TELL ME THE TRUTH, LESLIE.
“This is a wonderful thing for me,” said Annie as she stood up. Leslie
turned and looked at her without replying. “I mean that my fourteen
shillings can now last me nearly another week. By that time, if I get
this situation, I shall have saved money and be quite independent.
Leslie, you cannot imagine what a load will be lifted from my mind, and
you will have done it. I shall thank you to the longest day I live.”
“But I don’t want to do it,” said Leslie; “you don’t know how dreadful I
feel. Pray, don’t say any more to me. I am not good now, not at all. I
want to be away by myself, to fight this thing out to the bitter end.
But here we are. I’ll do my best for you, Annie, only for Heaven’s sake
don’t thank me.”
The girls found themselves now in Queen Victoria Street. They reached
the house where Mr. Parker’s offices were, went upstairs to the second
floor, and presently entered a room where several clerks were busy.
“You must take the initiative now,” said Annie, touching Leslie on the
arm. “They know me, for I have been here often; but they do not know
you. Go up to one of the clerks and say that you wish to see Mr.
Parker.”
Again Leslie found herself hesitating, but then she quickly made up her
mind. She must go on with what she meant to do at any cost.
She crossed the room, therefore, quickly, and stood before a desk where
an elderly man with gray hair was writing.
“I have come to see Mr. Parker,” said Leslie; “is he in?”
“Mr. Parker is in, miss,” was the reply; “but he is specially engaged.”
“Is he likely to be disengaged soon?” asked Leslie.
“Within half an hour perhaps. He is interviewing some young ladies for
a——”
“Oh, I know,” said Annie, who had followed Leslie across the room. “Be
quick, Leslie, quick.”
“I want to see Mr. Parker on that very subject,” replied Leslie.
“What, miss,” said the clerk, “are you one of the candidates?”
“No, not exactly; but, all the same, I have come on that very business.
If you will give me a sheet of paper I will write a note.”
The man handed her one, and she scribbled a few words:
“Leslie Gilroy wants to see you at once. Please don’t engage a secretary
finally until you have heard what I want to say.”
She folded up the paper and handed it to the clerk.
“Will you take that to Mr. Parker now?” she said. “He will look at it
even while he is talking with another person.”
“Oh, how good you are!” whispered Annie in her ear.
Another clerk motioned to the girls to seat themselves on a bench not
far from the door. The elderly clerk with the gray hair went into a room
at the opposite side. He was absent for a couple of minutes. When he
returned he went straight up to Leslie.
“Mr. Parker will see you in five minutes,” he said. “Will you come this
way?”
“May I come too?” asked Annie.
Leslie looked at the clerk.
“Certainly, miss, bring your friend.” He spoke in a respectful tone, and
ushered the girls into a small and comfortably furnished apartment.
Having supplied them with a newspaper each, he left them.
“This suspense is almost intolerable,” said Annie. “You promise, Leslie,
that you will plead very, very hard.”
“I will do my best,” answered Leslie.
“But I know you are hating it,” said poor Annie. “I see it in your
face.”
“Don’t talk to me about that, Annie. I have made up my mind; but I
cannot, cannot talk it over with you.”
Just then the door was opened, and Mr. Parker himself came in. He
glanced at Annie in some annoyance and surprise, and gave Leslie that
cold, level glance which had almost broken her heart on the day of the
picnic.
“I understand that you want to speak to me?” he said.
Leslie rose.
“I do,” she said. “Can I see you by yourself?”
“You can, if you have come on a very urgent matter; but, as a rule, I
never see anyone here except on business.”
“This is truly a matter of business.”
“Has Miss Colchester anything to do with it?”
“Yes.”
“Then I had better see you alone. Come this way.”
He took no further notice of Annie, but ushered Leslie into the next
room. Closing the door, he asked her to seat herself.
“Now, what is it?” he said.
“I can scarcely tell you how painful it is to me to come to you to-day,”
began Leslie.
“Then why do you do it?” said Mr. Parker.
“Because I want to ask you for a favor.”
“Ah, to lend you another sixty pounds?”
Leslie’s face turned very white.
“Do you know that you, my father’s old friend, are cruel,” she said.
“I don’t think so. On the contrary, I consider that I am most
forbearing. A girl who can go into debt once, and conceal it from her
friends, and send another girl——”
“Mr. Parker, you break my heart.”
“Again I repeat I am sorry, but I must have my say. I cannot grant your
request, whatever it is, except in my own fashion. Now, speak up, and be
quick. Being Leslie Gilroy, of course I cannot refuse you anything in
reason.”
“You are doing much for me. I know it is for my mother’s sake and my
father’s sake.”
“That’s about it.”
“And never, never more for my sake?”
“My feelings have changed toward you. The more I think over that black
business the less I like it. I cannot pretend to be other than I am.”
“Well, I have not come here to plead for myself to-day,” replied Leslie.
“I want to help Annie Colchester. She is very poor, nearly starving; she
has heard that you want a secretary.”
Mr. Parker raised his brows, and an ominous exclamation dropped from his
lips.
“You must hear me out,” continued Leslie. “She knows also that you do
not like her brother.”
“Scoundrel!” muttered the merchant between his teeth.
“But she is not to be held accountable for her brother’s sins.”
“Did I ever say she was?”
“No; but you act somehow as if you did. Oh, I am not going to be afraid
of you, Mr. Parker. I will speak out. A brother may be wicked and a
sister good and virtuous——”
“You think her good and virtuous?” interrupted the merchant.
Leslie hastily proceeded, as if she had not heard this remark.
“I want you to make Annie your secretary,” she said. “She feels sure
that you would refuse her own request, and she has asked me to plead
with you. I do plead most earnestly. I plead because I am my father’s
daughter, and because once you were fond of me and good to me. Annie is
a very clever girl; she knows many foreign languages, she has a great
deal of shrewdness in her character, and would do your work admirably. I
want you to let her do it.”
“And you intend to be responsible for her character?”
“Her character? Oh!” said Leslie. She trembled and colored.
Mr. Parker fixed her with his keen twinkling eyes. He seemed to be
dragging the truth out of her soul. If he knew even for one moment how
Annie had got that money, if he knew about the forged letter, would he
give her the post?
“And you are, personally, very desirous about this?” said Mr. Parker.
“I am indeed. Under the circumstances, it is bitterly hard for me to
have to plead with you; for my whole heart aches, yes—whether you will
believe it or not—at the cruel change in our positions. You, to whom I
owe so much, think badly of me. But I have risen to this great effort on
Annie’s behalf. Don’t let me have to humble myself in vain.”
“Would there have been anything so humiliating in your asking a favor of
your father’s greatest friend?” said Mr. Parker, a kinder note coming
into his voice.
“It would not have been humiliating at all; but, under the changed
circumstances, it is.”
“Aye; they have changed, truly. But because of your father and our old
friendship, I will do what you wish, Leslie Gilroy; but on a condition.”
“Oh, I will promise anything, I am so grateful to you.”
“Stop a moment, young lady; wait until you have heard what my condition
is. I will do what you wish—I will give your friend that post—if you
will tell me the truth with regard to that sixty pounds.”
Leslie turned from white to red.
“I thought——” she began.
“No, young lady; no,” said Mr. Parker. “I can read character well
enough, and you have never told me the truth with regard to that money.
There is something concealed at the back of it. The more I think the
more assured I am, and your face tells me so plainly at the present
moment. When I know the simple truth, Leslie Gilroy, I will restore you
into my full favor again, and your friend shall be my private
secretary.”
“Then there is nothing more to be said,” replied poor Leslie, trembling
from head to foot. “I cannot tell you more than you know already.”
“What I know already is not the truth. Go, child; tell your friend that
you have failed, and that the fault is yours.”
Leslie walked across the room. Mr. Parker preceded her and flung open
the door. He followed Leslie into Annie’s presence. He stood and faced
Annie Colchester.
“I understand,” he said, bringing out his words coldly, “that you have
asked Leslie Gilroy to come here and plead for you. You want to be my
secretary?”
“I could do the work well,” said Annie, standing up and speaking with
glistening eyes.
“Your brother also assured me that he could do my work well. He had
brains enough, but nothing else, the scoundrel!”
Annie bit her lips until the blood nearly came. She made a valiant
effort not to speak; but to hear Rupert abused was like dragging her
through fire.
“Now, listen to me.” said Parker. “I have spoken to Leslie Gilroy; I
have told her that I will grant her request when she tells me the whole
truth about that sixty pounds which you took from me to her. It is true
I have her letter; but it was not only her letter, it was your pleading
which induced me to give it. Since that hour I have felt certain that
something is hidden. When Leslie tells me the exact truth, you, Annie
Colchester shall have the place. You had better go away, both of you
girls, and consult—there is something at the back of this. I will keep
the post open for forty-eight hours, but no longer. Now go; you have my
decision.”