Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-10-17
Perhaps Mr.. Fred had better rea

perhaps Mr.. Fred had better rea
the note" was the evasive reply 10
But Maud's terror was only increased
when Fred, after reading the note.
broke into furious exclamation Of
rage. l l et l-.8
"Who dares to say am midnight
burglar ~ he shouted.
''Oh, Fred, what is it ?" asked Maud,
turning very white. 80 .aasa
my uncle has been robbed Of Eve
thousand dollars, and he pays me the
compliment Of supposing me the thief
because I have a duplicate key to his
private desk. great heavens I" he
cried, with sudden change in his voice,
she cannot mean it I rob my uncle |!
Iu'
''Mr. Fred" said the clerk, respect
fully, 81 only waited to see how you
took the note, to speak a few words Of
advice. Mr.. Fred, I was with your
father when he was killed on the rail-
way train: 1 was with your uncle when
he brought you from your mothers
funeral to his home. I took you to
boarding school, and brought you home
for the holidays, and I've loved you,
boy and man, since you were ten years.
old, and that's twelve long years, I
know you never took the money but
things look very ugly for you."
"But," said Fred, grasping hard the
hand of the old clerk held out to him,
Il cannot understand it. LISTEN" and
he read aloud the note from his uncle
"MR. FREDERICK TRYoN-I could
not believe without proof-undeniable
positive proof-that you could rob me
of FIVE thousand dollars, taken, as you
know, from my private desk on Wednes-
day last. You are my sisters son, and
1 will never be the one to imprison OF
punish you, but you are no longer neph-
ew of nine. Willingly, will never
look you in your face again. Your i'll
gotten gains freely give you to start in
some business, trusting you will live
honestly in the future. Do not try to
see me 1 will not listen to any ex-
plantations know to be false. Do not
write, for I will not open your letters.
RUFUS MARKHAM.
Maud Clarkson grew. white as death
as she heard the stern edict. 'Oh,
Fred !" she cried, ''what can you do ~
"starve, I suppose" was the bitter
answer, las 1 do not happen to possess
the ill-gotton gains so generously pre-
scented to me, Maud. You were be-
trothed to the milliouaire's nephew and
heir the disinheritsd beggar frees you
from your promise"
Erred, she cried, bursting into tears,
chow can you be so cruel ?" Then I'M
needing the nlnrk. who Voc directly
looking from the window, she came
close to Fred's side. Darling" she said,
fixing her eyes upon his face, ''if all
the world thinks you guilty, 1 do not.
If all the world casts you off, ! will
keep my promise"
The young lover had been bewildered,
indignant, desperate, but he folded the
gentle comforter fast in his arms, and
great tears fell on her upturned face.
"Ged bless you, Maud" he cried {;
Il can defy the world if you are true to
me. Now, Potter, sit down, and tell
me what you know of this wretched
business"
well, Mr.. Fred, l never heard Of the
robbery myself until this morning, when
Vodges, the detective your uncle en-
ployed to work it up, came to make his
report. They did not notice me at first,
and when your uncle remembered 1
was in the room, had heard about all
Vodges knew. You remembered there
was a note coming due last Wednes-
day ?" ..
ITO johnson ?"
eyes well thought at the time it
was curious your uncle gave him a
check, when 1 knew the money was
drawn out the bank the day before to
meet that very note. But Ineyer knew
till this morning that the money was
stolen from Mr.. Markham's private desk
by false keys. Mr.. Fred" said the old
man earnestly, sit was all in five-hun-
dred-dollar notes, and your uncle had
the numbers"
"Well? 20
''This morning Wedges brought back
one of the notes which ysu gave to t
yesterday in payment for pearl
locket."
"Stop, Potter! let me think. Where
did get that note ? have it! Arnold
gave it to me to take out hundred dol
lars 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"
s'Not so fast, Mr.. Fred-not so fast,
1t will not be an easy matter to prove
this. Were there any witnesses pres.
ent when Arnold borrowed the keys ~
mo /; l was alone in my room, hall
undressed, when he knocked at the
door, and said he had lost the key of his
trunk. Ilent him my bunch of keys,
which he returned before I was out Of
bed the next day."
"And you were alone when he paid
you the money!"
Eyes; I thought he was very flush,
for you know as we'll as 1 do, Potter
that note for five hundred dollars il
not a do;lv v;a;tor in A vn nl<4So v>o,Lot ,,