The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-06-27

and | will never be the one to mpnSon or
punish YOU. but YOU are no longer nephew OF
mine. Willingly, l will never look in Your face
again. Your ill-gotten gains l freely give you
to start in some business, trusting you W
live honestly in future. Do not try to see me;
will not listen to any explanations know to
be false. Do not write, for l will not open your
letters. "'RUFUs MARKHAM"
Maud Clarkson grew white as death az she
heard the stern edict "Oh, Fred ~ she cried,
"what can you do?"
"Starve, suppose" was the bitter answer,
as do not happen to possess the ill-gotten
gains so generously presented to me. But
will not ask you to starve with ME, Maud.
You were hetrothed to the millionarc's nephew
and heir the disinherited beggar frees you
from Your promise"
FIRED" she cried, bursting into tears, chow
can YOU be SO cruel?" Then, unheeding tn,
window, she came close to Freds side.
Daring" she said, fixing her eyes upon his
face, ''if all the world thinks you guilty, 1 do
not. If all the world casts you of, 1 will keep
my promise
The Young lover had been bewildered, indig
nant, desperate, but he folded the gentle com
forter fast in his arms, and great tears fell
Oh her upturned face.
"God bless you, Maud" he cried; II can
DEFY Inc Woriu II you are tIue W Hie. .>o",
Potter, sit down. and tell ME what you KNOW
of this wretched business
"Well, Mr.. Fred, l never heard of the rob-
berry myself until this morning, when fogdess,
the detective yorr uncle employed to work it
up, came to make his report. They did not
notice me at first, and when your uncle remen-
bered WAS in the room, 1 had heard about all
Nogdes knew. You remember there was note
coming due las. Wednesday,"
.'To JohnSon?'
"Yes well, thought at the time it was
curious your uncle gave him check. when
knew the money was drawn out Of the bank
the day before to meet that very note. But
never knew till this morning that the money
was stolen from Mr.. Markham's private desk
by false keys. lIr. Fred said the old man,
earnestly sit was all in five-hundred-doll
notes. and your uncle had the numbers
"Well?'
"This morning vogdes brought back one Of
the notes which you gave to t yestef-
day in payment for pearl locket."
"Stop, Potter let me think. Where did
get that note? 1 have it Ar::oid gave it to
me to take out hundred dollars 1 lent him
some time ago. And Arnold Potter,
Arnold borrowed my keys last Wednesday
night to open his trunk! Potter huzza! !!
We know the thief"
"Not so fast, Mr.. Frcd-not so fast. 1t will
not be an easy matter to prove this. Were there
any witnesses present when Arnold borrowed
the keys?'
"No; was alone in myroom, half undrcssed,
when he knocked at my door, and said he had lost
the kew Of his trunk l lent him my bunch OF
keys, which he returned before was out OF bed
the next day."
"Ani you were alone when he paid you the
money!"
"Yes thought he was very flush, for you
know as we'll as l do, Potter. that n note for fve
hundred dollars is not daily visitor in Arnold's
rocket"
':He is cunning scoundrel. He wants to as
certain il the notes can be identified before he
tries to get rid of them himself. Mr.. Fred, will
yen leave it to me for few days only few
days?-and if do not catch the thief, you may
try ~
"But my uncloy
"Wait till you can prove Your innocence be-
fore you see him. Only week. Give Inc only
week to watch Arnold. And. by-the-way,
you will give me an additional chance if you
will leave the city. Throw him off his guard
by letting him suppose youare banished for his
crime"
"Ruu away" flashed Fred. "like coward q
"Ony for a week. You see, the probability
is that Arnold has the money in his possession
vet. He will wait t. see the fate of what he
has given yon before putting any more into
circulation: but he has probably hidden it very
securely. You he will watch but if you are
willing, I will take your room while you are
gone, and do q little private detective business
Oh my part
1t was not easy to persuade Fred to consent
to Potter's plan. but Mauds pcrsuasions being
added to tic old mans he finally consented to
leave the city for q week, and return in that
time to vindcate his own innocence in case of
Potter's failure.
Before night Fred was on Ills way to visit
another city, and his landlady had agreed to
allow Mr. Potter to occupy his place during his
absence.
Fred had been gone two days, when the old
clerk called upon Miss Clarkson to report pro-
gress.
II am completely baffled," he said, in answer
to her inquiries. 'You see. Arnold knows me,
and evidently suspects me. He is SO affection
ately dcsrous Of keeping Inc i'll sight, that l
cannot get a peep into his room; and when
ever he is ont, he locks the door and gives the
key to the landlady. l cannot force his door
vet. and by the time Fr, returns, am afraid
the money will he smuggled away. | am sure
il is in his possession now, he is so careful about
his room. Nobody gets i'll there but the land
lady. did think of bribing the chambermaid
to let me in when she was at work there, but,
unfortunately, she left to-day
A flash Of light seemed to pass across Maud's
face, but she only said, demurely:
':Your landlady is a German, is she not?'
Yes; her English is very imperfect. Have
you ever seen her.
No; havo heard Fred speak OF her. My
mother. you know, was German"
but What has that to do with Frcd's casc?'
81 will tell you. Vogdes has tried to find the
thief, and failed. You have tried, and failed.
| mean to try and succeed
"You! What can you do?'
"Come tomorrow, and I will tell YOU.
Punctual to the appointed time, Potter made
his appearance.
With dancing eyes and flushed cheeks, Mand
met him.
"Wen?" he asked. certain from her looks
that she had good tidinSs.
II told you I would succeed -
land you did? Huzza. 1 feel as Young as
Fred himself ="
"To whom I have telegrapLed to return.
He will be here this evening. and you must
bring Mr.. Markham, Mr.. Yodges and the
proper police authorities, to meet in his room.
Then, Mr.. Potter. 60 to Mr.. Arnold's room,
and remove the pipe of the stove at the elbow.
In the joint you will find Mr.. Markham's memo
randum book and the missing notes."
"You are sure?"
"Listen. This morning, in calico dress.
disguise. applied for the place of chamber
maid at the boarding house where Mr.. Arnold
has room. l braided my hair in two long
plaits, and convinced your landady that was
Il recent importation from Germany, unable to
speak a word Of English. She agreed to take
ME for one week on trial, and before had been
two hours in the house, was sent to tidy Mr..
Arnold's room. Never was a room tidied so
quickly: and. seeing my mistress on her way to
market. shot the bolt. and took survey of
the premises. The trunk was locked, tho bu-
reau drawers wide open, the closet door ajar.
felt a reluctance to overhaul any private de-
positorics though should have done it," sho
added, resolutely. "if had been driven to it !!
rummaged little, when on the closet-floor
espied shirt, apparently scarcely soiled, ex-
ccpt one sleeve. and that was black with SCOT
What is he doing at the fireplace in summer?'
thought. and went to examine. Afew minutes
sufiiced to convince me that the stove had been
moved out, and the elbow of the pipe removed
repeated the process to find roll Of five
hundred-dollar notes and a small notebook,