Army and Navy Weekly — page 35: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

y ARMY AND NAVY All this time Mr. Inwood bad not spoken a_ word. Now, when there was a pause for an instant, he wheeled around in his chair so as to face Guy. ‘*You have had your say, Sir,’’ he began, ‘‘now permit me to have mine. You have proved, to your own satisfaction, that you did not take the money. Now, then, will you be good enough to prove to mine who did???’ ‘*Some one who knows your habits much better than I do, sir,’’ replied Guy, trying to speak, poor fellow, as respectfully as he could. ‘*Ah, that’s manly, that’s courageous, is it not?’’ here interrupted Mr. Tretbar. ‘‘To.lay the blame on one of those poor girls outside who labor here fiom morning till night to support mothers and little sisters at home! Shame on you, young man, to-seek to shelter your own.crinie behind a woman’s skirts.’? As Mr. Tretbar uttered the last sentence, he gesticu- lated freely and ended by laying the flat of his hand against his breast, while he shook his head mournfully from side to side. ° ‘‘Come, now, yotng man, doesn’t that move you?’’ put in Mr. Jnwood, as though the heart that could not be touched by his employer’s eloquent plea for the working girl must be adamant indeed. ‘¢T did not take the money,’’ replied Guy, firmly. ‘‘Well, Mr, Fox, I do not see how we can compro- mise matters while the young man remains in this frame of mind,’’ began Mr. Inwood. Then turning to Guy, he added: ‘‘Will you step into the next room for a moment??? He indicated the door on the right, leading into Mr. Tretbar’s private office, and at thesame time stepped to the door of his own apartment and called out ‘‘ Hat- tie!’’ ; The girl came forward and Mr. Inwood then di- rected her to wait in Mr. Tretbar’s room. Guy’s ears tingled. He understood only too well that she had been summoned to watch him. He walked over to the window, and leaning his burn- ing forehead against the pane, looked down into the bustling street below. How different it all appeared to him now! Everything seemed covered, men, horses, trucks, with a sort of haze. It is always so. When we are in deep trouble the ordinary sights of every day life assume an entirely different aspect, and at times we even find ourselves taking note of trivial circumstances that, as a rule, would quite escape our observation. So now Guy noted how a horse, standing in front of a crockery store on the opposite side of the street, Jowered his head and twisted it round in the attempt to see after a little yellow dog that had come trotting along the sidewalk past him. The next minute the recollection of his trouble swept back over the boy ina great wave and ‘‘What will mother say? It will almost kill her,’’ was the refrain that kept repeating itself over and over in his brain till the moving throng in the thoroughfare below seemed to be whirling round like the figures in a zoletrope. Guy was growing giddy himself and clutched the winaow frame for support. Just then came the call: ‘‘Hammersley, you may return now.’ CHAPTER V. . IN THE SHOE STORE. When Guy re-entered Mr. Inwood’s room, he found Mr. Fox and Mr. Tretbar with their chairs drawn up close to that of the advertising manager. Evidently their heads had been together in most serious discus- sion. ‘¢Young man,’’ began Mr. Inwood, ‘‘we have come ~ to a decision, and one, I am bound to say, which your obstinacy does not in the least merit. It is this: in con- sideration of your mother’s feelings and those of Mr. Burdell, 1 will not press the charge. Mr. Fox will re- place the thirteen dollars and dismiss you from his em- ploy. The case will not be brought into the courts, and we will do our best to keep it out of the newspapers. As | said before, you donot deserve this clemency, and if you havea spark of gratitude in your heart, it ought to send you down upon your knees before Mr. Fox to thank him for his consideration.’’ Gratitude! The word seemed amockery to Guy, used in this connection. He was to be sentoff, unexculpated, 1089 branded, with the suspicion of having committed a theft, and was expected to he grateful! He could not speak, he felt a choking sensation in his throat, while not the color of shame, but the pallor ' of hopelessness overspread his face. He made a desper- ate effort and then forced eut the words: ‘‘I did not take the money. What more can I say?”’ ‘‘Say no niore, but go,’’ blazed forth Mr. Fox, and Guy lost no time in taking advantage of the permis- sion. Without another look’at the three hard faces of his judges, he turned and walked rapidly out toward the stairway, past the tworows of staring girls, who, he could feel without looking, all stopped their work to gaze after him. But when he reached the sidewalk, ‘‘What is the use of hurrying?’’ was the question that confronted him. ‘‘No work to do, and I cannot go home before the us- ual time. I must not let mother know about this to- day. She has already had too much strain on her ner'ves,”? The hands on the big dial in front of a clock store pointed to balf-past two. It will be reznembered that Guy had had no lunch, and now that the. suspense about his fate was over, and he knew the worst, he felt as weak as a rag. But the very idea of entering a restaurant was repugnant to him. When he reached the corner he turned upa street that would take him away from Fox & Burdell’s, and pres- ently passing a fruit stand, stopped and bought an apple. The stand was next to a vacant store, and as he stood leaning against the barred shutters, eating his decidedly frugal midday meal, his gaze chanced to fall on the window ot ashoe store opposite, wherein hung a card bearing the words: | ‘*Boy Wanted.’’ ‘lf I could only get another position at once,’’ was the thought that flashed into Guy’s mind at the sight, ‘fmother need never know !”’ -He hastily finished his apple, and then pulling him- self together so as not to betray any trace of the or- deal through which he had just passed, crossed the street. ‘‘Traubmann & Feder’’ was the name over the door, and at the moment trade appeared to be dull, fora shock-headed German, looking asif he might be Mr. Traubmann or Mr. Feder, stood in the doorway look- ing out, twiddling a toothpick between his teeth, while another Teutonic visaged gentleman, evidently the other partner 1n the firm, was seated on the outermosti of ayrow of chairs, reading the advertisements in a morning paper. The store was a medium sized one, and Guy judged must cater principally to the wants of men employed in the butter and cheese houses in the vicinity. The instant he entered the establishment both men started towards him with asmiling ‘‘Good afternoon,’’ evidently under the impression that he was an intend- ing purchaser. ‘‘l came in response to that card in the window,’’ began Guy, addressing himself to the man with the aper. 258" yes,’? and there was a tinge of disappoint-, ment in the exclamation. ‘‘Vell, bave you had any ex- perience in shoes?’’ ‘*No,’? Guy was forced to admit, ‘‘but you don’t ex- pect me to make them, do you?”’ ‘‘No, no; ve vants a poy to wait on gustomers and keep things neat around the shop. Ve do now so pig a pizness that Mr. Feder and me can’t do it all alone mit ourselves, and the books, too. I been a lookin’ through de paper to see if anybody put a notice in for shoe stores, but I didn’t see any, so I shust hung out that card,”’ _‘*] think I could please you,’’ said Guy, eagerly. ‘*The shoes have the number and prices marked on tlie box, don’t they??’’ ‘*Yes, yes, that part’s easy. It’s the sellin’ we’re particular about; the talkin’ smooth an’ polite to de ladies what come in here. Now I tink you could do dat, by lookin’ at you.’’ The German laughed and Guy blushed. ‘*How much do you pay?’’ he asked. ‘‘Dree dollars a week; hours from seven toseven and Saturday nights to nine.”’ Guy almost gasped. The pay was small enough, but when he compared the hours with those he had been accustomed to at the restaurant it seemed as though he would be actually throwing bimself away at the price. COMmiclboookks.Gom