The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-02

i ''''N va ttf's-N AahAh AAlN AulilS III NlAt-N
/ ton. | got Up and dressed myself. in
/ tending to - 10 the Office and sleep on
a lounge there was in Mr.. EdsalfS pri-
( waite room. where | would he near the
safe. ON reaching my destination I'M
locked the door Ia the main oltice and
went in with no light except what came
from the street. feared that If
switched on the eiectr,cs some police
man would come to investigate what
/ was going on. did not care 10 make
/ an explanation, and would not have il
( known by any one connected with the
! office that had been there.
Feeling my way to the lounge. lay
! down. | was some time getting to
| sleep. for | had new source of worry
in the fact that if were found in the
/ office my motive for being there might
be misinterpreted However | finally
! dropped into II light and troubled slum-
| Der
! was awakened by sound in the
next room. | did not stir. but listened
| family heard something drop in the
! safe lock. Had my hearing not been
very acute | should not have detected
| 1t. After hearing several such drops.
which | recognized from having opened
J the safe So many times, heard the
heavy door swing open. For moment
| 1t seemed that | was still asleep and
| dreaming Il dream that had been ex-
cited by my imagination. Then |
sprang up and. without thinking that
was liable to be shot down, switched
on an electric light
There stood Gregory facing me,
white as II sheet, in his hand package
of currency. We looked at each other
for moment, then Gregory, realizing
his position, broke down and began to
beg piteously that l would not expose
! him.
! told him to replace the package of
bills he had taken and close the safe.
| Then he confessed that he had been
specializing ana had got caught. He
! was intending to take, few thousand
dollars to tide him over for few days,
! trusting to the fact that he alone look
ed after the cash on hand to replace It.
: before the deficiency should be discov-
cred.
| asked him how much money would
! tide him over, and he told me that
$500 would do it. had saved several
! times that amount and told him that |
/ would let him have the money in the
morning, but he must leave it to me
to act toward him in other respects as
my conscience dictated He declared
| that this was the first time in his life
that he had appropriated money that
did not belong to him ana assured me
| that what | had offered to loan him
would put him beyond further need.
If 1t were not so he would not have
acted as he had. This did not influence
me. ! told him that | would tell him
what ! would do as to making known
my having surprised him, and, leaving
! the building. we parted on the side
walk.
| 1t was long past midnight when |
got back into my own bed. | lay
awake wondering if my having gone
| to the office at the same time Gregory
| had gone there to make loan of the
firms funds was coincidence or
whether subconsciousness that he
was intending TO do SO had led me
there. 1t is said that no one can think
of two things at the same time, but
these thoughts did not interfere With
dread that, no matter what course
| should pursue with Gregory, it would
! result unfortunately for me.
The next morning he did not show
up. | waited till noon, and since he
did not appear laid the matter before
Mr.. Edsall. An examination was made
but no deficiency was found But 1t
came out that Gregory was heavily In
debt and he had decAmped to parts un-
known
did not tell Mr.. Edsall that | had
offered TO help Gregory, but | told
Lucia, and she told her father. The
morning after she did so he announced
that he had decided to incorporate his
business and would be vice president
and general manager. What else Lucia
said to him, whether she limited at the
conditions between her and me- don't
know, but from that time he treated
me more like Il son than an employee.
And from that time forward could
not possibly find anything to worry
about, except that realized there is
many slip 'tyixt the cup and the lip"
and felt an uncertainty as to my pos
sessing the girl | loved. However, she
did what she could to assure me that
all would be well and to relieve my
misgivings. But she had hard time
convincing me that would be accepta.
BILE to her father as sutton for her.
One day told him that | loved his
daughter; that ! had never spoken to
her of my feelings for her and had en-
deavOred to treat her as friend But
a time had come when | considered 1t
both unjust to her and to myself that
the matter should remain as il was be-
tween us, and | asked him If he would
consent to my proposing to her for her
hand. When / had finished | waited
with a thrObbing pulse for his reply.
1t was not long delayed.
Young man." he said, you have
acted honorably In everything ever
since have known you. II Lucia is
willing | am"
That's the end of the story. My IA
ther-in-law now relies upon me as
manager of his business. He says that
the only thing against me as a good
business man is that take things too
seriously. In other words, | am in
clined to worry, and that wears on
my physical capabilities. However.
since / got out of the false position in
duced by my love affair have done
much better than formerly.