 Miss March discovered Boutellc's rascaliy."
 was thunderstruck. How did she do itg' asked.
 For that you must go to her I hurried to Florence, She came down to see me, maintaining a reserve.
 "I am told you discovered the thief, I said. Would you mind telling me how you accomplished itT'
 q suspected him from the moment l heard he accused you. Besides, he was too broad with his compliments. It seemed to me they were intended to cover some>ohject"
 "You mean thatr
 Certainly"
 And why did you desert me for hlmy'
 "To rescue you from the pOsltio.- you occupied"
 And how did you do thaty" a >"I tried to win his confidence, bu failed"
 "weny
 q can't tell you any more. You wiz blame me"
 "No," I said, now knowing that shf had saved me. "I will not blame you, I now believe In you thoroughly
 well, I permitted him to become sS .N..a=a la.