There is something rather peculiar about the fact that troubles of any sort never seem to come singly. This has been noticed by almost every person of wide experience, and the idea is crystallized in the proverb: "It never rains but it pours." The adage certainly held true in Fred's case. Only a few days after the occurrence related in the preceding chapter, and when Fred had begun to feel a little more at ease in his mind, he was called up sharply one night by his employer, who said to him: "Fred, what have you done with the twenty dollar bill that was in this drawer?" "I have seen no such bill there to-day, sir," replied the clerk. "You have seen no such bill, do you say? I took a new twenty dollar bill of James D. Atwood this afternoon, when he settled his account, and I put it in this drawer," pointing to the open cash drawer before him. "It seems queer, sir; but I am sure that I have not paid it out or seen it. Didn't you give it to Woodman and Hardy's man when you paid him some money to-day?" "No!" replied the merchant nervously, "he was here early in the afternoon, before I took the bill. There has been no one to the cash drawer but you and myself--unless you neglected your business and allowed some scoundrel in behind the counter while I was at tea." Fred flushed up at this intimation that he might have been false to his trust, and replied, with some show of injured feeling: "Mr. Rexford, if any money has been lost, I am sorry for you; but as I said, I know nothing about it. You say you took in a twenty dollar bill, and that now it is gone. If a mistake has occurred in making change, I don't know why it should be laid to me any more than yourself, for I am as careful as I can be." "Do you mean to say, young man, that I have made a mistake of this size in making change?" "I simply say, there must be a mistake somewhere. Have you figured up your cash account to know just how it stands?" Mr. Rexford had not figured it up, but on discovering that the bill was missing, and noticing that there was little increase in the other money, he jumped to the conclusion that the drawer was twenty dollars short. But on carefully going over his cash and sales accounts, and reckoning the money on hand, he found that there was just eighteen dollars missing. This discovery only added mystery to the already perplexing matter. It certainly looked now as though some cunning method had been employed to swindle him. The merchant's brow contracted at the thought, and after a few moments he said, in an excited and angry manner: "Worthington, you know about that bill, and are trying to deceive me. I can see no way but that you took it during my absence, and in trying to cover up your act put two dollars in the drawer; but, young man, I'd have you know that such tricks can't be played on me!"