u now, father," said Paul, "since I have
succeeded."

Walking down the store together, they came to the private office.

As the old book-keeper saw them he started up, and made as if to leave
the office.

"Keep your seat, Major," cried Mr. Wheatcroft, sternly, but not
unkindly. "Keep your seat, please."

Then he turned to Mr. Whittier. "I have something to tell you both,"
he said, "and I want the Major here while I tell you. Paul, may I
trouble you to see that the door is closed so that we are out of
hearing?"

"Certainly," Paul responded, as he closed the door.

"Well, Wheatcroft," Mr. Whittier said, "what is all this mystery of
yours now?"

The junior partner swung around in his chair and faced Mr. Whittier.

"My mystery?" he cried. "It's the mystery that puzzled us all, and I've
solved it."

"What do you mean?" asked the senior partner.

"What I mean is, that somebody has been opening that safe there in the
corner, and reading our private letter-book, and finding out what we
were bidding on important contracts. What I mean is, that this man has
taken this information, filched from us, and sold it to our
competitors, who were not too scrupulous to buy stolen goods!"

"We all suspected this, as you know," the elder Whittier said; "have
you anything new to add to it now?"

"Haven't I?" returned Mr. Wheatcroft. "I've found the man! That's all!"

"You, too?" ejaculated Paul.

"Who is he?" asked the senior partner.

"Wait a minute," Mr. Wheatcroft begged. "Don't be in a hurry and I'll
tell you. Yesterday afternoon, I don't know what possessed me, but I
felt drawn down-town for some reason. I wanted to see if anything was
going on down here. I knew we had made that bid Saturday, and I
wondered if anybody would try to get it on Sunday. So I came down about
four o'clock, and I saw a man sneak out of the front door of this
office. I followed him as swiftly as I could and as quietly, for I
didn't want to give the alarm until I knew more. The man did not see me
as he turned to go up the steps of the elevated railroad station. At
the corner I saw his face."

"Did you recognize him?" asked Mr. Whittier.

"Yes," was the answer. "And he did not see me. There were tears rolling
down his cheeks, perhaps that's the reason. This morning I called him
in here, and he has finally confessed the whole thing."

"Who--who is it?" asked Mr. Whittier, dreading to look at the old
book-keeper, who had been in the employ of