“Is anything the matter with you, Mr. Gibbon?  Are you as well as usual?” asked Mr. Jennings one morning.  The little man was always considerate, and he had noticed the flurried and nervous manner of his bookkeeper.

“No, sir; what makes you ask?” said Gibbon, apologetically.

“Perhaps you need a vacation,” suggested Mr. Jennings.

“Oh, no, I think not.  Besides, I couldn’t be spared.”

“I would keep the books myself for a week to favor you.”

“You are very kind, but I won’t trouble you just yet.  A little later on, if I feel more uncomfortable, I will avail myself of your kindness.”

“Do so.  I know that bookkeeping is a strain upon the mind, more so than physical labor.”

There were special reasons why Mr. Gibbon did not dare to accept the vacation tendered him by his employer.  He knew that Phil Stark would be furious, for it would interfere with his designs.  He could not afford to offend this man, who held in his possession a secret affecting his reputation and good name.

The presence of a stranger in a small town always attracts public attention, and many were curious about the rakish-looking man who had now for some time occupied a room at the hotel.

Among others, Carl had several times seen him walking with Leonard Craig

“Leonard,” he asked one day, “who is the gentleman I see you so often walking with?”

“It’s a man that’s boarding at the hotel.  I play billiards with him sometimes.”

“He seems to like Milford.”

“I don’t know.  He’s over at our house every evening.”

“Is he?” asked Carl, surprised.

“Yes; he’s an old acquaintance of Uncle Julius.  I don’t know where they met each other, for he won’t tell.  He said he and uncle might go into business together some time.  Between you and me, I think uncle would like to get rid of him.  I know he doesn’t like him.”

This set Carl to thinking, but something occurred soon afterwards that impressed him still more.

Occasionally a customer of the house visited Milford, wishing to give a special order for some particular line of goods.  About this time a Mr. Thorndike, from Chicago, came to Milford on this errand, and put up at the hotel.  He had called at the factory during the day, and had some conversation with Mr. Jennings.  After supper a doubt entered the mind of the manufacturer in regard to one point, and he said to Carl:  “Carl, are you engaged this evening?”

“No, sir.”

“Will you carry a note for me to the hotel?”

“Certainly, sir; I shall be glad to do so.”

“Mr. Thorndike leaves in the morning, and I am not quite clear as to one of the specifications he gave me with his order.  You noticed the gentleman who went through the factory with me?”

“Yes, sir.”

“He is Mr. Thorndike.  Please hand him this note, and if he wishes you to remain with him for company, you had better do so.”