The Democratic advocate., 1909-02-19
Keeping Groll
Off the Grass.
BY HENRY BERLINGOFF.
Copyrighted, 1909. by Associated
Literary Praas
By HENRY BERLINCOFF.

flelding, but the rack itself could not
wiring from him an admission that any
one else loomed 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 n 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 more auspicious moment because
Fielding had hlnted that there was
lot of work to be done even if the
Champs" were playing 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-
rickw sometimes went unanswered,
but the boy fairly jumped to Miss
Vance's desk at the softest call Of
"Stub~ and would sharpen her pencil
or bring her n fresh set Of carbons
before he answered the increasingly
impatient call Of the head Of the firm.
And because Fielding cared for Ger
trude II angered Stub to notice the IA
mlliarlty with which the junior part
ner treated the little typewriter Ger
trude could not very well resent these
trifling 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 that
rested caressingly on her shoulder
whenever Groll stopped at her desk
10 give an order or ask a question.
Stub instinetively sensed her embar.
rassment, and he gritted his teeth Inn
potently whenever he saw Gron NOV
ing toward the typewrlter's corner,
vowing with boyish intensity that he
would get even.
He watched Groll with a quiet atten.
tion that permitted no move to escape,
and that resourceful business man
would have been surprised had he
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 ut 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 10 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 into
brick shaped forms and sealed at ei.
ther end. The messengers were trust.
cd 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 filled him with envy, and he
was saving his tips with the idea Of
purchasing u 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 a day when Groll went
into the senior partners office, and
soon he and Sommers went to the
cashiers cage. Here the two, after a
brief consultation with the latter, went
toward Fieldlngs desk.
Il tell you that l saw him make the
exchange" Groll was saying as they
moved toward the closed desk. ~ was
in the cage for moment and saw him
bending over his desk"
"Did Mr.. Fielding go to his desk
Qffnr hn Inff ho
mers OF the cashier, and the latter nod.
ded an unwilling assent
"He had a bottle Of medicine that he
wanted to put there He had a 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 envei
ope opener that lay upon the blotter.
1--WE had my suspicious for some
time" announced Groll Jubilantly. 81
happen to know that Fielding is plan
ming to marry Miss Vance, and he has
been speculating 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