The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1908-01-03
FLOY'S SILENCE.

By ADA FERRIS.


big dry goods store-and nobody knew
who or when or how The employees
had been asked to use extra care and
vigilance. and the most light-hearted
girl there felt worried and uneasy.
was. 1t clever shoplifter? Gould
there be thief among them? Did
the Arm suspect any one? Was there
perhaps a detective watching them
even now? And---did detectives not
sometimes make mistakes? Every one
was. painfully nervous, and impatient
To have the mystery cleared up.
'And / believe you know something
about 1t, FIoy," said Jennie Burnhan,
under her breath, to fellow clerk.
"Why, what makes you think that?"
Floy asked, startled.
II know 1t. know by--by the way
you hold your tongue when we are all
puzzling about IT. Now what is it?"
"No," said Floy Irving, very slowly,
as If weighing every word, mo, do
not know any more than the rest Of
you about this. don's even know
what is missing"
"But you have suspicion. Now own
up"
"No," even more slowly. And If
had, 1t might be doing great mis-
take to tell"
"Oh, you obstinate little mule! !
wish there was an X-ray so we could
look through peoples heads and find
out what they knew"
But some one came up just then,
and Floy seized the opportunity. to
slip away, with deep breath Of
thankfulness. For she did know some
thing only, had it anything to do
with this case? II she spoke, all in
the store-or all but two, perhaps
would say at once, THAT solves the
riddle" But would it? Or would It
ouly practically convict one who might
after all be innocent?
Oh, II, there were only some X-ray
by which one might look into soul
and see IL 1t were true! There he stood
at an opposite counter. quiet and faith
full, although he must know that one
word from her would concentrate all
this dark cloud Of suspicion on his
head
Yet why should she not say, Il do
not know who is the thief now, but
know who was responsible for q SINH
lar course Of petty losses few years
ago, and not so many miles away. He
calls himself Robert Murdoch now, but
ne was sent to the reform school then
under the name Of Bob Jameson"
Yet was 1t quite fair to conclude
that because Bob Jameson, ill-fed, ILL.,
clothed and ill-adyised by an unscrup-
ulous stepfather, had robbed the en-
ployer who provoked the act by re-
fusing to pay fair wages, therefore
Robert Murdoch, some years older,
wiser, and to all appearance strictly
honorable, was equally guilty?
He had been in the store some
months now, and apparently she alone
knew of this old trouble. She hardly
knew why she had not told that he
was an old schoolmate OF her own
partly, Perhaps, because so much had
been said of girls inability to keep a
secret, and she resented the idea, but
more on account Of a kindly reluct-
ance to make trouble for one trying
to start anew. No one but himself
knew that the had ever met before.
Murdock's behavior had been fault
iess-almost too good to be natural, 1t
seemed to Floy. Still, this might
mean only that he was determined
70 retrieve his good name and bury
the old disgrace from sight forever
What injustice, then, practically to
convict him OF this new theft, with
out one particle Of proof, and make
the cloud above him darker than.
ever!
Yet the word once spoken could
never be recalled And there before
her eyes every day stood Robert MUIR
dock, waiting the word that should
hurl him to destruction-yet neither
by word nor look appealing for mercy.
She slipped out hurriedly, when the
days work was over lest Jennie should
Overtake and ply her with more ques-
tions She did not want to talk-or to
think. What was the use of puzzling
ones brains over problem one had
not facts to solve? But before she had
fairly reached her boarding place she
was stopped by one Of her comrades in
the store, with piteous appeal:
20 Floy Irving, I'm in such both
err You'll help me out, won't you?
There's a darling! My head aches fit
to split, and there was such crowd
at our counter couldn't begin to keep
things straight, and some Of the ladies
pulled the laces all round and got
Aharn into c,anh o tnnrlnl 4 a. hAls..-A