ent, and I have no
one to consult, nor do I find any to aid or comfort me."

"Perhaps I can aid you, sir."

"I do not know. I fear no one can avail us now."

"May I be very frank with you, sir?"

"Certainly. I am past all pride or fear. There can be nothing worse
now."

"I think, sir, you have placed too much confidence in that man. He is
not trustworthy."

"How do you know? Can you prove it?"

"Yes, sir. You remember the new chimney?"

"Yes; but he explained that, and collected all the money that had been
paid on the supposed extra height of the chimney."

"That was very easy, sir, for he had it in his own pocket. I met some of
the work people in the village, and casually asked them how high the
chimney was to be, and every man gave the real height. Mr. Belford lied
to you about it, and pocketed the difference between his measurements
and mine. Of course, when detected he promptly restored the money, and
thought himself lucky to have escaped so easily. More than that, he
claimed that the chimney was capped with stone. It is not. It is brick
to the top, and the upper courses were rubbed over with colored
plaster."

"I can hardly believe it. Besides, how can you prove it?"

"That will, sir. Look at it carefully."

So saying, Elmer selected a photograph from those on the table and
presented it to Mr. Denny.

The old gentleman looked at it carefully for a few moments, and then
said with an air of conviction--

"It is a perfect fraud. I had no idea that the man was such a thief."

"Yes, sir. Look at that bare place where the plaster has fallen off.
You can see the brick----"

"Oh, I can see. There is no need to explain the picture. Have you any
more?"

"Yes, sir; quite a number. I'm glad I brought them with me."

Mr. Denny turned them over slowly, and commented briefly upon them.

"That's the house. Very well done, my boy. That's the mill. Excellent. I
should know it at once. And--eh! what's that? The batting mill?"

"Yes, sir. That's the new building going up beyond the millpond."

"Great heavens! What an outrageous fraud! Mr. Belford told me it was
nearly done. He has drawn almost all the money for it already, and
according to this picture only one story is up. When was this picture
taken?"

"On Saturday, sir. Alma was with me. She will tell you."

Mr. Denny rang a small bell that stood at his elbow, and a maid came to
the door.

"Will you call Miss Denny, Anna?"

The maid retired, and in