"Anything new?" asked Jasper.
"Yes; we"ve got one of your old friends in our store."
"Who is it?"
"Rodney Ropes."
Jasper stopped short, and whistled. He was excessively surprised, as he supposed Rodney still to be Arthur Sargent"s tutor.
"You don"t mean it?" he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed.
"Why not? Is there anything so strange about it?"
"Yes. Did Ropes bring a recommendation from Mr. Goodnow?"
"I suppose so. I don"t know."
"If he did, it"s forged."
"Why should it be?"
"Goodnow wouldn"t give him a recommendation."
"Why wouldn"t he?"
"Because he discharged Ropes. Do you want to know why?"
"Yes."
"For stealing articles from the store."
It was the turn of James Hicks to be surprised.
"I can"t believe it," he said.
"Its true. Just mention the matter to Ropes, and you"ll see he won"t deny it."
"I think there must be some mistake about it. Rodney doesn"t look like a fellow that would steal."
"Oh, you can"t tell from appearances--Rogues are always plausible."
"Still mistakes are sometimes made. I"d trust Rodney Ropes sooner than any boy I know."
"You don"t know him as well as I do."
"You don"t like him?" said James shrewdly.
"No I don"t. I can"t like a thief."
"You talk as if you had a grudge against him."
"Nothing but his being a thief. Well, what are you going to do about it?"
"About what?"
"What I have just told you."
"I don"t feel that I have any call to do anything."
"You ought to tell your employer."
"I am no telltale," said James scornfully.
"Then you will let him stay in the store, knowing him to be a thief?"
"I don"t know him to be a thief. If he steals anything it will probably be found out."
Jasper urged James to give information about Rodney, but he steadily refused.
"I leave others to do such dirty work," he said, "and I don"t think any better of you, let me tell you, for your eagerness to turn the boy out of his position."
"You are a queer boy."
"Think so if you like," retorted Hicks. "I might give my opinion of you."
At this point Jasper thought it best to let the conversation drop. He was much pleased to learn that Rodney had lost his fine position as tutor, and was now in a place from which he might more easily be ousted.
As he could not prevail upon James Hicks to betray Rodney he decided to write an anonymous letter to the firm that employed him.
The result was that the next afternoon Rodney was summoned to the office.
"Sit down Ropes," said the superintendent. "For what store did you work before you came into our house?"
"Otis Goodnow"s."
"Under what circ.u.mstances did you leave?"
"I was accused of theft."
"You did not mention this matter when you applied for a situation here."
"No, sir. I ought perhaps to have done so, but I presumed in that case you would not have given me a place."
"You are right he would not."
"Nor would I have applied had the charge been a true one. Articles were certainly missing from Mr. Goodnow"s stock, but in accusing me they did me a great injustice."
"How long since you left Mr. Goodnow"s?"