Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-07-03
CHAPTER II.-Continued.

II can't be crushed down. / believe that
that cheque in its blank form passed
accidentally into Heriot's possession
the number of it follows consecutively
on the one with which, see from the
counterfeit in my book, I paid his last
quarters salary The lower counterfeit
had slightly adhered to the upper one
found yesterday on getting my cheque-
book to refer to; probably the cheque
had adhered likewise, and so were torn
out together. / don't believe for a mo-
ment that it was a planned thing; but
what | fear is that, with the blank
cheque in his possession, and all the
possibilities that lay in it rising before
him, the lad yielded to the overwhelm-
ing temptation, even, it may be, with
out fully realizing the crime he was
committing and the consequences it
would entail"
Austin was silent for a moment. He
too looked perturbed and troubled now.
To one of his upright, sympathetic ma
ture it came hard to think evil of boy
hoods friend and comrade, although
since his OVID sphere of labor had taken
him to college and afterwards to Lon
don, whilst Lance Heriot had stayed on
at Hambledon ever since his schooldays,
they had seen little of each other of late
years.
What does Heriot say about ~ he
asked at last. Have you questioned
him? Does he know that the thing has
been discovered? Does he seem to have
any recollection of a blank eheque ever
passing into his hands ''
He says not. He was one Of the
first to whom l mentioned it. AS soon
as / had overhauled nay eheque-book and
discovered about the counterfoils-t
under one of which is still blank-I sent
for him straightaway."
And told him what you had discov-
cred ?"
Eyes; / kept nothing back-nothing
whatever. If frankness begets frank
ness mine ought surely to have wrung
admission from him."
But it did not3''
ut did not He denied all knowledge
of it,; seemed absolutely certain-and
must say his protestations appeared
genuine enough at the time-that the
second cheque had never been in his
hands. / could have believed him-last
night did believe him-but today other
points have arisen that tell-well, not
in his favor. Amongst other things,
have heard on good authority that lately
he has paid several sums of money
large sums for a man in his position
to certain impoverished creditors of his
dead father. And this apart from the
fact that he IS shortly so be married,
and would need. one might think, to hus-
band his resources
Nevertheless, we don't know the ex-
act state of his pecuniary affairs Let
us not jump TO hasty conclusions.
Lynthwaite & Sons pay liberal salaries,
and if Heriot is a man of thrifty habits
he may easily have had nice little sum
laid by to draw upon by this time. Let
us keep to facts-not branch off into sur
mise and mere suspicion"
But even keeping to facts, when the
younger man found himself face to face
with them all as laid before him by his
father he found that with him too sus-
picion began to gain ground, and was
not to be so easily dismissed; and that,
in spite of his desire TO be staunch and
true and fair-minded, surmise would
creep in and blend together actualities
and incidents, until link by link a chain
was formed which threatened to close
round Lance Heriot and drag him into
publicity and shame.
And it did. Before the week was out
the man whom Shirley Cadogan loved
was arrested on suspicion of feloRously
forging and uttering checque for seven
hundred pounds, purporting to be drawn
by and in favor of his employer Andrew
Lynthwaite, and was taken before the
magisterial bench to answer to the
charge.
The examination ended in his being
committed for trial; so the preparations
for the wedding came to a standstill, |
and for a time Shirley ana Miss Cado- |
gan and Lance's sister went about with
anxious hearts, yet with a confidence
or at all events something well-nigh !
amounting to it-that with the more
formal proceedings the cloud of suspi |
clon would turn in some other direction.
The assizes were then close at hand. |
so 1t came about-oh, the irony, the |
bitter, painful irony of it!-that the day
which was to have seen the commence |
ment of Lance Heriot's married life saw |
him instead standing in the dock in a |
crowded court, the cynosure of all eyes, |
the discussed of all tongues-saw him /
nevertheless enter that dock with firm |
step and erect bearing, pleading his |
gulitlessness in voice that had in it no
tremor, standing and listening to the |
weight OF evidence being brought against !
him outwardiy calm and composed, only |
the set pallor of his strong face and the /
strained tenseness of his features telling |
how severe was the dreadful ordeal |
through which he was mentally passing !
And whilst he stood there, honor and |
freedom, peace and happiness, his whole
future as it were trembling in the bal |
ance, the three women who held him so |
GEAR we're waiting with anxious hearts |
and prayerful lips in Miss Cadogans lit
lie rose-covered villa along the winding /
country read, now hoping, now fearing; /
now telling themselves that the thing /
tbey dreaded could not be-that they |
would soon have him with them again,
eheery, free. with the stain of dishonor /
cleared from his name: and all the time
watching with straining eyes for the
coming OF messenger, the very sight of
~hom would almost tell them that
Lance nlmzalf r1suh+ ma 10 4hay,a !