The Argosy, Vol. XI No. 19 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

THE ARGOSY ‘* You have never yourself seen the boy drunk, or coming out of a gambling house ?’ No” ‘+ Phen all the testimony to that effect Is that of the man Benton ?” “Yes.” ** May not Benton have an object in slandering the boy ?”’ ‘* He seemed very reluctant to say anything against him.” ‘That may be all artfulness, and to divert suspicion from himself." ** You surely don’t think 4e would rob me ?”’ “Why not 2” ** He has been in my employ for a year.” ‘* Then he ought by this time to have a pood deal of money saved up —that is, if his habits are good.” ‘<1 am sure he has not.” ‘“* What evidence have you on the subject ?” ‘At one time, three months since, I thought of selling out the res- taurant, and asked Benton if he didn’t want to buy it.” ‘* Well, what did he say ?” ‘ That he hadn’t got fifty dollars in the world.” ‘* How much do you pay him ?” ‘* Five dohars a day and his board.” ““Whew ! and he spends all that?” ** He seems to.” ‘* Look here, Smithson, you are on the wrong tack. /7/e is the thief, and not the boy.” ‘* Tcan't believe it.” ‘ Leave the matter in my hands, and I will prove it to you.”’ “How 2?” “} shall follow Benton in the evening, and see how he spends his time and money. But you must be careful not to let him know that he is suspected. I[f anything is said of the disappearance of money, tell him that you attribute it to decrease in trade.” ‘Allright; I will do as you suggest.” ** He doesn’t know me, and will notimagine that Iam watching him.” Two days iater Albert Benton, a little anxious to know whether he had himself eluded suspicion, asked his employer: ‘* Have you found out anything about the lost money ?” ‘Tl am not sure that any has been lost,” answered Smithson care- lessly. ‘ Have you watched the boy ?" ‘© Yes, but he doesn’t look to me like a thief. that we are doing less business.” ‘Yes, sir; that's very likely,” responded Benton, glad that his em- ployer was disposed to regard the matter from this point of view, “7 don’t like to think that any one in my employ would rob me.” ‘Very true, sir. It would be a great shame.” “Tes all right!” thought Benton complacently. ‘‘It is better so. I don’t care to have the boy discharged. Some one might succeed him whom I couldn't hoodwink so easily.” It may be, after all, CHAPTER X X. BENTON IS TRAPPED. tured to take two five dollar bills from the till before he went out in the evening. Currency was at that time mixed, and bills, as well as gold and silver, were in circulation, He left the restaurant at the usual time. It so happened that Grant had something to do and did not go out with him. Benton therefore went at once to the gambling house which he was in the habit of fre- guenting. ‘I'm getting tired of being cooped up in the restaurant day after day,” he said impatiently. ‘* Why can’t I make a strike? If T could scoop in four hundred dollars tonight I would leave Sacramento and go tothe mines. Then I might strike it rich and carry home ten thousand dollars, as Grant’s friend did.” Grant had told him the story of John Heywood’s good fortune, and it had impressed him. ‘If a clodhopper like that can make a fortune, why shouldn't I?” he asked himself. So his purpose to go to the mines and try his luck was strength- ened. If he had begun six months before to save money he would have had enough to start before this, but Albert Benton was one of those who despised small and steady savings, and are always on the lookout to ‘‘ make a strike," as he termed it. J UDGING that his employer's suspicions were allayed, Benton ven- 303 ‘« That boy won’t spy on me tonight’” he said to himself. ‘'I must be careful. Ifthe old man knew where I spent my evenings he would smella rat. J wonder how much I've taken from the drawer in the last three months. Fully as much as my wages, I expect. Well, he can stand it. He’s making plenty of money, anyhow.” It wasin this way that he excused his thefts. Yet he felt that he would like to leave the restaurant and put himself in the way of making that fortune for which he yearned. Though Grant was not out in the street to see where he went, there was another who guietly noticed his movements and followed his steps. This was John Vincent, the ex-dctective. From the first he had sus- pected Benton and doubted Grants guilt. He was a man skilled in physiognomy, and he had studied Benton’s face and formed a pretty accurate estimation of his real character. “Tf Benton hasn't robbed my friend Smithson's till, then I lose my guess,” he said to himself. He did not, however, say much of his suspicions te to the keeper of the restaurant, who, he saw, was disposed to consider Grant the guilty party. He waited till he had some evidence to offer in confirmation of his theory. When Benton entered the gambling house Vincent followed close behind him. Benton saw him, but did not know that he was a special friend of Mr. Smithson. Vincent placed himself at a neighboring table in such a position that he could watch Benton, Hesaw him take out one of the bills which he had abstracted from the till, and stake it. “What do you put down paper for?” asked a man beside him. ‘* Gold is better.” ‘* Bills are just as good,” said Renton. **T will give you rold for bills,” said Vincent. money tothe East.’ ‘Allright, and thank you,” said Benton. ‘* Here are two fives.” ‘¢ And here are two gold pieces," said Vincent. There was a secret look of elation on his face as he received the bills, and furtively noticed a red cross on the back of each. They had been secretly marked by himself as atrap to catch the thief, whoever he might be. ‘*Now IT have you, my man,” he thought. have been looking for. ‘‘T want to send some ‘This is the evidence I It settles the question of Benton’s guilt and _Grant’s innocence.” Vincent played two or three times for slight stakes, and rose from the table after a while neither a loser nor a winner. He did not go immediately, but stayed, like many others, simply as a looker on. ‘Won't you join us ?” asked Benton. ‘No; I must goaway soon. [want to write a letter. in for a few minutes.” Albert Benton played with unusual good fortune. He had been in the habit of bewatling his poor luck, but tonight the fates seemed to favor him. The little pile of gold before him gradually increased, untill he had four hundred and seventy five dollars. ‘“ Twenty five dollars more and then I will stop,” he said. ‘* To- morrow I will give notice to Smithson and get ready to leave Sacra- mento,” Rut instead of winning the sum desired, he began to lose. He lost twenty five dollars, and in desperation he staked fifty. Should he win he would still have five hundred dollars, and then he would leave off. Upon that he was quite determined, But again he lost. He bit hi- lips, his face flushed, his hands trembled, and there was a gleam of exs citement in his eye. He had no thought of leaving off now. It must be five hundred dollars or nothing ! There is no need to follow him through his mutations of luck. At the end of an hour he rose from the table without a dollar. He had enough, however, to buy a glass of whisky, which he gulped down, and then staggered out of the gambling house. . ‘*T was so near, and yet I lost !"° he said to himself bitterly, ‘* Why didn’t I keep the four hundred and seventy five dollars when I had it, and get the other from the restaurant ? I have been a fool—a besotted fool 1" He pulled down his hat over his eyes and bent his steps homeward, where he tossed all night, unable to sleep. But in the morning his courage returned. ‘‘ After all,” be reflected, ‘‘I am only ten dollars worse off than when I entered the gambling house, and that was money I took from Smithson. I’ve had a pretty good lesson. The next time fortune I only dropped COMMUC DOOKS.CO