Part 27 (1/2)
”I thought you would get it,” answered Rodney, not without a pang.
”Come into the store some day, Ropes. It will seem like old times.”
”I shall not enter the store till I am able to clear myself of the charge made against me.”
”Then probably you will stay away a long time.”
”I am afraid so.”
”Well, ta, ta! Come along, Philip.”
As Rodney followed with his eye the figure of his complacent successor he felt that his fate was indeed a hard one.
CHAPTER XV.
A RICH FIND.
As Jasper and his companion moved away, Carton said, ”I'm sorry for that poor duffer, Jasper.”
”Why should you be sorry?” asked Jasper, frowning.
”Because he has lost a good place and good prospects, and all for no fault of his own.”
”You are getting sentimental, Philip,” sneered Jasper.
”No, but I am showing a little humanity. He has lost all this through you----”
”Through us, you mean.”
”Well, through us. We have made him the scapegoat for our sins.”
”Oh well, he is making a living.”
”A pretty poor one. I don't think you would like to be reduced to selling papers.”
”His case and mine are different.”
”I begin to think also that we have made a mistake in getting him discharged so soon.”
”We can't take anything more.”
”Why not?”
”Because there will be no one to lay the blame upon. He is out of the store.”
”That is true. I didn't think of that. But I invited him to come around and call. If he should, and something else should be missing it would be laid to him.”
”I don't believe he will call. I am terribly hard up, and our source of income has failed us. Haven't you got a dollar or two to spare?”