The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-12-30
The :ouiig man sank down in O

tnal . the truth ABOUT me.
why, what's the matterf'
'I'se been speculating-w all do-in
Langdale's shop. We get tips. you.
know--seme good. some bad. bnt they
oil look good. A fellow who Is a sort
Of an Office boy there has made over
$4,000" and he laughed nervously.
but Izcouldn't mike "A. cent. Oh: it
was my own money There's nothing
wrong. But IFS knocked me out. l.
don't know: what I'm doing l. drew:
that check; Of yours. Here's Mr.. Lang,
dale's memorandum. 5000 Well. l.
couldn't see the decimal point, and.
though I'd heard him say fifty, ! drew
it for $1,000, and he signed it,
He passed Il erumpled slip of paper
to Macmillan, whose hair had begun
to stir at the roots. Upon the paper
We're these words scribbled in pencil:
DRAW check to. order OF Richard Mac
milan for $4,000"
"Most men wouldn't write the last
two .ciphers at all said the clerk, but
Mr.. Langdale always does. So /
might have known what the amount
was. I've drawn enough checks 70,
him in the last three years.
Macmillan passed his hand along the
top of his head
This is very important" he said.
"Of course it shall be rectnied, but
but Pm afraid can't conman nd the
money Immediately. / will explain,
however, to Mr.. Langdale ON Monday,
and" he added, moved by the wcari-
ness and misery in the others counte-
nance, 81 will put in q good word for
you"
'Its kind Of you to say &c." respond
ed the clerk. My name is Tunbridge."
He rose and stretched himself like q
weary animal. then moved stiffly to.
ward the door, But Macmillan called
him back and talked to him for 4 long
time cheerfully, SO that he went away
in better spirits. This kindness was
very i'll requited, though not willfully,
for poor Tunbridge was wholly una
lan's burden. The fact is, however
that he had made Macmillan see clear
~ what an egregious blind owl he had
been. Surely the feeblest perceptive
powers should have sufficed to inform
him that the check had been sent in
error The whole tenor of the note
which accompanied it was relevant of
Langdale's design. He had malicious
" renewed his contribution Of 500 to
Macmillan's charity fund in order to
imply that he believed the clergyman
had called upon him for the purpose of
reminding him of it,
Macmillan had spent about $1,000 ct
the money in such u way that he could
never get it back. and Amy would moi
be benefited one penny unless he
should diSburSe about 81. 800 more on
Monday. and this. OF course. he could
not Go. How he was to return the
$500 to LangtlAle within Il reasonable
time he did not know. He had stolen
it, in effect. for the simplest common
sense should have kept him from such
frantic haste Monday would have
served him quite as we'll rs Thursday
for the payments and would have
given him opportunity to assure him
self of the reality Of Iangdale's gen
erOsity.
Mr. and Mrs. LangdaIe returned from,
Christmas visit on Monday morning
and the lady went OH alone 70 their
home in LarchmOnt. whence she tele-
phoned to her husband at his office
about II O'clock. The chief part of
her message was that she had found
some very pretty presents that had
been sent by Miss Amy Bradford and
Miss Martha Macmillan. How did her
husband account for this? Had he
not told her of a quarrel with Mr..
Macmillan a year ago? Had he not
advised her against sending anything
to Miss Branford and Miss Macmillan:
Langdale had neglected 10 tell his
wife about Macmillan's call and had
willfully concealed his own nalign jest
in the matter Of the fifty dollar check.
Now therefore he disclosed the one and
still hid the other.
You'd better hustle around and get
them something" said he, something
rather nice, and invent some excuse for
the delay"
The incident passed from his mind
/. Immediately, for he was called to con
slider matter of considerab bic gravity.
This developed in the visit of Mr..
Gridley, one of the very few persons
to whom Mr.. Langdale told the truth.
well. Gridley," said he when that
gentleman had drifted noiselessiy into
the office. "have you looked him up?"
Its DIR. Hayward all right" re-
sponded Gridley. Il took one OF your
boys up there to see him. and I've
heard from Omaha. The cousin racket
is fake. and | don't suppose there's
any doubt that somebody has got Hay
ward to make report on your health.
though | can't find out who II IS"
Its the Dey Street bank gang, of
course" responded Langdaie. This
ACCOUNTS for the bluff that they're
making. They think I'm going to
break down. What do you think about
TT" he demanded upon a sudden i'm
pulse, for he had caught look in the
detectives eye. What change do you
notice in me? Come, You're keen
eyed chap. Tell me-
Gridiey hesitated.
We'll. sir" he said at last. aside
from youS general appearance, which
Isn't what it was, l notice kind OF
something in your speech, sort Of hes
itation Now, there was man knew
who got into Il state where If he want
ed to say dollar he couldn't think OF
the word, and sometimes he'd say any
old thing. perfectly ridiculous. l be-
| lieve they call 1t aphasia."
YES" said Langdale, paling, "thats
what they call it."
An attendant entered, bringing Mac
millan's card.
Here's the fellow that put us on to
Hayward" said Langdale. Il thanked
him heartily. but Of course he didn't
know what was talking about. Well,
he'll have to wait now till Hayward
Have you a weak throat? If SO, you can
not be too careful You cannot begin treat
meut too early Each cold makes ron NOR,