“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 basement 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.”
“Yes; it contains such a lovely cloak.
The gentleman from your store who called a little
while ago thought you might have meant it as a present
for me.”
“I am afraid it will be some time before I can
afford to make such present. Do you know if any
one called and left the cloak here?”
“No; I didn’t let in no one at the door.”
“Was the parcel there when you made the bed?”
“Well, no, it wasn’t. That is curious.”
“It shows that the parcel has been left here
since. Now I certainly couldn’t have left
it, for I have been at work all the morning. Come
up stairs, Jasper.”
The two boys went up the stairs, and, entering Rodney’s
room, found the parcel, still on the bed.
Rodney opened it and identified the cloak as exactly
like those which they carried in stock.
He examined the paper in which it was inclosed, but
it seemed to differ from the wrapping paper used at
the store. He called Jasper’s attention
to this.
“I have nothing to say,” remarked Jasper,
shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t
understand the matter at all. I suppose you are
expected to carry the cloak back to the store.”
“Yes, that is the only thing to do.”
“I say, Ropes, it looks pretty bad for you.”
Jasper said this, but Rodney observed that his words
were not accompanied by any expressions of sympathy,
or any words that indicated his disbelief of Rodney’s
guilt.
“Do you think I took this cloak from the store?”
he demanded, facing round upon Jasper.
“Really, I don’t know. It looks bad,
finding it in your room.”
“I needn’t ask any further. I can
see what you think.”
“You wouldn’t have me tell a lie, would
you, Ropes? Of course such things have been done
before, and your salary is small.”
“You insult me by your words,” said Rodney,
flaming up.
“Then I had better not speak, but you asked
me, you know.”
“Yes, I did. Things may look against me,
but I am absolutely innocent.”
“If you can make Mr. Goodnow think so,”
said Jasper with provoking coolness, “it will
be all right. Perhaps he will forgive you.”
“I don’t want his forgiveness. I
want him to think me honest.”
“Well, I hope you are, I am sure, but it won’t
do any good our discussing it, and it doesn’t
make any difference what I think any way.”
By this time they had reached the store.
