ething. Now he had taken notes
and cash to the amount of thirty-eight thousand dollars. I was no
longer troubled with any scruples about exposing him, and I felt that I
was hunting a villain.

I hastened with all speed to the house of Mr. Collingsby, and without
waiting for the slow formalities of the ceremonious servant, I rushed
up stairs to the chamber of the senior partner. I knocked, but I did
not wait for a summons before I entered.

"I am glad you have come, Mr. Philips," said Mr. Collingsby. "You are
entirely right. These invoices are fictitious. Mr. Faxon has been to
the office of the Michigan Pine Company, and no such goods have been
sold to our firm."

"I was pretty well satisfied on that point, sir; but the matter is
worse than that. Mr. Whippleton has just checked out the entire balance
in the bank, and taken away notes to the amount of thirty-two thousand
dollars," I replied.

"The villain!" ejaculated Mr. Collingsby.

CHAPTER XIV.

IN WHICH PHIL MEETS WITH A SERIOUS CATASTROPHE.

"You have done wrong, Mr. Philips!" said the senior partner, with
energy.

"I did the best I could, sir."

"No, you didn't. You ought to have spoken to me the moment you found
anything wrong about the books."

"I was not sure that anything was wrong, sir. Mr. Whippleton said they
were all right. When I found the invoices were missing, I spoke to him
about them, and in about two weeks he brought them from his rooms."

"But you knew that the lumber of these invoices was not entered on the
lumber book."

"Mr. Whippleton said he did not recognize the lumber book, and told me
not to say anything to Mr. Faxon about them," I pleaded. "He was my
employer, and I had to do what he ordered me to do."

"I'm your employer as much as he," protested the senior.

"That's very true, sir; but I never talked with you about the books or
the business. You hardly ever spoke to me, sir."

"What has that to do with it, Mr. Philips?" demanded he, sternly.

"I did not feel at liberty to speak to you about your partner. Besides,
sir, I hoped it would all come out right."

"You had no business to hope anything at all about it."

"I have done the best I knew how, sir. As you seem to be dissatisfied
with me, I don't wish to have anything more to do with the matter. I
told Mr. Whippleton I wanted to leave this morning. I am ready to go
now."

"Go! Do you want to leave me now, when everything is in confusion?"

"Yes, sir; I wa