The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-20
HIS HIDING
: PLACE
BY HENRY sMlTHsoN

w hCn MI. tLkllo, luJ
was clerk In a country store then
= introduced Ben Whitman as my fell
low worker | looked him over and
was seized with one of those uncon-
trollable repulsions that we cannot ac-
count for II there was any reason
for this dislike | conceived for him II
was in his eye. which was a gray. /
shook hands with him. but there was
no heartlness In my grasp nor in his,
1t was evident that we were not to
be bosom friends.
and we got on well enough together
despite my repulslon for him at our
first meeting. l was man of all work.
salesman. bookkeeper and cashier.
Whitman was employed to sell goods,
carry parcels and do odd jobs. He
dressed well. seeming to take great
interest in his clothes. especially his
cravats. The only extravaganza about
him was smoking. He smoked at
least one box day and often more
For a clerk on SO a week with no
other source of income this required
too much outlay.
Whitman in a years time learned
good deal about the business, includ
ing bookkeeping, which he asked me
TO teach him. Then dull times came
on. and Mr. Perkins found retrench
ment necessary. 1t was known both
&n 60 hot Of
US would have to go. Mr.. Perkins
was debating the matter. He didn't
know whether to keep me at $25
week or Whitman at SIS, to which |
sum he had been raised. He didn't
say so, but | knew that was the ques-
ting the books and cash into Whit |
mans hands. ! inferred that he wish
ed to try him to discover whether be
could do the work satisfactorily.
One day Mr.. Perkins went out of the |
store leaving a ten dollar bill on the
ing the desk. saw 1t and would have !
picked it up to take care of 1t. but the |
telephone bell was ringing. and | went
on TO answer it. After | had taken
down an order I forgot the bill for a
short time. and when | remembered it
| was too late Mr.. Perkins came in
and told me and Whitman that he had
left $40 on the desk. and it was miss
ing on his return. Whitman spoke
first. denying having seen it, then |
told him that | had seen II and gave
the reason why had not taken care
of it,
Whitman declared that no one had
been near the desk except me and that
only one customer had come in during
Mr. Perkins absence and that was
woman who had not gone near the
back part of the store where the mon
ey had been lsft.
That eye of Whitman through which ;
evil that was in him looked {
tut convinced me that he would at {
empt to fix the loss of the bill on to /
ne with view to being retained in /
he store in my place. / saw it so /
plainly that / wondered Mr.. Perkins |
lidn't see it That Perkins did not was [
,vident from the fact that. while he |
seemed sure that one of US had taken !
he bill, he was In doubt which was {
he thief, for he Immediately took
barge of the books and the cash him.
elf
He was now more at loss to know
which of us he would discharge than /
,efore. since be didn't wish to keep the G
dishonest one. l was quite sure Of
Vhitman's game, but saw no way of .
rowing 1t. And yet | felt it essential I
hat l should do So got my mind '
own on the problem ready to follow 4
ny slight clue. that might present it. G
elf s
| hunted up places where he was G
likely to have bought things, especial. t
Y cigarettes, but could not learn that Q
lie had paid for anything with a ten
Iollar bill
One day Mr.. Perkins told me to go 7
he next day to collect n large account
ince he needed the money to help pay
note that would come due before the s
lose of banking hours the same day. '
telephoned him from my house that {
had been taken suddenly Ill and would
lot be able to go. learned the next I
morning that he had sent Whitman !
vent over to the house where Whit
nan boarded and said we needed
ertain paper at the store that he had q
n his possession and got permission t. a
o into his room to look for it. ran
acked every nook and corner hoping
o find some clew to the lost bill when
n bureau drawer found cigarette
OK with two or three cigarettes in it
! doubted IL Whitman had spent the s
ost ten dollar bill and hoped TO find II v
a the most likely place for him TO put
!. Seeing these cigarettes In a place
where be would not usually keep his
obacco, it flashed into my head that [
he most ligely place to occur to a |
nan to hide anything would be Ii c
hat with which he was most familiar I
'aking up the little rolls | could see o
My tobacco al the end But one was o
sss pliable than the others tore on q
be paper and found ten dollar bill. q
| went at once 10 Mr. Perkins with '
be story. suggesting that when Whit. I
ian returned, without giving him an II
pportunity to go to his room. II o
barge him with having stolen the hi, n
nd hiding IL In a cigarette He do s.