“SEND the clerks into my office,” said Mr. Boise to Mr. Keen, as he passed into his own apartment. “We’ll sift this matter to the bottom.”
One by one the clerks passed into the room of the senior partner. Low but earnest voices could be heard from behind the closed door. Several telephone inquiries came for Mr. Boise, but Tom had been instructed to turn the clients over to Mr. Keen, as Mr. Cutler was out.
One by one the clerks came from the room of Mr. Boise. They looked worried, but not guilty, and all, evidently, had succeeded in proving to the satisfaction of their employer that they, at least, were not guilty of betraying the firm’s secret.
As the last clerk emerged, Mr. Cutler came into the office. He seemed quite excited over something, and, as Mr. Boise came from his room at that moment, the two members of the firm met.
“I hear you lost the Kendall case,” began Mr. Cutler.
“I suppose you know how it came about,” interrupted the junior partner, with a vindictive glance at Tom.
“That is what I have been trying to find out.”
“I think I can tell you.”
“You? What do you mean?”
“I mean that the secret of the injunction about the dam was betrayed by some one in this office.”
“I fear as much, but I have been unable to discover who mentioned it, unless one of us three partners did so,” added Mr. Boise with a smile.
Cutler started. Then he said:
“I fancy if you were to ask the telephone boy about it he might be able to tell something.”
“The telephone boy? Tom? Do you mean him?”
“That’s who I mean!” exclaimed Mr. Cutler sharply.
“I never said a word over the telephone, or in any other way about this Kendall suit, or any other!” exclaimed Tom indignantly. “I never talk about the firm’s business outside!”
“No?” remarked Mr. Cutler sneeringly. “Then how did it happen that I heard you calling up Kittridge’s office the other day?”
“Calling up Mr. Kittridge’s office?” repeated Tom. Then he remembered that Mr. Boise had had that lawyer on the wire, refusing a postponement of the case. He told the circumstances.
“Yes, that is so,” acknowledged Mr. Boise. “But why do you accuse Tom, Mr. Cutler?” and he looked sharply at the junior partner.
“Because of something I overheard between Kittridge and one of his clerks.”
“What was that?”
“I just came from the court house,” went on Mr. Cutler. “I heard you had lost your case, and I saw Kittridge and his clerk laughing over their success. Then I overheard Kittridge say: ‘We never would have won the case, but for a tip Boise’s office boy gave me. He called me up, and said he had a grudge against the firm because they wouldn’t raise his wages, and then he let out about the injunction.’ That’s what Kittridge said.”
“That’s not so!” cried Tom indignantly. “I never spoke to Mr. Kittridge, over the telephone, or otherwise, in my life; I merely got his office once on the wire for Mr. Boise.”
“I know what I’m talking about!” declared Mr. Cutler. “I say you gave this fact to Kittridge, and I can prove it. You are responsible for this leak, and I think you had better discharge him, Mr. Boise, and get a boy we can trust. He used to listen to persons talking to me, until I put a stop to it.”
“I never listened unless it was absolutely necessary, in order to put some other party on your wire!” said Tom hotly.
“I think you had better discharge him,” went on the junior partner. “I know where we can get a boy we can depend on.”
“This is a serious accusation,” said Mr. Boise slowly. “Are you—pardon me—are you sure of your facts, Mr. Cutler?”
“Positive. Why, ask Kittridge.”
“No; I would not like to do that. I would not want to let him know we have some one here we can not trust,” but, though he spoke sadly, Mr. Boise did not look accusingly at Tom. “I have another plan,” the senior partner went on. “I will ask the telephone company to make an investigation. They keep a record of all calls, and they can tell whether there were more than one call for the Kittridge office within the last few days. One I used myself. If there is another on the record——”
“It means that it was the one when the secret of the case was given away,” interrupted Mr. Cutler.
“It does not absolutely prove it, however,” went on Mr. Boise. “Some one may have called him up from outside.”
“Yes; but who knew about the plan to let Simpson partly destroy the dam, so that an injunction might be secured?” asked Mr. Cutler.
“Well, unfortunately, Mr. Kendall mentioned it aloud in the office here one day,” admitted Mr. Boise. “I cautioned him to be careful, but he spoke before I could prevent him. I don’t know who heard him. There was no other clients in at the time.”
“No; but Tom was,” insisted the junior partner.
“Yes; I heard Mr. Kendall’s remarks about the dam,” admitted the telephone boy. “But I never spoke to a soul about it. You were also in your office at the time, Mr. Cutler,” he could not help adding, “and your door was open.”
“What! You dare accuse me?” cried the lawyer. “The idea! The impudence. Boise, I demand his discharge at once!”
“Wait a minute,” spoke the senior partner calmly, “I do not believe Tom meant to accuse you of giving our secret away.”
“No, sir,” put in Tom.
“He only meant that other persons besides himself heard what Mr. Kendall so foolishly said. But I shall investigate this further. I will go to the telephone company at once. Tom, remain here until I return.”
Mr. Cutler, with a vindictive glance at the boy, passed into his private office, and Tom, with a dull, leaden feeling in his heart, saw Mr. Boise go out. Our hero waited anxiously for what might happen next.