When they arrived, two gentlemen were seated there; and Mr. Clarkson, having shaken hands with them, stated his business, and requested Harrison to repeat the substance of what he had said to him.
The lad began, and the cross-questioning of the lawyers, as he thought them, brought out the rest.
When he produced his roll containing the sheets copied from the books, one of the gentlemen caught his hand, and exclaimed, "Noble boy! you have helped me to unmask the villains, and you shall be well rewarded."
Harrison stared at him in astonishment.
"This is Mr. Kilby," said Mr. Clarkson; "so you can imagine that he has listened to your story with some interest."
The secret partner then inquired if Harrison would return to the store that afternoon.
"No, sir," replied the boy, drawing himself up to his full height; "I shall never go there again. I should have left at the end of a month, but for the hope of being able to prove something against them, as I was sure they were meditating some crime."
"Which you have well done," said the lawyer; "and I advise you not to leave your work incomplete."
"Go, as usual, to your business in the morning," added Mr. Kilby; "and when the safe is open, keep the key in your own possession. It may be that the old books have not yet been removed; or, if they have been, try to ascertain to what place. They will be so taken by surprise to see me, they may betray themselves. If so, it will be unnecessary to have you appear connected with the affair."
Poor Harrison was really very unwilling to show himself at the store, after what he had done. It seemed to him like deception. Mr. Ransom, and indeed, Mr. Grant, had always been kind to him. On his own account he bore them no ill-will and nothing but his desire to save one whom they were trying to ruin, would have induced him to conduct as he had done. Then the reaction, from his excitement and hard labor at the store, was coming on. He felt as if he would like to lie down and sleep for a week.