The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1869-12-31

the lodger, who lived next door to III
J upstairs, and who used sometimes t
} 60 out very early--bcfore any on
else was astir He was commits
sion. agent, as he called himsclf--al
irreverent servant used to speak 0
him. as ':our commercial GENT ant
my brother, who had an artists cor
tempt. for commerce in all its branch,
es, always called him the bagman,
He was bold, coarse, gooG-iookins
man, with large rowing eyes and long
fingcrs--a man for whom I had an cs-
pecial horror, partly because he would
waylay me on the top landing when !
went to bed, asking mo all manner
Of things about my brother and his
work, and who were his patrons. and
what he got for such and slch pic
turc, &c. He wished to pass himself
off as knowing something al bout paint
ing, and he knew as much Of it as |
did Of algebra! Still, we had no
right to dislike him as we did, and so
| often SAID to James when We were
alone.
Determined then that it should be
Mr.. Thompson who had gone cut so
early, l tried to calm my ncrvea--for
l was nervous, foolish as it sounds
One cannot sit night after night in 4
damp, dark kitchen without getting
nervous! BY degrees the day broke
fully, and [ went upstairs to do the
house work before my brother got up.
For Twas the onl y servant We had;
We could not afford even share in
the drudge kept for tho house. When
went upstairs | found the door OF
our sitting room opcn--jnst ajar--as
if it had been pulled to and not shut:
| went in. James was still asleep
behind the screen. | could hear his
breathing, poor fellow!-such a fast
and heavy sleeper as he was! | look
ed round the room with q kind of
dread, as if | expected to see somc-
thing terrible. On the table. where
the hanaper had stood last night, lay
the velvet lined oaken casc--opan
and empty. The precious deposit
which the rich merchant had left,
not without some half-insulting words
Of caution, and which he was coming
to reclaim to-day, was gone.
l called my brother bur.icdly. and
he woke up.
"Jamcs!' I said, "what has be-
come Of the hauapet?"
1.-The hanaper! what ? what do
you mcan?' he answered.
''It is not here, James: it has been
taken out of the case 1T has gone.'
"Gone! nonsense!' be said. why.
who could have taken it, Rose?'
did not speak, could not. 1t
was so clear, and yet so dreadful.
"Call Ashley" said James, his
thoughts turning instinctivcly to the
man he loved and trusted most.
All this time James had been dress
ing hastily behind the screen, and
now he came out into the room. just
as lie did so, tic street-dcor opened
by latch key, and Ashley came up
the stairs and straight into our sit
ting-room. His coat was wet--it was
raining hcavily--and he carried the
!ateh-key in his hand.
Here, old fellow he said to
James, quietly; "here is your latch
key. took it with me, as I went
out SO early
"Ashley!'~ said James, in his
scared way.
Hey! what's the matter?' cried
the other.
The hanapcr..' was all my broth
er could say.
"What about it, man,
ut is :one!''
"'By Jupiter! you don't say so,
said Ashley, turning pale.
Il can swear it was here last
night" said Jamie, cxcitedly.--
''Rose herselfput it away in the ease.
''Ycs, l saw it, answered Ashley
gloomily.
Then he turned suddenly t. ne,
and locked at ne as | thought sus-
pieionsly. lrcddened under his eyes,
and he saw me flush. 1t seemed to
me as If he could read my thoughts
las if he knew what | knew. And
bow could he? Young people always
imagine that they are seen through,
and | thought was seen through row.
jamie saw nothing---suspected
nothing. He was sitting with his
head resting OH his hands, and bis
elbows on his knees. feeling as man
does when he is suddenly plunged in
to destruction-whcn his name is
tainted and his career closed. As
for me, the whole world seemed to
have crushed iuto ruin at my feet !;
but the one could not understand
was Ashley. If might have died
before this moment! Icouid not be-
lievo him guilty, and yet could not
doubt the evidence of my senses. He
had been out in the early morning.
80 far indeed he confessed honestly
enough; no one else had been out
that I could swear to; aud certainly
no burglary had bsen committed.
And it was not to be supposed that
We hsrbored thieves in the house.
At that moment Mr.. Thompson
came down stairs, whistling as he
passed our door. He looked in and
nodded, and his great black eyes
roved all about the place and seemed
to take in every inch AMI scrap.there
was to be seen. .-~