The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-12-25

the cheek" Salu Tue Juuge.
"Impossible!" cried the little old
gentleman.
9"She has admitted It,"
Mr.. Wentworth was dumbfOunded.
The whole affair was involved In mys-
tery. The written part Of the check,
had he not known the contrary, he
would have sworn to be in his own
hand, His check book, too, was miss
ing. though how 1t could have been
distracted from the safe In his room,
of which he kept exclusive possession
Of the key, was quite past his COM
prelension.
/" You gave me the check yourself,
sir,n said Mabel, "on the steps Of my
lodgings, late on Christmas night ;
YOU surely cannot have forgotten it."
Late on Christmas night!"-why,
the old gentleman was sure he hadn't
stirred out of his room after dinner,
and that he had gone to bed ut nine
Whatever conclusion the, little
old gentleman's mind might have
reached in its bewilderment, Mabel's
was fast approaching one ut the ludi-
crousness OF which she would have
smiled under less serious circumstan-
ces, which was, that Mr. Wentworth
had celebrated Christmas a little in
discreetly, and taken drop too much
for his memory, when her reflections
were cut short by the appearance Of II
new face upon the scene-a decidedly
handsome one, belonging to u young
gentleman who had accompanied
Mfr. Wentworth to the court 1t was,
moreover, the same face that would
keep coming up In Mabel's Dreams
and sometimes when she was awake
too. . I. 90 t
"Mabel Gleason !" cried the young
man. "What-what absurd blunder
Is this? Who has dared $40.
A deep flush, succeeded by a deathly
pallOr overspread MabePs counte.
nance, as she tottered and would have
fallen, but for the timely support Of
her youthful companion. aI
"Uncle the latter vehemently
exclaimed, al know this lady, and
would stake my life upon her limo.
cence " .-rI oil "a
$50 would I, boy, though Pm puz-
zled to my wits end ~ san .aI. 3D.
"See here!n hecontinued, address
ing the Judge, "this case must go no
further!"
"The charge can only be withdrawn
by those who made It," the Judge
answered. .,. ~ tua
"And who are MyS confound
them!p ,Nun
"The officers of the bank.n N.
"The officers Of the bank he
bowed! Pm one of them myself! I'll
90 her bail anyhow, and fix 1t up with
the hank afterwards" ...
The proposition was satisfactory.
AS Warren Harding conducted Ma.
bel home, he learned for the first time
her altered circumstances. When
last they had met, 1t was In her native
city, In the midst Of q refined and
fashionable circle, of which she was
the chief center of attraction. He
had been absent for a year In Europe,
and had returned but few days be-
fore. How little had he expected, In
accompanying his uncle to the police
court, that the meeting to which he
had looked forward with most impa-
tience should take place there.
Whatever explanation passed be.
tween the two young people, they led
to Warren's passing sleepless night
It was past midnight, and he had not
vet retired, when his uncle, whom he
had believed snug In bed, muffied
hated, coated, and equipped as If fol
going out, unceremoniously entered
his apartment. A strange express
sion In his eyes arrested the young
mans attention. Taking key from
his pocket, he opened asecret drawer
of secretary In one corner Of the
room, from which he took what
seemed to be a blank-book, which he
opened, and taking upa pen, began
to write. fN0
Warren drew nearer. 1t was u
check book his uncle was writing In
Having finished, the old gentleman
neatly cut out and folded the part on
which he had written, and was about
leaving the room when Warren spoke
"Where are you going, unclef"
"To make present to Mabel" re.
piled the other, without turning his
head. "Imdde her one on Christmas,
and intended making her another on
New YEARS., but somehow forgot it,
Warren grasped his uncle's arm.
The latter gave q bound that almost
lost him his balance. d Nl TO-.
"Why, what's the matter?" he ex-
claimed, rubbing his eyesi" where
am I?n n 'wH II
"See! see uncle" cried the young
man eagerly; "the mystery Is ex-
whats this 2" said the old gen.
tleman, more and more astonished
"My lost check-book, as VI live! and
q check, too, in my hand, regularly
filled up, and dated to-day! And
here-why, here's a memorandum,
In the margin, Of that COMPOUNDED
check that has caused all the mis-.
chief It's all plain now! I've been
at my old pranks again. They used
! to accuse me Of sleep-walking when
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