The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-09-29
The Missing Bank Bill.

table at her lord and master" I'll uSC
this once 1 won't ask you for another
cent"
"Until the next time, Ell ?" laughed
Mr. Dunlap.
"Now, Fred, you're too bad to tease
me when do want that lovely spring
bonnet so much. 1t is really the sweet
est in Madam Modes shop, and dirt
cheap at the price," pouted the little
woman, with an injured air.
'There, there, she shall have it, so
she shall. Here, my pet" said Mr..
Dunlap, taking out crisp twenty-dOl-
lar bill aud handing it across the table;
for he was a young married man, and it
was hard to deny his pretty wife any
wish which he could afford to crafty.
"Oh, thank you ever so much, Fred
You're just the best husband in the
wide world % she cried, enthusi-
astically.
"Glad you think so, my dear. Here,
kiss me goodbye. It's late, and l must
be Off"
"Now,n Mrs. Dunlap thought, rising
from the table as her husband left the
house, "pll just run upstairs and look
over my wardrobe to see which dress
will correspond best with my new bon
net" and she passed an hour trying the
imaginary effect of one dress after
another with the coveted bonnet, finally
selecting the one which pleased her the
best. Then she exchanged her hand
some morning wrapper for a walking
suit, and prepared to go down to make
the desired purchase.
"Now, I'll make sure that the money
is all right" she said, taking her purse
from the morning dress and opening it.
She turned over two or three small
bills, and, not seeing the twenty dollar
one, emptied her purse of lis contents,
smoothing out each bill separately,
only to find that the one of her search
was not there.
THAT'S strange; but I guess I must
have dropped it in the dining-room;
so she ran down stairs and made thor
ough scarce there, but in vain. "Well,
that is queer" she exclaimed; 'pll ask
Norah if she has seen anything of it.'
Norah, stout, rosy Irish girl, looked
up from her dish-washing as her mis-
tress entered the kitchen.
"NOrab, did you see anything of bill
lying on the breakfast table when you
cleared it?"
"a bill, mum ?''
"Yes; new twenty-dollar bill"
mo, mum, see nothin' Of the
"Are you quite sure ?" asked Mrs.
Dunlap.
Faith, I am, num-"
'NOw, look here, Norah," said the
lady, "yOu've been with me ever since
you landed in America, three months
ago, and have always been a good, hon.
est, industrious girl, so far as 1 know,
and have been good mistress, have /
not, Norah ?''
'The best that ever lived, mum,
Heaven bless ye !" answered Norah,
fervently.
"And is this the way you repay my
kindness, Norah ?''
"How, mum ?" asked the girl, staring
at her mistress blankly.
Don't add to your sin by trying to
deceive me-" replied Mrs. Dunlap
sternly. ''These are the plain facts
NOrah. This morning Mr.. Dunlap gave
me a twenty-dollar bill while we were
at breakfast. 1 went upstairs, and
thought no more about it until [ bad
dressed myself for shopping, when
looked into my purse to see if the
money was all right; but it was not
there, and l came directly down stairs
thinking might have dropped it in
the dining-room. 1t is not there, and
as no one has been in that room this
morning but you, besides Mr.. Dunbar
and myself, what am to think? 1 an
sure | would not have thought it of you
Norah, but l am forced to believe it
You must have taken the money
Now, don't cry, but confess your fault
and l will forgive you," continued the
lady, laying her hand kindly on the
arm of the girl, who, with her apron
thrown over her head, was rocking her.
self back and forth, sobbing bitterly.
"As this is your first offense, if yoU
will return the bill and promise to bt
honest in the future, will say nothing
to any one about it, but allow you to re.
main here as usual, for l know that vol
have no other home, and no friends il
this country, and, as 1 have alWay:
found you an industrious, obliging girl
do not like to part with you. Viii
you confess, Norah ?"
The girl raised her tear-stained fact
to that of her mistress. "Confess it
mum-confess what I would sooner di,
than do! Rob ye, my kind mistress
Oh, how could ye-how could We thinl
poor Norah would do the like of that
Fur the love of Heaven, num-" she
cried, falling upon her knees and catch.
ing Mrs. Dunlap's skirts, "for the love
OF Heaven, unsay them cruel words
don't call me a thafe %
''Get up, Norah,n said Mrs. Dunlap
severely; ''your acting is quite lost upor
me. The money is certainly gone, anC
you must have taken it. And so voU
can take your choice between returning
1t to me or leaving at once"
"Oh, mum, won't We behave me
Search me, do anything you like, only
don't turn me away. I've nowhere tc
go, and-n
'There, that will do, my girl. Idon't
wish to search you. Take all the good
from the money that you can, but pack
up your things at once, and go as soor
as possible"
In vain did Norah plead and protest
her innocence, but her mistress was in.
exorable. She felt that the ingratitude
and deceit of the girl merited no kind.
ness at her hands. So Ncrah packed
her few effects into a bundle and left
the house, wailing bitterly, while Mrs.
Dunlap after the excitement was over,
went upstairs and INDUCED in a good