The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-03-04
CHAPTER XXI.
A Trip to the Park.

A Trip to the Park.
 GoIdsnitf1's question had an in cisiveness which Perry found ex- treme1y irritating.
 'I made an ass of myself he an- swered shortly, "and I really don't care to discuss the matter any fur- ther. It is painful to me-"
 That is not fair to your friend.' said Goldsmith.
 Perry did not answer the comment.
 They had some further conversa- ton, discussing which of Perry s holdings it was wirest to sell, and then the latter rose to go.
 By the way" he said carelessly, you never told me what Taylor was doing out in Texas
 "It is an office custom" Goldsmith replied, never to discuss our affairs or divulge our intentions till after an operation is over. I don't mind tell ing you now that Taylor went out there to handle a street railway situa- ton and that he handled it extreme ly we11.''
 Perry was silent
 Have you seen him since he re- turned?'
 Yes" said Perry. sI saw him yes terday morning."
 ''He isn't very we11.''
 CT wish that you would go around and try to cheer him up a bit. He's depressed over something.'
 'I must be going MT. Goldsmith"
 eIf you decide,'' said Goldsmith, sto investigate that loss of yours any further I should be delighted to be of any assistance I can.'
 Thank you,'' answered Perry. Then he added casually: 'tYou are quite right to keep your office secrets close. I don't want to pry into your affairs, but have you received any way of business? 9"
 I'm not afraid to answer a ques- ton of so general a nature as that" said Goldsmith laughing, ''Yes. we have. We received one quite recent Iy from your friend MT. Tay1or.''
 All Perry's suspicious came back with a rush. He pondered the mat ter in his electric hanson on the way uptown, but again and again the mysterious, irrefutable, bewildering, adamantine fact brought out by Goldsmith obstinateIy presented it. self. He was not going to prosecute. Why not?"
 The following day he received Chester's check. Was it an edmis- sion of guilt? If not. why did he send it? What would he (Perry) stances? What should he do with it now? He held it in his fingers for a moment as he considered. Then he crossed over to his desk and lock ed it in the drawer with the cancell- ed voucher bearing Chester's en- dorsement.
 i'If Goldsmith were here," he thought to himself, ''he would prob ably ask me Why ?'-
 But strive as he would he was un- able to answer the question.
 It was not Chester's nature to sulk and fume, and, as the days passed end the fever left him, he became more normal and began to look at things from a saner point of view He even tried to put himself in Perry's place and wondered what he would have done under similar cir cumstances. But he could not coh- quer his resentment against ma T to whom he had allowed himself to become so indebted. He certainly could not have acted as Perry had. He would have investigated, proved his point, overcome the circunl- stances which seemed to baffle him. 1 Why wasn't Perry more persistent? To be sure he had seemed to de-l avoid Perry, but Perry could easily have found out where ! he was and what he was doing from & Elkins. He wondered if he was right in his conjecture that Perry had not mailed that letter. He even wrote to the hotel in Warsaw.