Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

164 THE ARGOSY. the place where he found it,” said Kin- ney, with a pale face. “No doubt about it,” cried the su- perintendent’s clerk. ‘“‘ Oh, why didn’t [I examine the safe last evening, after you told me about Dykeman being at it. We'll have to tell the old man now, sure, and that pretty quick, for Dyke- man may have skipped. Have you seen Mr. Layard? He was to have come in on No. 5 at six o’clock this morning.” Before Kinney could answer, the door was opened, and a gentleman with gray hair, but a young looking face, entered. It was the division superin- ’ tendent, Layard, and the expression on the faces of his clerk and his assistant told him something unusual had hap- pened. “What is the matter, Forsdyke?”’ he asked, glancing from one to the other. “We have just found the safe open, and four thousand dollars of that money gone, sir,” replied Forsdyke, in a trembling voice which was not as- sumed. “ How did that happen? Have you ’ any idea who did it?”’ “Yes, sir; we have no doubt in the world but that it was Dykeman.” “ You speak positively. Surely there must be some mistake. I would sooner believe anybody else on the road was a thief than he,” said the division su- perintendent, who was familiar with Dash’s record on the road, and had taken quite a fancy to the young rail- roader. “I know it is a disagreeable thing to believe, Mr. Layard,” answered Forsdyke, with assumed regret, “ but when you hear what Kinney has to say, you will understand why I am so positive.” He thereupon told how he had left Dykeman in his office, making no men- tion, of course, of how he had got the agent to work on the safe, and then Kinney added in detail what he had observed immediately after. Forsdyke concluded by telling how they had ar- ranged to catch Dykeman in the act, and about the discovery of the safe being open a few minutes before. “You should have told me of this without doing anything of the kind,” cried the superintendent, in stern, re- proving tones; “ but it has got to be looked into, and at once. Send for Dykeman.” Meanwhile, as soon as Dykeman had finished his breakfast, he hastened to the station, intent only on getting Forsdyke and Kinney together, and making the former tell that he had given him the key and combination to the safe, and asked him to try to open it. He was very much worried about the affair, and had hardly slept all night. He entered the superintendent’s office just as Kinney was starting out to find him. Dykeman was about to greet the su- perifendent pleasantly, when he no- ticed the official’s grave looks, and the significant glances of the others, and he knew there was something wrong. He . then looked from one to the other in silence. ‘“ Dykeman,” began the superintend- ent, closing and locking the door, no doubt to avoid interruption from with- out, “I am very much pained to an- nounce that the express company’s safe has been robbed of four thousand dol- lars, and the evidence is that you know something about it.” Though Dykeman had been fearful of the result of his foolish act of tam- pering with the safe, this announce- ment came as a bombshell. He stood for a moment as if paralyzed, various emotions, astonishment, bewilderment, grief, and finally indignation, following each other quickly over his features, but there were no signs of guilt. “ You will have to submit to your- self and your room and office being searched,” concluded the superintend- ent. These last words stung Dash to the intense reality of his horrible and hu- ecomicooolKs eo