Have you ever thought about what fiction is? Probably, such a question may seem surprising: and so everything is clear. Every person throughout his life has to repeatedly create the works he needs for specific purposes - statements, autobiographies, dictations - using not gypsum or clay, not musical notes, not paints, but just a word. At the same time, almost every person will be very surprised if he is told that he thereby created a work of fiction, which is very different from visual art, music and sculpture making. However, everyone understands that a student's essay or dictation is fundamentally different from novels, short stories, news that are created by professional writers. In the works of professionals there is the most important difference - excogitation. But, oddly enough, in a school literature course, you don’t realize the full power of fiction. So using our website in your free time discover fiction for yourself. Helping Himself; Or, Grant Thornton's Ambition by Jr. Horatio Alger (e books free to read .txt) 📖
- Author: Jr. Horatio Alger
Book online «Helping Himself; Or, Grant Thornton's Ambition by Jr. Horatio Alger (e books free to read .txt) 📖». Author Jr. Horatio Alger
When Grant entered the office, and with his usual manner asked Ford if he should go to the post-office, the young man eyed him curiously.
“Are you to remain in the office?” he said.
“Yes, I suppose so.”
“After what you have done?”
“What have I done, Mr. Ford?” asked Grant, eyeing the young man, steadily.
“I don't think you need to have me tell you,” he said, with a sneer. “I don't think Mr. Reynolds is very prudent to employ a boy convicted of dishonesty.”
“Do you believe me guilty, Mr. Ford?” asked our hero, calmly.
“The evidence against you is overwhelming. My mother ought to have you arrested.”
“The person who stole the bonds may be arrested.”
“What do you mean?” asked Willis Ford, flushing, and looking disconcerted.
“I mean that I have no concern in the matter. Shall I go to the post-office?”
“Yes,” snapped Ford, “and take care you don't steal any of the letters.”
Grant did not reply. He knew that his vindication was certain, and he was willing to wait.
If Willis Ford had been prudent he would have dropped the matter there, but his hatred of Grant was too great to be easily concealed. When a few minutes later the broker entered the office and inquired, “Where is Grant?” Ford, after answering, “he has gone to the post-office,” could not help saying, “Are you going to keep that boy, Mr. Reynolds?”
“Why should I not?” the broker replied.
“I thought a boy in his position ought to be honest.”
“I agree with you, Mr. Ford,” said the broker, quietly.
“After taking my mother's bonds, that can hardly be said of Grant Thornton.”
“You seem to be sure he did take them, Mr. Ford.”
“The discovery of the key settled that to my mind.”
“Grant says he has no knowledge of the key.”
Ford laughed scornfully.
“Of course he would say so,” he replied.
“I propose to investigate the matter further,” said the broker. “Can you make it convenient to call at my house this evening? Possibly something may be discovered by that time.”
“Yes, sir; I will come, with pleasure. I have no feeling in regard to the boy, except that I don't think it safe to employ him in a business like yours.”
“I agree with you, Mr. Ford. One who is capable of stealing bonds from a private house is unfit to be employed in an office like mine.”
“Yet you retain the boy, sir?”
“For the present. It is not fair to assume that he is guilty till we have demonstrated it beyond a doubt.”
“I think there will be no difficulty about that, Mr. Reynolds,” said Willis Ford, well pleased at these words.
“I sincerely hope that his innocence may be proved.”
Soon afterward Mr. Reynolds went to the Stock Exchange, and Willis Ford returned to his routine duties.
“With the testimony of Jim Morrison I shall be able to fix you, my young friend,” he said to himself, as Grant returned from the post-office.
No further allusion was made to the matter during the day. Grant and Willis Ford were both looking forward to the evening, but for different reasons. Grant expected to be vindicated, while Ford hoped he could convince the broker of the boy's guilt.
CHAPTER XXI — THE THIEF IS DISCOVERED
Willis Ford ascended the steps of the broker's residence with a jaunty step. The servant admitted him, but he met Grant in the hall.
“Won't you come upstairs, Mr. Ford?” he said.
Willis Ford nodded superciliously.
“Your stay in the house will be short, young man,” he thought. “You had better make the most of it.”
He was ushered not into the housekeeper's room, but into a sitting-room on the second floor. He found Mr. Reynolds and his stepmother there already. Both greeted him, the broker gravely, but his stepmother cordially. Grant did not come in.
“I have come as you requested, Mr. Reynolds,” he said. “I suppose it's about the bonds. May I ask if you have discovered anything new?”
“I think I have,” answered the broker, slowly.
The housekeeper looked surprised. If anything new had been discovered, she at least had not heard it.
“May I ask what it is?” Ford inquired, carelessly.
“You shall know in good time. Let me, however, return the question. Have you heard anything calculated to throw light on the mystery?”
“No, sir, I can't say I have. To my mind there is no mystery at all about the affair.”
“I presume I understand what you mean. Still I will ask you to explain yourself.”
“Everything seems to throw suspicion upon that boy, Grant Thornton. Nobody saw him take the bonds, to be sure, but he has had every opportunity of doing so, living in the same house, as he does. Again, a key has been found in his pocket, which will open the bureau drawer in which the bonds were kept; and, thirdly, I can testify, and the boy admits, that he presented them at our office for sale, and received the money for them. I think, sir, that any jury would consider this accumulation of proof conclusive.”
“It does seem rather strong,” said the broker, gravely. “I compliment you on the way you have summed up, Mr. Ford.”
Willis Ford looked much gratified. He was susceptible to flattery, and he was additionally pleased, because, as he thought, Mr. Reynolds was impressed by the weight of evidence.
“I have sometimes thought,” he said, complacently, “that I ought to have become a lawyer. I always had a liking for the profession.”
“Still,” said the broker, deliberately, “we ought to consider Grant's explanation of the matter. He says that the bonds were intrusted to him for sale by a third party.”
“Of
Comments (0)