About two days afterward when Rodney went up to meet his pupil, Mr. Sargent handed him a letter.
“Here is something that concerns you, Rodney,” he said. “It doesn’t appear to be from a friend of yours.”
With some curiosity Rodney took the letter and read it.
It ran thus:
Mr. JOHN SARGENT:
DEAR SIR—I think it my duty to write and tell you something about your son’s tutor—something that will surprise and shock you. Before he entered your house he was employed by a firm on Reade Street. He was quite a favorite with his employer, Mr. Otis Goodnow, who promoted him in a short time. All at once it was found that articles were missing from the stock. Of course it was evident that some one of the clerks was dishonest. A watch was set, and finally it was found that Rodney Ropes had taken the articles, and one—a lady’s cloak—was found in his room by a detective. He was discharged at once without a recommendation.
For a time he lived by selling papers, but at last he managed to get
into your house. I am sure you won’t regard him as fit to educate
your little son, though I have no doubt he is a good scholar. But his
character is bad—I don’t think he ought to have concealed this from you
out of friendship for you, and because I think it is my duty, I take the
liberty of writing. If you doubt this I will refer to Mr. Goodnow,
or Mr. James Redwood, who had charge of the room in which Ropes was
employed. Yours very respectfully,
A FRIEND.
“You knew all this before, Mr. Sargent,” said Rodney, as he handed back the letter.
“Yes. Have you any idea who wrote it?”
“I feel quite sure that it was a boy about two years older than myself, Jasper Redwood.”