The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-03
The EVENING STORY
Keeping Gron on the Grass
(By Henry Berlingoff.)

d
portant figure in the office than
George Fielding, but the rack itself
could not wiring from him an admis-
sion that any one else doomed as
large, least of all Douglas Groll, the
Junior partner.
GrolI had incurred Stubs enmity
the first day the boy had come into
the Office, and since then he had done
nothing to cause reversal of Stubs
opinion.
Fielding was wholesome sort of a
chap, whose very capacity for max
ing friends had won for him a place
& Groll. Every one liked him. The
loyal Stub worshipped 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 a
lot of work to be done even if the
header at the bali grounds. Greater
tribute 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
"Paterick!" sometimes went unan-
swered, but the boy fairly jumped
to Miss Vance's desk at the softest call
of "Stub," and would sharpen her
pencil, or bring her fresh set of car
Dons before he answered the increas-
ingly impatient call of the head of the
firm.
And because Fielding cared for Ger
trude, it angered Stub to notice the
familiarity with which the junior
partner treated the little typewriter.
Gertrude could not very well resent
these trifling impertinences without
losing her place, and she could not at
ford to do that. when she and Field
ing were saving up every penny
against the time they should find
their modest income.
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 to
give an order or ask a question.
Stub tnstinctively sensed her en-
barrassment, and he gritted his teeth
moving toward the typewriter's cor
ner, vowing with boyish intensity that
he would get even.
He watched Groll with a quiet atten-
ton that permitted no move to escape,
and that resourceful business man
would have been surprised had he real
lied 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 offens-
i've when Fielding was at the bank. The
firm had two branches uptown, 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 into brick shaped
forms and sealed at either end The
messengers were trusted employees and
there never had been the slightest in
accuracy.
Stub loved to watch the arrival of the
packages. 1t was his ambition to be
messenger himself some day and carry
lice. YIN '-9
The bulge in the messengers coat
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 GrolI 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 F'ielding's desk.
'I tell you that I saw him make the
exchange" Groll was saying as they
moved toward the closed desk. 81 was
in the cage for a moment and saw him
bending over his DESK
Did Mr.. Fielding go to his desk after
he left the eager" asked Sommers of
the cashier, and the latter nodded an
unwilling assent.
HE had a bottle of medicine that he
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
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 much like groan, Sommers drew
from the bottom drawer a package
that was Enthusiastically the deposit
from the North Side branch, and with
trembling hand he reached for the
sharp envelope 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 specializing with what they call
planned this move to get back his
losses and at the same time gain
enough to buy home. I have been
watching him carefully. and today my
suspicious were aroused.
1.-THE money is not counted here in
the office, and he planned to place the
blame on the cashier or the messenger
and go scot free"
Stub grinned at the jubiIation of
Grolls 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.
..Perhans his nerve failed him. sug=