The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-01-13

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went out to lunch together; the safe
was left closed, but unlocked; Pom
eruy was away; the stenographer had
gone to lunch; the field was clear!
seized the private ledger and hur- !
riedly looked through its contents,
finding on page So the account Cor
which l was searching-"TheD Del
bridge Estate" 1t was a peculiar ac-
count, but l knew what it meant as
soon as l looked at it. First of all,
! on the credit side was the entry, "One
thousand shares of 500 per share
Delbridge Gold Mining Company,
! 100000, 1000" This entry was nearly
ruled off Then came credits for Jan
uary l and July l. 1898 and 1S94-5
per cent dividends-S2500 each. Also
debts for the same amounts showing
their payment to Miss Delbridge, or
Mrs. Cunning Then the account was
neatly ruled off again. And below
| this ruling came cash debts of $2500
each periodically down to July l, 1902,
but NO CREDITS! so that the ac-
count showed a debit balance of
$37, 500.
1t was perfectly obvious that Del
bridge had sold the stock in 1895,
squandered the proceeds, and was
now paying the yearly interest to con-
ceal his villainy. The Delbridge es-
tate was gone! l hastily made copy
of the account, replaced the ledger
in the safe, and danced around the
Office in glee at my great discovery.
Now there would be something doing!
Now my father would get whatever
; reward had been agreed on!
l could scarcely wait for evening 10
come, and my father was scarcely less
excited, when | explained to him the
particulars of the discovery. Togeth-
er we fastened to the Delbridge resi-
dence and enthusiastically laid our
) information at the feet of Mrs. Gun
ming. That lady stared at us with
glazing eyes.
WHAT" she gasped, the Del
bridge estate gomez" and then, with
cyclonic roaring rustling, she tainted.
My father rang the bell and the
servants came in and attended to her.
Miss Delbridge was summoned and
she requested us-if we had any bust
ness with her aunt-to call again.
This was the first time | had seen
Miss Delbridge. She was dressed in
a tight-ftting black costume with
linen collar and cuffs-her eyebrows
were highly arched and her nose
hung straight down from the inner
ends of the arches. l made a partic-
ular note of this in case hereafter /
might wish to become an artist.
We retired, much crestfallen, from
the Delbridge residence, nor were we
much comforted later by the intelli-
gence that Mrs Cunning was suffer
ing from a serious paralytic stroke.
On December II my father and l
called once more at the Delbridge res
idence and asked for Miss Delbridge.
We were admitted and found her
standing in the center of the room
kwhere we had always met Mrs. Gun
ming
My father bowed respectfully and |
followed suit, but it was evident that
the young lady regarded us with ex-
IRENE disapproval; in fact this was so
very apparent that my father was
quite nervous in consequence.
q have called to see you in regard
to the Delbridge estate, he said,
difidently,
Indeed" responded my lady icily.
Pray, what business have you with
the Delbridge estate?"
my son, Percy, is in Mr. Del
bridges office" my father com
menced, when Miss Delbridge inter
rupted
81 know you are pair of scoun-
drels!" she snapped. Go and see
Mr.. Bingham, my attorney"
My father grabbed my hand and
we departed from the Delbrdge resi-
dence without ceremony
There's "a thousand dollars gone
up the flue, you young imp" he
yelled Then he knocked my head
against a post and would probably
have committed murder but for the
unsupported vicinity of Mr., Delbridge.