Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-07-17
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A FATAL MISTAKE.

money there, exactly in the middle o
the table. He remembered it distinct
ly, and he never was mistaken. Blu
the money was there no longer. Wha
did it mean?
There stood the little vase Of flow
ers, the shadow of the rosebud fallin:
upon the cloth as he had seen it whel
he laid the note down. There wer
the books and the little card. basket
There, perched up in the great Turk
ish chair, sat his little daughter, max
ing a bed and pillows for her new way
doll. He had only gone to the from
door with the parishoner who hac
brought her contribution for the ap
praching fair in the shape of this very
five dollar note, and now it was gone
There was no breeze to stir it, for the
windows were shut. It was certain
that Lilly sat where she had been seat
ed when he left the room. Perplexed
and angry, the father questioned her
"Lilly, where is that money that
laid here?'
Lilly shook her head.
"Has Lilly got any money!"
Lilly NODDED.
''Show it to papa
Lilly laid down her work-oh, such
a crooked little bag, with stitches an
inch long ON the edges.-and letting
herself down from the chair, came
slowly across the room, and stood
solemnly before her father.
9th in boff my pocketh," she said
and put tiny hand into each and
drew out two cents.
''Is that all?" asked the clergyman.
9th" said Lilly.
"You did not see any on the table,
"No," said Lilly; "no thir," and
went back to her work again.
The clergyman paced the room, look
ed in the corners, and surveyed the
length of the carpet; then he spoke
again:
''Liily, who has been in the room
since left it?''
Lilly pondered.
After a while, she said:
"Ned did"
"Ned ?"
"Eth, thir."
"What did he do?"
"He tooked flower out of the vathe,
and put it in his toat button"
seThe vase on the table," asked the
clergyman.
"Eth, thir," said Lilly. Then he
went wight to the kool'
This was added because the little
creature saw anger in her fathers eve,
and knew that great dislike for
school, on her brothers part, was a
frequent cause of displeasure and rep
rimand.
81 know" added the little creature,
solemnly, "that he ruined all the
way"
"Ahar' said the clergyman-and
then he walked to the window and
hid his face in his hands. He had a cold
heart but it was aching pitifully just
then. He was tender to one, but he
longed to be proud of his son, and a
suspicion that was terrible to harbol
possessed him.
Ned was a wild boy, an idler. He
shirked Sabbath school and was mat
tentive in church. He hated study.
He liked the company of mad-cap boys
his mother idolized him and spoiled
him; so his father thought he was 60
ing straight down to perdition, per
haps. Who knew, for now it seemed
very likely to the father that Ned had
stolen that five dollar note.
For the present, however, he kept
his thoughts to himself, merely com.
manding his obedient wife, who came
into the room in a few minutes, to search
it thoroughly, and to make sure the
money was not to be found. Then he
locked himself into his study, and suf:
fered horribly in silence for long hours
when an interruption came in the
shape of an old man, one of the poor
of the congregation, who had a dolor
Gus tale to tell of hard times at home
and Of his rheumatism, and his wife:
chills and fever.
Relieved, with some small chang
and a large bundle of tracts, this goot
man was about to depart, when ;
thought seemed to strike him, and h
turned toward the pastor, opend hi
mouth, shut it again, and was abou
to pass through the door, when tn
clergyman said: