The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-03-16
Keeping Groll
Off the Grass.
By HENRY BERLINGoFF.
Copyrighted, 1909, by Associated
Literary Press.

Stub Kelley was willing to admit
that the "old man" was more i'm
portant figure in the Office than George
Fielding, but the rack itself could not
wiring from him an admission that any
one else doomed as large, least Of all
Douglas Groll the junior partner.
Groll had incurred Stubs enmity the
first day the boy had come into the of
fee, and since then he had done moth
ing to cause reversal of Stubs opin-
ion.
Fielding was a wholesome sort of
chap whose very capacity for making
friends had won for him place of
authority in the Office of Sommers &
Groll Every one liked him. The
loyal Stub worshiped him and would
have gone to the end of the earth at
his order.
Stub had even raised from the dead
his mythical grandmother to bury her
at a more suspicious moment because
Fielding had limited that there was
lot of work to be done even If the
Champs" were playing a double head
er at the ball grounds. Greater trib-
ute than this no small boy can pay.
Naturally when Gertrude Vance was
looked upon with especial favor by
Fielding she became the chief goddess
in the Office.
Mr.. Sommers' sonorous call Of "Pat-
rick!" sometimes went unanswered,
but the boy fairly jumped to Miss
Vance's desk at the softest call OF
"Stubw and would sharpen her pencil
or bring her a fresh set Of carbons
before he answered the increasingly
impatient call Of the head of the firm.
And because Fielding cared for Ger
trude It apgered Stub to notice the ia
miliarity with which the junior part
ner treated the little typewriter. Ger
trude could not very well resent these
trifing inpertinences without losing
her place, and she could not afford to
do that when she and Fielding were
saving up every penny against the
time they should find some tiny subur-
ban home suited to their modest in
come.
They were working hand in hand
toward that end, and she could only
pretend not to notice the hand THAI
rested caressingly on her shoulder
whenever Groll stopped at her desk
to give an order or ask a question.
Stub instinctively sensed her embar-
rassment, and he gritted his teeth i'm
potently whenever he saw Gron NOV,
ing toward the typewriter's corner,
yowing with boyish intensity that he
would get even.
He watched Gron with quiet atten
ton that permitted no move to escape,
and that resourceful business man
would have been surprised had be
realized how much Stub knew about
his personal affairs.
Stub was ever alert to get hold OF
some bit of information that he could
use as club, but Groll grew more and
more daring in. his attention with the
knowledge that the girl feared to speak
TO Fielding.
Groll always was particularly Of
fensive when Fielding was at the
bank. The firm had two branches up.
town. and every morning the receipts
from these branches were brought
down by the trusted clerks and turned
over to the cashier, who accepted the
credit slips without question and
passed the sealed package on to the
bank with his own deposit by Fielding
The packages of bills were made int
ix;.l- ot,arod fopraO opd soolod of ai.
Their end. The messengers were trust
ed employees, and there never had
been the slightest inaccuracy.
Stub loved to watch the arrival OF
the packages 1t was his ambition to
be a messenger himself some day and
carry revolver under license from the
police.
The bulge in the messengers coat
pockets filed him with envy, and he
was saving his tips with the idea OF
purchasing a revolver of his own
against that happy day when he should
be intrusted with one of the leather
satchels chained to the messengers
wrists.
Then came day when Groll wen,
into the senior partners Office, and
soon he and Sommers went to the
cashiers cage Here the two, after d
brief consultation with the latter, wen
toward Fielding's desk.
81 tell you that l saw him make the
exchange" Groll was saying as they
moved toward the closed desk. II was
in the cage for moment and saw hin
bending over his desk"
did Mr.. Fielding go to his desk
after he left the eager" asked Som
mers Of the cashier, and the latter nod
ded an unwilling assent
"He had a bottle of medicine thaT be
wanted to put there. He had bad
cold"
The cashier carried the bunch Of
keys that were duplicates of all the
keys in the Office, and they soon found
the one that fitted Fielding's desk. As
the roll top was raised to release the
catch that held the drawers locked
Stub could not refrain from drawing
near. The trio did not notice his ap
proach, so interested were they In the
investigation.
With an exclamation that sounded
very like groan Sommers drew from
the bottom drawer package that was
Enthusiastically the deposit from the
North Side branch, and with trembling
hand he reached for the sharp envel
ope opener that lay upon the blotter.
'T've had my suspicious for some
time" announced Groll jubilantly. q
happen to know that Fielding is plan
| ming to marry Miss Vance. and he has
been specializing with what they cal
their building fund for some time.
He planned this move to get back his
losses and at the same time gain
enough to buy home. have been
watching him carefully, and today my
suspicious were aroused.
"The money is not counted here ID
the office, and he planned to place the
blame on the cashier or the messenger
and go scot free"
Stub grinned at the jubilation OF
Grolrs voice and stood on tiptoe the
better to observe the proceedings
Sommers had slit the wrapper that the
seals might be preserved intact for fu-
ture reference, and all three men gave
an exclamation Of surprise when, In
stead of the bank notes, SommerS
drew out sheets of crisp bond paper
cut to greenback size.
ssPerhaps his nerve failed him." sug
gested Groll, who was the first e
break the silence.
"Nerve nothin'," interrupted Stub
II was wise to your game. l had the
switchboard when the girl was out te
/ lunch and | was rubberin' on the wire