CHAPTER XLI.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 194, 12 March 1887, Page 6 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XLI.

THE DIRECTORS ARE AMAZED. " I shall go straight through this alley to the Rue Castiglione," Louis said to Margaret, ac they stepped into the narrow street, " the distance is not great and we shall not attract attention this way. I can get a carriage for you there and send you comfortably home." " Louip, I shall gc to the office with you — you may need my testimony, you know." 41 I hope that the company will accept my explanation of the affair without adopting any legal proceeding, for I dislike, exceedingly, the thought of dragging you before the public." Margaret glanced up at him. His face was very pale ana wore an anxious expression. *' I shall go with you," she repeated decidedly, and he made no further objection. They walked on silently and swiftly, both feeling a desire to get the precious contents of that basket into a place of safety as soon as possible. They reached the end of the alley, turned the corner to the left, and were at the door of the office, The outer door was open and the young couple entered. Louis hesitated a moment ac his hand touched the knob upon the inner door, and Margaret could see that he was greatly agitated. But it was only for an instant — the next he had entered that familiar room, followed by his faithful betrothed. There was no one in this outer office ; the clerk had evidently just gone out, and for a few moments only, as his desk was littered with papers and letters. Louis passed with a rapid step across the room to the inner office, where the cashier was sitting before his desk busily engaged in making up some accounts. He glanced up with an impatient ait, ac Louis entered, as if annoyed at the interruption. But instantly a look of astonishment spread over his face. It grew to one of horror, as if he almost believed himself confronted by a disembodied spirit. His pen dropped from his nerveless fingers, and he staggered weakly to his feet. " Mon Dieu! Dunbar!" he cried, in a hollow voice. " Yes, it is Dunbar, and not his ghost as I ccc you are half inclined to believe/ Louis said, putting down his basket, and holding out his shaking hands to hie old comrade. The man took it mechanically, but still regarded him with a sort of dazed air. " We— I — thought you must be— dead)" he stammered, at last. "Then you did not believe that I had absconded with tho company's money ?" Louis questioned. "Dunbar — if it is indeed you, as I am half inclined to doubt," began the man, shaking himeelf,a3 if to arouse his benumbed faculties — " I knew you were as true as steel. / never believed for a moment that you played any trick upon us." " Then others believed it, if you did not ?" quickly returned Louis, with a pained quiver in his voice as he noticed the emphasis upon the pronoun. "Well," he answered, flushing, "of course people will surmise all sorts of things when a man disappears as you did and a lot of money with him ; but I knew you too well to believe anything of the kind. I was confident that there had been ioul play in the matter." '•Thanks. There has been foul play," Louis answered, deeply hurt that the company, or any member of it, should havo doubted hia integrity. " Well, I never was more glad to greet anyone," said the cashier, heartily skaking the hand he still held. "But come, tell me how it was — give an account of your ad venture, for adventure I am sure you musb have had. Ah ! pardon," he continued as he caught sight of Margaret, who had remained Btanding in tho background. " MiB9 Houghton, Monsieur Froque," Louis said, presenting Margaret to him. They ealuted each other in mutual recognition, and then the polite Frenchman sprang to get a chair for the young lady, after which he again turned eagerly to Louis tor an explanation of hia startling appeai'ance. " 1 must not tell you anything 1 -— I cannot rest," Louis eaid, as he uncovered his basket and removed tho little tin trunk from it, " until this money has been counted and safely lodged in tho bank." "The money] the money!" almost shrieked the excited cashier. " Have you brought the money back also ? Where did you get it ? Ah ! how — " j He could not go on. A hundred thoughts flashed with lightning rapidity through his mind at this startling intelligence ; and, for the first time since Louis's strange disappearance, something like a doubt of his integrity dis- 1 turbed him. Louis saw it. He wag as keenly sensitive as a woman to feel this distrust, and involuntarily his lip curled. 11 If I had been diehonost enough to imn away with it, it is not likely that I should bring it back myself, even if I had repented of the deed. But come," Louis added, with nervous impatience, " lock that door, pull down the shades The money must be counted. I must know how much is missing." He himself strode to the door and locked it, while the excited cashier drew the shades before ',the windows and the halfglaes partitions that separated the inner from the outer offices. Louis then put his precious burden upon the desk, threw back the lid and revealed the treasure within. Monsieur Froque grew white as death as he looked upon it, " Ah, this is wonderful, wonderful !" he 1 murmered. "Count," Louis commanded, while he lifted the crisp notes out for hijaeelf and pushed the gold coins toward the cashier. For a long time there was not a sound heard in that room save, the rattling of paper and the musical chink of gold. People came into the outer- room, tried the door leading into the inner office, and finding it locked, wondered what private business was being transacts, within. But no attention was paid to them, and they were obliged' to wait, or go about other affairs, as they, saw fit. , 1 KThe bills are ; all here?" Louis at last paid, as he laid the last package down ; " the villain evidently did not dare to pass them, fearing their numbers had been

taken and he would thus be detected. Howdoes the coin come out ?" The cashier had not finished his counting' and did not answer ; he simply pushed a heap of the gold toward Louis, motioning him to assist him in his work, and another silence of ten or fifteen minutes ensued. At last it was finished. " How much is missing 1" Louis asked, with dry lips and a husky voice, when Monsieur Froque had footed up the different , amounts. " Less than a thousand francs." " Thank heaven ! That amount can , easily be replaced, and the interest of the whole be added to it," responded Louis, fervently. j " Yes, yes. But cow tell me about it— l - 1 am boiling over with curioeity," urged thecashier. " Not yet. We must send this money to the bank ; it must never remain in this office another night. After that there will be time enough for my story," Louis replied while he hastily returned it to the tin box. "I will take it myself," said Monsieur Froque, after a moment spent in thought. He put on bis overcoat, donned his hat, and taking up the box left the room. In the outer office he stopped to confer a moment with the clerk, who had returned soon after Louia had entered, and who was afi much astonished to learn of his presence as the cashier had been by his sudden appearance; while, judging from tho glances of suspicion directed toward the inner office, and the strict watch kept upon its door while M. Froque was away, he had not the utmost confidence in the man who had been so long and strangely absent. At the same time messages went thrilling along the wires, summoning the directors and other members of the company for an immediate investigation of the matter. Louis knew very well, as soon as the door closed after the cashier, that he was to be held a prisoner in that room until an examination of his statements had been held. But this did not disturb him ; he had ex. pected it, and was as anxious as anyone could be tD have the mystery explained, and his own position and honour re-es-tabliehed. " How long he IB !" Margarat remarked, uneasily, when a half-hour bad elapsed and M. Froque did not return. " yesv es ; it will take some time to depoait the money, for of course it will have to be counted again at the bank." At last there came the sound of many footsteps in the room without. The door was then thrown open, and M. froque, accompanied by four other gentlemen, made his appearance. Louie arose to receive them, and was greeted with profuse expressions of delight over the fact of his safe return and the restoration of the money. The cashier explained that he had immediately telephoned for the gentlemen upon leaving tor the bank, thinking that time would thus be saved if a number of the directors ceuld hear his story at the same time. This would have given Louis no uneasines3, neither would he have suspected the motives of M. Froque, it his quick glance had not caught sight of an armed policeman in the other rcom aa the gentleman entered. He knew that the cashier had some misgivings still, nnd had determined to secure his arreat if his story should not prove satisfactory in all points. But he related all that had occurred upon , the night of his disappearance, and described the subsequent events. At first the directors were inclined to doubt his story ; but as it progressed, all suspicions of its veracity disappeared. Long before Louis had finiehed, they began to realise how unjust they had been to the man who had suffered so much. As Louis finished hiß narrative, one of the directors Btepped forward and grafped him cordially by the hand. " If there has been a doubt in any of our minds, it has vanished. JSTow about the bird you have captured ; may v.-q dofain you here still longer hilo we eerid an officer after him, and learn -what he has to say for himself ?" " Certainly j it is my wish that this Affair be Fettled aa soon aa possible. But may I aek as a personal favour that you will deal • len'ontly with him?" The gentleman regarded Louis with astonishment as he made thia r< quest. " I will gladly raako up (he amount that has been taken," Louis continued, "also the interest on the whole for the time that ifc has been lying idle ; and -if it could be possible to persuade you not to arraign him for public trial— if we could cettle thia privately " "This is certainly a most eingular request," interrupted ono of his Hearers, sternly. "The man has been guilty of a twofold crime. One would fuppoie, from what you have eufifered at his hand?, that you would deem the severest sentence that could be pronounced upon him insufficient to atoue for your iniuries." "He is one oF oiy own countrymen," urged Louis. "We weie ecbool-mates in our youth, and the peculiar chcumstancea under which he has recently laboured may have made tha temptation greater than it would otherwise have been, He has always been accustomed to every luxury, but recently has lost both parents, and with them a large fortune, which all his life he has expectod would be his upon their death. He found himself in a strango country, without even money enough to return to his native land, except what was given to him by a friend ; so you perceive he was sorely tempted." The directors consulted together for a few moments, and grew cotmdei ably excited while discussing the matter. They did not appear to be in favour of granting the request, even if it was in their power to do so, which some of them doubted. " We cannot decide that question now, Mr Dunbar," one at length remarked ; " but," with aproile, " there ia another upon which we are all agreed— the large reward offered for the recovery of the money and the apprehension of the thief is yours." Louie flashed deepest crimson. He had said he would not touch so much as a sou of the promised reward, and he had not intended to do so. But, after thinking deeply for a moment, he looked up with a smile, saying : "Gentlemen, to show you how much in earnest I am regarding this matter, if you will grant my request and bush this affair as much as possible, allowing my countryman to go free—he is young, and upon this act may depend his salvation— l will cheerfully resign all claim to the reward." " But he may do the same thing again to someoce else." " No, no !" f aid Louis. "We will exact a pledge from him that he will heed thQ lesson and strive to become an honourable man. Ido not believe he will ever become a thief again." " You are more fit to be an abbe than a business man, Monsieur Dunbar ; but we cannot promise," And Louis was obliged to let the matter rest for tho present. . The policeman that he had seen outside was despatched with one of the clerks to conduct Arthur to the office, and, after consulting with Margaret a, moment, louia asked permission to send a message to Mr Houghton requesting his presence also. This being granted, the party fell into social converse while waiting for the appearance of Arthur.