Stark eyed him sharply, but the bookkeeper
was evidently sincere.
"Is there anything wrong?" continued the latter.
"Do you mean to tell me you didn't know
that wretched box was filled with waste paper?"
"You don't mean it?" exclaimed Gibbon, in dismay.
"Yes, I do. I didn't open it till this morning,
and in place of government bonds, I found
only folded slips of newspaper."
By this time Gibbon was suspicious. Having
no confidence in Stark, it occurred to him
that it was a ruse to deprive him of his share
of the bonds.
"I don't believe you," he said. "You want
to keep all the bonds for yourself, and cheat
me out of my share."
"I wish to Heaven you were right. If there
had been any bonds, I would have acted on the
square. But somebody had removed them,
and substituted paper. I suspected you."
"I am ready to swear that this has happened
without my knowledge," said Gibbon, earnestly.
"How, then, could it have occurred?" asked Stark.
"I don't know, upon my honor. Where is the box?"
"I--have disposed of it."
"You should have waited and opened it before me."
"I asked you if you had a key that would open it.
I wanted to open it last evening in the office."
"True."
"You will see after a while that I was acting
on the square. You can open it for yourself
at your leisure."
"How can I? I don't know where it is."
"Then I can enlighten you," said Stark,
maliciously. "When you go home, you will
find it in a chest in your woodshed."
Gibbon turned pale.
Pages:
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141