[CHAPTER XXIV]
WRITING THE WELCOME ADDRESS
The next morning, however, Harry could not escape testifying against the two men. Once more he found himself in Mr. Prescott’s office, and although he entered it reluctantly, it was only because of the pity he felt for the men who had by their own wrong doing placed themselves in the toils of the law. To his relief he found no one save Mr. Rexford and Mr. Prescott in the office. To them he related everything that bore on the case, from the first conversation he had overheard while seated in the bin, to the moment when he had discovered the men in the mail-order room and gone for Mr. Rexford.
“You’re a smart boy,” commented the detective when he had finished.
“I don’t believe I’d ever have kept on watching Mr. Farley, if it hadn’t been for Miss Welch,” confessed Harry. “I hated to do it.”
“Is that the girl who jumped all over me the day Seymour sent you up here?” asked the detective. “I wish the store had a lot more girls like her.”
“Yes, sir, that was Miss Welch.” Harry treasured the compliment to repeat to his friend. Then he added rather timidly, “Will Mr. Farley and the other man have to go to prison? It’s too bad. I’m sorry they weren’t honest.”
“I guess they’re sorry, too,” returned Mr. Prescott grimly. “I can’t say what’ll be done with ’em. It’ll take a week to get all the facts. Did you know that they belonged to a gang of thieves, all employees here? You did a good job, boy.”
“I—wish—I hadn’t—I didn’t like to do it,” faltered Harry, “but when I came here to work I promised on my application blank that I’d report anyone I saw working against the store’s interest.”