The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-10-22
The Little Thief.

In nothing 90 we 50 show our want of
self-control as in our disposition to
charge others with fault because We
have no other explanation for mysterious
occurrences. We conclude that others
are untruthful when no solution but this
presents itself. We lose valuables, and
at once think they are stolen. The char
ity that "hopeth all things" is rare
virtue.
Some years ago performed wedding
service, and received fee of fifty dol
lars. 1t was soft note placed inside a
small, delicate envelope. l returned
home in the evening, and laid the envel-
ope containing the note upon the bureau
of my bedroom. No one was in the
room but my wife and one servant, who
had been with us for years, and was inn
plicitly trusted. In arranging the room
she took up the NOTE and asked about the
wedding. Making some playful remark
about the fee she laid it down again on
the bureau. In few moments she went
to her own room, and we saw her no
more again that night. The other SER
want was in the kitchen. She did not, to
our knowledge, enter our room at all.
The children were in the adjoining cham
Der asleep. Two friends, who were Wis
iting US, were in another part of the
house. Turning down the light, and
hours chat with our guests. When we
1t was certainly there when we left.
Nothing else had been disturbed, but the
note was gone. Thorough search was
was carefully examined. The floor was
swept, the clothing shaken out. The
closest scrutiny revealed nothing. Nearly
an hour was spent in the search, but all
in vain. The girls had long since re-
tired; the children had not awakened;
save the friends in whose company we
had been, no one else was in the house.
No one could have entered it without our
knowledge. Here was a mystery; what
could have become of the note? It could
not have made away with itself. Such q
suicide was impossible. Could one of
the girls have slipped into the room dur
ing our absence and stolen it? We were
too sure of their honesty to entertain the
thought But there was the. sticat-how
else could 1t have disappeared: With
uneasy thoughts we gave it up for the
night.
The next morning the search Kss re-
newed. Every part of the room and
everything in it was carefully. examined,
with the same result As before. We Dues
toned the girls and the children. They
affirmed positively that they had not been
in the room or seen the note. The loss
was nothing compared.with the mystery.
Not word of suspicion was expressed,
though it was hard to refrain from
thoughts. Down stairs we found the girls
in great distress. Though unaccused.
they felt that circumstances pointed to
them as the guilty ones. We assured
them that we had all confidence in their
integrity, and concluded to await revela-
tions. ., asa
Later in the day determined to solve
the mystery if possible. shut myself in
the room and went at it with the precis-
ion of an experienced detective. found
at length small cutting at the base of the
chimney fire-board. Removing the board
discovered mouse hole between the
brick floor and the wall. l then got
chisel and pried up the brick, and 10!
underneath it was the senvelopswith the
note inside. The gum was eatenioft, the
envelope crumpled up, but the note was
intact! The story was now plain enough.
During our absence from the room the
mouse had come out seeking what he
might devour-had climbed up the laee
curtains beside the bureau, attracted bf
seed in the bird-cage above; had dumped
on the bureau, found the gummed envel-
ope, and had dragged it down the curtain
to the floor, through the opening In the
fire.board to his nest under the bricks, for
q future meal. called in the family and
explained the circumstances, to their
great relief.
Now how strong the facts were against
sne nee is no snd SaSe 70 them arrested
and their characters gone ever afterward,
and we ourselves made unhappy and
doubly suspicious in all the future. =
My little mouse preached me q good
sermon, and the text was: Judge not,
lest We be Judged. Record