Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-10-22
The Little Thief.

In nothing do We so show our want of
selfcoptrol 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
al once think they are stolen. The char
ity that hopeth all things" is rare
virtue.
Some years ago performed wedding
service, and received a fee Of fifty dol
lars 1t was soft note placed inside q
small, delicate envelope. i 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 i'm
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 il 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
closing the door, we left our room for an
hours chat with our guests. When we
returned, the note could not be found.
1t was certainly there when we left.
Nothing else had been disturbed, but the
note was gone. Thorough search was
made for it, everything in the bureau
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 IL without our
knowledge. Here was a mystery; what
could have become of the note? ltcould
not have made away with itself. Such
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 stick-how
else could it have disappeared? With
uneasy thoughts we gave IL up for the
night
The next morning the search was re-
everything in it was carefully examined,
with the same result as before. We ques-
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 IL 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 reyela-
tions
Later in the day determined to solve
the mystery if possible ! shut myself in
the room and went at IL 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. / then got
chisel and pried up the brick, and 10!
underneath 1t was the envelope with the
note inside. The gum was eaten of, 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 lace
curtains beside the bureau, attracted by
seed in the birdcage above; had jumped
ON the bureau, found the gummed enyel-
-opc, and had dragged II down the curtain
to the floor, through the opening In the
fire. board to his nest under the bricks, for
future meal called in the family and
explained the circumstances, to their
great relief
Now how strong the facts were against
the girls! How natural to have called in
u policeman and have 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 a good
sermon, and the text was; Judge not,
lest yc bc Judged. "-Church Record.