George Leatrim | Page 7

lad, he said in a cool,
deliberate tone, "I saw you take the money out of that box."
'"Old villain, you lie!"
'"George!" cried the Doctor in an angry tone, lifting his pale face from
between his supporting hands, "how dare you use such language to my
friend--my father's friend?"
'"No friend to you, sir, when he charges your son with a crime he never
committed. I spoke rashly; anger is always intemperate. You must
make some allowance for my just indignation." Again he turned and
confronted his grey-haired accuser: "You saw me take the money out of
that box? When did I take it?"
'"Last Friday afternoon. You came into the study while I was writing
out a receipt at my desk. You were in a great hurry; I don't think you
saw me."
'"I did see you."
'"Ha!" cried the Rector, who was now sitting upright in his chair,
intently listening to the conversation. "You own, then, that you were in
the study at that hour?"
'"I have no wish to conceal the fact," returned George.
'"It would be of little use his attempting to deny it," said Ralph,
pointedly. "He came in and took the key of the box from the hook on
which it always hangs."
'"I did not take the key of the box; in that, at least, you are under a

strange delusion."
'"O Master George!" Ralph shook his head, and raised his hands in
pious horror.
'"Where did he go, Ralph, when he left the study?" asked Dr. Leatrim.
'"I am not quite certain, sir. I think he went first into the garden, and
then across the road into the churchyard. When he took down the key,
he seemed very much confused. There was a look in his eyes which
made me mistrust him, and I went to the window, which commands a
view of the inside of the porch. If you come here, sir," continued Ralph,
advancing to the window, "you will see everything as plainly as if you
were there."
'"I know it."
'"Well, sir, I saw Master George take down the box, place it on the
bench by the door, unlock it, and take out something. You may guess
what that was, for he was some minutes examining the contents."
'George Leatrim turned very pale, and visibly trembled; but he never
took his eyes from the old man's face.
'"George Leatrim," said the Doctor, "you are now at liberty to give your
explanation of this extraordinary conduct. I charge you to answer truly
the questions I put to you. I do not mean to condemn you unheard.
What did you want in the study last Friday afternoon?"
'"I went there to seek you, and not finding you, I took down the key of
the iron gates that open into the porch of the church, and went to look
for you in the garden."
'"What did you want with me?"
'"You gave me on my birthday a silver crown piece."
'"I did so. My father gave it to me when a boy of your age. It was one
of the coins struck in commemoration of George III's coronation. What

of that?"
'"I wished to give it to God. I went into the study to ask your
permission to do so, as it was a present from you. I found Ralph Wilson
writing, as he says, and you absent. I took the key of the church--not of
the poor's box, as he affirms, for I could make my deposit without
that--and went into the garden, hoping to find you there. I then made up
my mind to put the piece into the box, as it was getting late. This I did
without taking down the box, a fact which that man knows as well as I
do. I returned to the study and replaced the large iron key. Ralph was
no longer there. This is the truth--the whole truth; so help me God!"
'The lad, before so calm, now flung himself in an agony of tears at his
father's feet, and clasping his knees, cried out in piteous tones, "Father,
do you believe me?"
'The Doctor pushed him aside. "The evidence is too strong against you.
I wish I could."
'"Father, did I ever deceive you?"
'"Never, that I am conscious of, until now."
'"Did you ever detect me in an act of dishonesty?"
'"Never."
'"Then how can you condemn me? You will say, upon the evidence of
this honest man. Am I not as worthy of belief as Ralph Wilson?"
'"His character is above suspicion."
'"So ought mine to be," said the lad proudly.
'"Ralph is incapable of falsehood. How dare you to insinuate that he
could be capable of such a crime? What inducement could that pious,
grey-headed old man have for