University of Virginia Library

17. CHAPTER XVII.
IN THE TAILOR'S POWER.

"Is that the bill you spoke of, Walton?'' asked the tailor, on Harry's next visit to the shop.

"Yes,'' said Harry, eagerly. "Where did you get it?''

"You can guess.''

"From Luke Harrison?''

"Yes; he paid me, last evening, fifteen dollars on account of his bill. This note was among those he paid me.''

"It is mine. I can swear to it.''

"The rest of the money was yours, no doubt. It is in ones and twos. Luke has been caught in a trap.''

"What shall I do, Mr. Merrill?''

"The money is yours, and I will restore it to you after seeing Luke. I will send for him to be here at seven o'clock this evening.''

"Suppose he denies giving you the bill?''

"I am prepared for that.''

As Luke was at work in his shop that day, the tailor's boy came in with a note.

"This is for you, Luke,'' he said.

Luke opened it, and read as follows:

"Will you call at my shop at seven this evening, about the pants you ordered? HENRY MERRILL.''

"Tell your father I'll come,'' said Luke.

"I suppose,'' he thought, "Merrill wants to consult me about something. I hope he'll hurry them up.''

At seven o'clock he entered the tailor's shop once more.

"Well, Merrill, what do you want to see me about?'' he asked.

"Luke,'' said Mr. Merrill, looking him steadily in the eye, "where did you get that money you paid me on account?''

"Where did I get the money?'' repeated Luke, flushing. "From the man I work for, to be sure.''

"Will you swear to that?''

"Can't you take my word?''

"I may as well tell you that Harry Walton recognizes one of the bills as part of the money he lost the other evening.''

"He does, does he?'' said Luke, boldly. "That's all nonsense. Bills all look alike.''

"This one has a drop of ink just in the center. He remembered having dropped a blot upon it one evening when he was writing a letter.''

"Do you mean to say I stole 'em?'' demanded Luke, angry, but also secretly frightened.

"It looks like it, unless you can explain how you came by the blotted bill.''

"I don't believe I paid you the bill. Very likely it was someone else.''

"I thought you would say that, so I called Coleman's attention to it as soon as you were gone. However, if your employer admits paying you the bills, of course you are all right.''

Luke remembered very well he was paid in fives, and that such an appeal would do him no good.

"Does Walton know this?'' he asked, sinking into a chair, and wiping the perspiration from his brow.

"Yes; he suspected you, and asked me to look out for a blotted two.''

"I'd like to choke him!'' said Luke, fiercely. "The miserly scoundrel!''

"It seems to me that he is quite justified in trying to recover his money. What have you done with the rest of it?''

"Tell me what will be done to me,'' said Luke, sullenly. "I only picked it up when he dropped it in the road.''

"Why didn't you tell him you found it?''

"I meant to give it to him after a while. I only wanted to keep it long enough to frighten him.''

"That was dangerous, particularly as you used it.''

"I mean to give him back other money. I was hard up, and so I used it for a short time.''

"I don't think that excuse will avail you in a court of justice.''

"Court of justice!'' repeated Luke, turning pale.

"He won't have me taken up, will he?''

"He will unless you arrange to restore all the money.''

"I've paid you part of it.''

"That I shall hand over to him. Have you the rest?''

"I've spent a few dollars. I've got eight dollars left.''

"You had better give it to me.''

Reluctantly, Luke drew out his pocketbook, and passed over the eight dollars to Mr. Merrill.

"So far, so good,'' said the tailor. "Now when will you pay the rest?''

"In a few weeks,'' said Luke.

"That won't do. How much do you earn a week?''

"Fifteen dollars.''

"How much do you pay for board?''

"Four dollars.''

"Then you will be able to pay eleven dollars at the end of this week.''

"I can't get along without money,'' said Luke, doggedly.

"You will have to till you pay back the money, unless you prefer appearing before a court of justice. I believe you owe me over thirty dollars. When are you going to pay it?''

There was a significance in his tone, which arrested Luke's attention.

"I'll pay you as soon as I can,'' he said. "I haven't got any money now.''

"You are fully able to pay for your clothes promptly, and I advise you to do it.''

"I'll pay you as soon as I can.''

"If you neglect to do it, I may as well tell you that

I shall let it be known that you stole Walton's pocketbook. The whole story would be told, and people might think as they pleased. But it is much better for you to avoid all this by paying your bills.''

Luke Harrison left the tailor's shop in a very unhappy and disgusted frame of mind. The prospect of paying his debts under compulsion was far from agreeable, and he cursed his folly in so soon making use of Harry Walton's money.

"If I had only had the sense to wait till it blew over,'' he said to himself, "I should have escaped all this. I didn't think Merrill would act so mean.''

That was his way of looking at it.

"Now I'm in for paying his infernal bill besides,'' he continued. "It's too bad.''

Just then he came upon Frank Heath, who hailed him.

"Luke, I was just looking for you. Come and play a game of billiards.''

"If you'll promise not to beat me. I haven't got a cent of money.''

"You haven't? What have you done with those bills you had this afternoon?''

"I've paid 'em over to Merrill,'' said Luke, hesitating. "He was in a deuced stew about his bill.''

"Don't you owe him any more? Have you paid all up?''

"Not quite.''

"When are your new pants going to be ready— those you told me about?''

"I don't know,'' said Luke, with a pang of disappointment.

"Merrill's making them, isn't he?''

"He agreed to; but now he says he won't, till I have paid the whole bill.''

"Seems to me your credit ain't very good, Luke.''

"It's good enough, but he's hard up for money. I guess he's going to fail. If you'll lend me a couple of dollars, I'll go around and have a game.''

Frank Heath laughed.

"You'll have to go to someone else, Luke,'' he said. "Perhaps you're going to fail, too.''

Luke passed a disagreeable evening, feeling that he was a victim of ill luck. It did not occur to him that the ill luck was of his own bringing on.