For Love or Gold? The Story of a Great Department Store — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

* oh A Plain Truth from Mr. ‘Watkins, Yh ae “He has Hideed, * said Mr. Watkins quickly, “but I dare. | Z - not report his actions; I have no proofs to offer. Hardy ~ would doubtless deny all that she could say of him, fora girl is helpless in the hands of a villain like Hardy.” 3 “T have found him a good detective,” said Mr. Forbes, ee slowly, “but if you knew who took the money why didn’ t ae you tell him?” “How could I, sir 3? Mr. Watkins had begun to tremble again. | “The knowledge of his sin is already killing my mother; — if it becomes public she will die. I was waiting for you ‘to come back to business.”’ - “Well, the boy must be punished!” said Mr. Forbes , decidedly. “IT cannot be accountable for what may fol- low.” “Do you mean.that you will arrest my brother?” cried © Mr. Watkins, “when you know that by doing so you will blast his character forever and drive a poor woman to her grave who has never wronged you 2” is “Phe boy should have thought of that,”’ answered Mr, Forbes, grimly. “I deal with my employees, not with their iutures or their mothers.’ Cay “But if I return the money! See, I have a part a its 4 here !”’ ( Mr. Watkins almost cried with agony as he held out two- hundred dollars. | Mr. Forbes took the money and counted it carefully. “Let’s see, Watkins, your salary is twelve dollars a | week,” he said slowly. “If I deduct five dollars a week to cover the balance of this, it will be just sixty welt before I could get my money.’ en “Tf I could only find the rest,” said Mr. Watkins, groan- we ing; “but Sam says he lost it, and I think he tells the truth. 4 If he hadn’t lost it he would have given it all to mother.” Mr. Forbes was’ drumming lightly on a table by his side. ~ was evident that two emotions were struggling within _ im. | “Here is the evening paper, sir,’ said a maid at the door. | Mr. Watkins moved automatically and handed it to his ty eeproret. GEomichbooks: co