Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1915-01-29
III


III.
When they were through, after
three solid hours Of toll, Harper sent
Conrad home ahead Of him while he
counted up the new record. AS re-
vised, the book showed over a thou
sand dollars still due him from Meade
enough to tide him over this desper-
ate pinch in which he found himself
Musing In pallid-faced self-loathing
over this, his first departure from rec
titude, he did thing inexplicable even
in one Of his careless habits. He de-
stroyed the old book, abstractedIy
tearing it up page by page and drop
ping 1t in the wastebasket.
In the morning came Conrad, and
recognized those scraps at once. On
the table lay the new book where Har-
per had left it the night before Me-
chemically obeying the memorable logic
. of the situation, Conrad picked some
of the scraps from the basket and COM
pared entries. Every legible word
was damning Here, on the 18th, was
Turner, on the old book three hours,
in the new book nine. Wright was in
the new book for nine hours ON that
date. and in the ole one his name was
not written down at all. for he had
been at work on another job.
Then Harper came In, strangely
shaken, though trying to preserve an
air of easy nonchalance.
i have just had a settlement with
Meade" he began in q voice Intended
to be quiet and CHEEKY, and what do
you think the fellow did? Offered me
flve-hundred-dollar bonus for the
good work we have done!
Here's your back pay, Conrad" he
said. I'm sorry to have kept you
Waiting so long"
Conrad backed away from the check
as If 1t were an unclean thing.
mo. mol" he cried. That money. |
want it mott 1t is not goot money. l
saw in the basket this morning the
book where you tore it up. You hat
been t'ief; am part t'ief;" and slip
ping his instruments into his pockets
he started toward the door. "Goot-by."
no said brokenly.
Harper was ash-white under the &C.
cusation that he could not resent.
Where are you goihg?' he STAN
mered
Il do not know. Away like came"
answered Conrad 81 forgif you." and
he was gone.
Harper was still sitting rigidly upon
the stool when Meade came bustlIng
In five minutes later.
Got new job for you. SAM" he
said. I've made Parsons consent to
tear down the rickety old buildings on
his corner and put up good business
block. Say, what's the matter with
you, anyhow"
Harper had not moved. He had been
gazing at Meade with fixed eyes, like
one In q horrorstricken trance; but
now he drew from his pocket the
check that Meade had given him but
an hour before and proffered 1t.
Il stole it." he numbly confessed.
Il falsifed the times"
.'oh, climb down from your perchl"
Meade whipped out with no abatement
whatever of his crisp manner. Nov,
what's all this about7 Tell me like a
sane man.
You say you falsifled those time
entries" he went ON. Il glanced
them over while you we're at my Of
Ace They we're all in Conrad's writ
ing
"Gad!' exclaimed Harper. For the
moment i had forgotten him. read
of those items to him from the old
book last night, changing them as
went along. He found out this morn
ing what I'd had him do and he called
me thief and left. God knows what
it cost him. here's girl here that
well. after he went away had to re-
nege."
"Away?" yelled Meade. What do
you mean by ,away?' Not that he's
going to leave Holden?s
Just that" affirmed Ha,toer He
said he couldn't look my wife and me
in the face and tell on me. and
couldn't look you in the face and not
tell
Put away your books! We've got
10 stop Conrad We've got to over
take that Dutchman. tell you'll"