Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 3).djvu/411

 Mr. Young sent the copy back to me privately! Look.'

"Mr. Strangway handed me the fly-leaf of Young's letter, and there were the numbers of the notes, dim to be sure, but not quite as dim there as they are now under the glass let into the oak of the over-mantel. Grainly had put a few of the notes in circulation, and they had been traced back to him.

"He stole the money, Mayfield,' said Mr. Strangway to me, and he tried to ruin you, or anyway he wanted to saddle you with the theft, and for a while I more than suspected you. But all is clear at last, and I'll pay you handsomely one day for suspecting you.'

"And so he did," said my father in-law. "He lent me the money to buy a partnership in the firm, and I am the firm all to myself now—and shall be until the new partner comes in to-morrow."

He rose and shook me by the hand and tapped me on the shoulder saying, "Your partner for life will be wondering what has kept you. Run away to Kate now, my boy."