Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1909-02-19

but it takes two to quarrel properly, and
l do not mean to take up the cudgels to
please you ~ And here she gave her
a playful shake, that so astonished Mis-.
sic that she speedily grew more .amiabe.
for her temper had never been so set
aside before.
Roger had been looking very worried
and careworn for some days, and Alison
was afraid, from her fathers grave face
and silence with his son, that things had
gone wrong again at the mill, and that,
rs usual, the blame had been laid on
Roger. She was waiting for an opportu.
nifty to speak to him, for his engagements
had taken Lin out several nights, when
one evening she met him as she was re-
turning from the town.
lie was walking along rather moodily,
with his eyes fixed on the ground, and
did not see Alison until she called him
by mare; and then he looked up and his
face frightened in a moment.
''Where have you been, Allie?" he ask.
ed smiling at her. and Rogers smile was
very pleasant "The house felt dull with.
out you, so | came out for a solitary
prowl.'
'Very well, you shall have your prowl !;
only it will not be solitary any longer,
for | am not tired in the least, and mean
to come, too"
very well, them" he said, leading the
way toward a quiet, shady road, IL am
just in the right mood for talk, and
You are the right sort of company"
81 am so glad satisfy you, Roger" she
said, looking at him afectionately, Il
wish all brothers were like you, and cared
as much for their sisters"
$50 they would, if all sisters were your
Sort" was his tatterlng answer, only
Roger meant what he said. allie, Of
course l know you will 90 back to Aunt
Diana one day, but you must promise
me not to leave us just yet"
"Oh, Roger, of course not. How could
l go while you wanted me?
my dear, in that case you would never
leave us at all. No, no, | am not quite
Allie, but not just yet, not till things
are more settled and we are all happier.
Do you know, dear, wonder sometimes
how | held on those two years without
you; your absence made me miss mother
more" And Rogers lip trembled a little.
Alison pressed his arm without speaking /;
there was no need for other words be-
tween them, they were so sure of each
others sympathy.
Roger, | wish you would tell me what
has been troubling you for the last few
days." she said Something has
gone very wrong; you have been
terribly grave all the week, and
yesterday you were too worried to eat
properly. | hope you mean to take me
into your confidence, dear; perhaps l
could find some way of helping you
Il wish you could, Allie" he returned,
sadly; 81 wish | could see a way out OF
our terrible difficulties Promise me you
will be as secret as a statue, and | will
tell you a little of what has happened"
"Oh, you may trust me-" she replied,
lifting her honest brown eyes to his face.
Il believe | may, and it will be a re-
lief to speak. Allie, Ferguson is going too
far; | am convinced in my own mind that
he has tampered with the accounts; w.
shall come to a crash directly"
What do you meGn?" turning a lit e
pale. Roger spoke so vehemently.
1T would take too long to tell you all
but something very unpleasant has hap
pened this week. You know my father
went to Lancaster the other day. Well, I
check in payment for a consignment al
timber was unexpectedly paid in durin |,
his absence. OF course | indorsed tn
check, wrote out receipt, inclosed it il
an envelope and put it in the usual rae
for postage. | then made an entry in tn (,
ledger, and was just going to lock up tn Z.
ledger and the check in the safe, as it
was nearly time for closing, when the sud-
den cessation of the machinery told me
some accident had happened, and of
course | ran out of the Office, and so did
Ferguson, our manager"
"Oh, know when poor Mitchell was
hurt" returned Alison, with shudder
Il remember seeing both you and Mr. Fer
gusson standing bare headed among the
men in the yard you were sending limo
thy for a DOCTOR"
"Yes; was detained for nearly half an
hour. Ferguson must have gone back to
the office-at least | missed him after the
first few minutes. When they had taken
Mitchell off to the hospital went back to
lock up things for the night. Ferguson
was just coming out of the office and
handed me the keys. Everything was
locked up, he said, and the messenger had
fetched the letters. l had put the check
into my fathers private drawer and had
locked the drawer, but the ledger had been
left open on the table, with my entry writ
ten on the top of a blank page. had
noticed the page was little loose, as
though the corresponding one had been
cut out some time previously, but | was
in hurry, and thought it did not mat
ter. When Ferguson told me everything
was locked up for the night and handed
me the Office keys, of course there was
nothing for me but to take them. Allie,
what do you suppose were my feelings
when we opened the ivate drawer the