today."

Bince shook his head dubiously as he returned to his own office.




CHAPTER XIX.

PLOTTING.

The following Monday Miss Edith Hudson went to work for the
International Machine Company as Mr. Compton's stenographer. Nor could
the most fastidious have discovered aught to criticize in the appearance
or deportment of Little Eva.

The same day the certified public accountants came. Mr. Harold Bince
appeared nervous and irritable, and he would have been more nervous and
more irritable had he known that Jimmy had just learned the amount of
the pay-check from Everett and that he had discovered that, although
five men had been laid off and no new ones employed since the previous
week, the payroll check was practically the same as before--
approximately one thousand dollars more than his note-book indicated
it should be.

"Phew!" whistled Jimmy. "These C.P.A.s are going to find this a more
interesting job than they anticipated. Poor old Compton! I feel mighty
sorry for him, but he had better find it out now than after that grafter
has wrecked his business entirely."