Bound to Rise 11

Bound to Rise 11

"Yes, I do."

 

"Well," said Luke, yawning, "I wish I could help you; but I can't. Good

night."

 

"Good night," said Harry, turning away disappointed.

 

"What success, Harry?" inquired Mr. Leavitt, who had deferred going to

bed in order to hear his report.

 

"None at all," answered Harry.

 

"Is there anything by which you can identify any of the bills?"

 

"Yes," answered Harry, with sudden recollection, "I dropped a penful of

ink on one of the bills--a two-dollar note--just in the center. I had

been writing a letter, and the bill lay on the table near by."

 

"Good!" said Mr. Leavitt. "Now, supposing Luke has taken this money, how

is he likely to spend it?"

 

"At the tailor's, most likely. He is always talking about new clothes;

but lately he hasn't had any because Merrill shut down on him on account

of an unpaid bill."

 

"Then you had better see Merrill and ask him to take particular notice

of any bills that Luke pays him."

 

"Innocence must often be suspected, or guilt would never be detected. It

is the only way to get on the track of the missing bills."

 

Harry saw that this was reasonable and decided to call on Merrill the

next day.

 

"Do you think Luke took it?" asked the tailor.

 

"I don't know. I don't like to suspect him."

 

"I haven't much opinion of Luke. He owes me a considerable bill."

 

"He prefers your clothes to Hayden's, and if he has the money, he will

probably come here and spend some of it."

 

"Suppose he does, what do you want me to do?"

 

"To examine the bills he pays you, and if you find an ink spot on the

center of one let me know."

 

"I understand. I think I can manage it."

 

"My money was mostly in ones and twos."

 

"That may help you. I will bear it in mind."

 

Two days afterwards, Luke Harrison met Harry.

 

"Have you found your money, Walton?" he asked.

 

"No, and I am afraid I never shall," said our hero.

 

"What do you think has become of it?"

 

"That's just what I would like to find out," said Harry.

 

"The only thing you can do is to grin and bear it."

 

"And be more careful next time."

 

"Of course."

 

"He's given it up," said Luke to himself. "I think I can venture to use

some of it now. I'll go round to Merrill's and see what he's got in the

way of pants."

 

Accordingly he strolled into Merrill's that evening.

 

"Got any new cloths in, Merrill?" asked Luke.

 

"I've got some new cloths for pants."

 

"That's just what I want."

 

"You're owing me a bill."

 

"How much is it?"

 

"Some over thirty dollars."

 

"I can't pay it all, but I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll pay you

fifteen dollars on account, and you can make me a new pair of pants.

Will that answer?"

 

"All right. Of course I'd rather you'd pay the whole bill. Still I want

to be accommodating."

 

"Let me look at your cloths."

 

The tailor displayed a variety of cloths, one of which suited Luke's

fancy.

 

"Here's fifteen dollars," he said. "Just credit me with that on the

bill, will you?"

 

"All right," said Merrill.

 

He proceeded to count the money, which consisted of consisted of ones

and twos, and instantly came to the conclusion that it was from Harry's

missing pocketbook, particularly as he came upon the identical note with

the blot in the center.

 

Unaware of the manner in which he had betrayed himself, Luke felt quite

complacent over his reestablished credit, and that without any expense

to himself.

 

"Have you got any new cloth for coats?" he asked.

 

"I shall have some new cloths in next week."

 

"All right. When will you have the pants done?"

 

"You may call round in two or three days."

 

"Just make 'em in style, Merrill, and I'll send all my friends here."

 

"Very well. I hope you'll soon be able to pay me the balance of my

bill."

 

"Oh, yes, to be sure. You won't have to wait long."

 

He swaggered out of the shop, lighting a cigar.

 

"My young friend," soliloquized the tailor, watching his exit, "you have

walked into my trap neatly. Colman,"--turning to a young man present at

the time--"did you see Luke Harrison pay me this money?"

 

"Yes; to be sure."

 

"Do you see this blot on one of the bills--a two?"

 

"Yes; What of it?"

 

"Nothing. I only called your attention to it."

 

"I don't see what there is strange about that. Anybody might get ink on

a bill, mightn't he?"

 

"Of course."

 

Colman was puzzled. He could not understand why he should have been

called upon to notice such a trifle; but the tailor had his reasons. He

wanted to be able to prove by Colman's testimony that the blotted bill

was actually put into his hands by Luke Harrison.

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER XXI. IN THE TAILOR'S POWER

 

 

"Is that the bill you spoke of, Walton?" asked the tailor, on Harry's

next visit to the shop.

 

"Yes," said Harry, eagerly. "Where did you get it?"

 

"You can guess."

 

"From Luke Harrison?"

 

"Yes; he paid me, last evening, fifteen dollars on account. This note

was among those he paid me."

 

"It is mine. I can swear to it."

 

"The rest of the money was yours, no doubt."

 

"What shall I do, Mr. Merrill?"

 

"The money is yours, and I will restore it to you after seeing Luke. I

will send for him to be here at seven o'clock this evening."

 

As Luke was at work in his shop that day, the tailor's boy came in with

a note.

 

Luke opened it and read as follows:

 

 

"Will you call at my shop at seven this evening about the pants you

ordered?

 

"Henry Merrill."

 

 

"Tell your father I'll come," said Luke.

 

At seven o'clock he entered the tailor's shop once more.

 

"Well, Merrill, what do you want to see me about?" he asked. "Have you

cut the pants?"

 

"No."

 

"You haven't? I wanted you to go to work on them at once."

 

"I know; but it was necessary to see you first."

 

"Why--didn't you take the measure right?"

 

"Luke," said Mr. Merrill, looking him steadily in the eye, "where did

you get that money you paid me?"

 

"Where did I get the money?" repeated Luke, flushing up. "What makes you

ask me that question? Isn't it good money? 'Tisn't counterfeit, is it?"

 

"I asked you where you got it from?"

 

"From the man I work for, to be sure," said Luke.

 

"Will you swear to that?"

 

"I don't see the use. Can't you take my word?"

 

"I may as well tell you that Harry Walton recognizes one of the bills as

a part of the money he lost."

 

"He does, does he?" said Luke, boldly. "That's all nonsense. Bills all

look alike."

 

"This one has a drop of ink just in the center. He remembered having

dropped a blot upon it."

 

"What have I to do with that?"

 

"It is hardly necessary to explain. The evening he lost the money you

were with him. Two days after, you pay me one of the bills which he

lost," said the tailor.

 

"Do you mean to say I stole 'em?" demanded Luke.

 

"It looks like it, unless you can explain how you came by the blotted

bill."

 

"I don't believe I paid you the bill. Very likely it was some one else."

 

"I thought you would say that, so I called Colman's attention to it.

However, if your employer admits paying you the bills, of course you are

all right."

 

Luke remembered very well that he was paid in fives, and that such an

appeal would do him no good.

 

"Does Walton know this?" he asked, sinking into a chair, and wiping the

perspiration from his brow.

 

"Yes; he suspected you."

 

"I'd like to choke him!" said Luke, fiercely. "The miserly scoundrel!"

 

"It seems to me he is justified in trying to recover his money. What

have you done with the rest of it?"

 

"Tell me what will be done to me," said Luke, sullenly.

 

"I didn't steal it. I only picked it up when he dropped it. He deserves

to lose it, for being so careless."

 

"Why didn't you tell him you had found it?"

 

"I meant to give it to him after a while. I only wanted to keep it long

enough to frighten him."

 

"That was dangerous, particularly as you used it."

 

"I meant to give him back other money."

 

"I don't think that excuse will avail you in court."

 

"Court of justice!" repeated Luke, turning pale.

 

"He won't have me taken up--will he?"

 

"He will unless you arrange to restore all the money."

 

"I've paid you part of it."

 

"That I shall hand over to him. Have you the rest?"

 

"I've spent a few dollars. I've got eight dollars left."

 

"You had better give it to me."

 

Reluctantly, Luke drew out his pocketbook and passed the eight dollars

to Mr. Merrill.

 

"Now when will you pay the rest?"

 

"In a few weeks," said Luke.

 

"That won't do. How much do you earn a week?"

 

"Fifteen dollars."

 

"How much do you pay for board?"

 

"Four dollars."

 

"Then you will be able to pay eleven dollars at the end of this week."

 

"I can't get along without money," said Luke.

 

"You will have to till you pay back the money, unless you prefer

appearing before a court of justice."

 

Luke was just going out when the tailor called him back.

 

"I believe you owe me thirty dollars. When are you going to pay it?"

 

"I can't pay it yet a while," said Luke.

 

"I think you had better," said the tailor quietly.

 

"I'll pay you as soon as I can."

 

"You make eleven dollars a week over and above your board and spend it

on drink, billiards and fast horses. You are fully able to pay for your

clothes promptly and I advise you to do it."

 

"I'll pay you as soon as I can."

 

"If you neglect to do it, I may as well tell you that I shall let it be

known that you stole Walton's pocketbook."

 

An __EXPRESSION__ of alarm overspread Luke's face, and he hastily made the

required promise. But he added, "I didn't steal it. I only found it."

 

"The whole story would be told, and people might think as they pleased.

But it is much better for you to avoid all this by paying your bills."

 

Luke Harrison left the tailor's shop in a very unhappy and disgusted

frame of mind.

 

"If I had the sense to wait till it blew over," he said to himself, "I

should have escaped all this: I didn't think Merrill would act so mean.

Now I'm in for paying his infernal bill besides. It's too bad."

 

Just then he came upon Frank Heath, who hailed him.

 

"Luke, come and play a game of billiards."

 

"If you'll promise not to beat me. I haven't got a cent of money."

 

"You haven't? What have you done with those bills you had this

afternoon?"

 

"I've paid 'em over to Merrill," said Luke, hesitating.

 

"He was in a deuced stew about his bill."

 

"When are your pants going to be ready?"

 

"I don't know," said Luke, with a pang of sorrow.

 

"Merrill's making them, isn't he?"

 

"He says he won't till I pay the whole bill."

 

"Seems to me your credit ain't very good, Luke."

 

"It's good enough, be he's hard up for money. I guess he's going to

fail. If you'll lend me a couple of dollars, I'll go around and have a

game."

 

Frank Heath laughed.

 

"You'll have to go to some one else, Luke," he said.

 

Luke passed a disagreeable evening. Cut off by his want of money from

his ordinary amusements, and depressed by the thought that things would

be no better till he had paid his bills, he lounged about, feeling that

he was a victim of ill luck. It did not occur to him that that ill luck

was of his own bringing.

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER XXII. THE COMING OF THE MAGICIAN

 

 

The week passed and Luke carefully avoided our hero going so far as to

cross the street so as not to meet him. On Saturday evening, according

to his arrangement, Luke was to have paid the surplus of his wages,

after meeting his board bill, to Mr. Merrill, for Harry.

 

But he did not go near him. On Monday, the tailor meeting him, inquired

why he had not kept his agreement.

 

"The fact is," said Luke, "I have been unlucky."

 

"How unlucky?"

 

"I had my wages loose in my pocket, and managed to lose them somehow."

 

"That is very singular," said the tailor, suspiciously.

 

"Why is it singular?" asked Luke. "Didn't Harry Walton lose his money?"

 

"You seem to have lost yours at a very convenient time."

 

"It's hard on me," said Luke. "Owing so much, I want to pay as quick as

I can, so as to have my wages to myself. Don't you see that?"

 

"Where do you think you lost the money?"

 

"I'm sure I don't know," said Luke.

 

"Well," said Merrill, dryly, "I hope you will take better care of your

wages next Saturday evening."

 

"I mean to. I can't afford to lose anymore."

 

"I don't believe, a word of what he says about losing his money," said

the tailor, privately, to Harry. "I think it's only a trick to get rid of paying you."