Part 24 (1/2)
”No; your worthy landlady was not quite sure whether I was what I represented, and I left the parcel there. However I opened it in her presence so that she can testify what I found.”
”This is very strange,” said Rodney, looking at his accuser with puzzled eyes. ”I know nothing whatever of the cloak and can't imagine how it got into my room.”
”Perhaps it walked there,” said Mr. Goodnow satirically.
Rodney colored, for he understood that his employer did not believe him.
”May I go to my room,” he asked, ”and bring back the bundle with me?”
Observing that Mr. Goodnow hesitated he added, ”You can send Some one with me to see that I don't spirit away the parcel, and come back with it.”
”On these conditions you may go. Redwood, send some one with Ropes.”
Rodney followed the chief of his department back to the cloak room, and the latter, after a moments thought, summoned Jasper.
”Jasper,” he said, ”Ropes is going to his room to get a parcel which belongs to the store. You may go with him.”
There was a flash of satisfaction in Jasper's eyes as he answered with seeming indifference, ”All right! I will go. I shall be glad to have a walk.”
As the two boys pa.s.sed out of the store, Jasper asked, ”What does it mean, Ropes?”
”I don't know myself. I only know that there is said to be a parcel containing a cloak in my room. This cloak came from the store, and I am suspected of having stolen it.”
”Whew! that's a serious matter. Of course it is all a mistake?”
”Yes, it is all a mistake.”
”But how could it get to your room unless you carried it there?”
Rodney gave Jasper a sharp look.
”Some one must have taken it there,” he said.
”How on earth did Uncle James find out?”
”An anonymous letter was sent to Mr. Goodnow charging me with theft. Did you hear that articles have been missed for some time from the stock?”
”Never heard a word of it,” said Jasper with ready falsehood.
”It seems the articles are missing from our room, and some one in the room is suspected of being the thief.”
”Good gracious! I hope no one will suspect me,” said Jasper in pretended alarm.
”It seems I am suspected. I hope no other innocent person will have a like misfortune.”
Presently they reached Rodney's lodgings. Mrs. McCarty was coming up the bas.e.m.e.nt stairs as they entered.
”La, Mr. Ropes!” she said, ”what brings you here in the middle of the day?”
”I hear there is a parcel in my room.”