"Yes. If you catch Gresson and get back them rings, maybe I'll take you back, but not otherwise."
Franklin stood for a moment in silence, and then walked toward the door slowly.
Suddenly he turned about and faced Silas Fells.
"Mr. Fells," he said, in a voice which he found it very hard to keep steady. "Do you think you are treating me fairly? Supposing you were in my place, how would you like to be sent off in this fashion, after you had done what you thought was right? If you discharge me, people will say you think I am guilty, and—"
Here Franklin's voice choked him, and he found it impossible to go on. Silas Fells shifted uneasily, and pretended to be busy putting some stock on the shelf.
"I've got to look out for my own interests," he replied somewhat doggedly. "If I didn't it would go all to smash in less'n a week. People ain't going to have electric appliances put in their houses by men they can't trust—I mean," he added hastily, "by a man who allowed things to be stolen under his very nose; that's all. I ain't got nothing against you Bell, but you can't blame me, an' you can see how things are yourself."
Franklin did not know that Mrs. Mace had insisted on his discharge, and for the sake of retaining the woman's good wishes, Silas Fells had agreed to send the youth off.
