The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-06-21
WHO TOOK ITq

The story ofa Twenty.Pound Bank Not
"'viiI you take charge Of eco till to-mo
row morning, Mariana"
Take charge Of EGO, Haroldw echoe
my wife in amazement. What do 20
mean2"
settled myself down to an explanation
Explanations are things I hate; nevertht
less, they are necessary sometimes. On
was due on this occasion.
"You know, my dear Marian, J" bega
with business.like air, "that the failur
Of Hardinge Brothers threw scores Of mer
women andrhillren in the neighborhoo
out Of work, in the very hardest part OF
very bad year. This evening" meetin
was held with aview to enlisting the sym
pathY Of the public. A sIbscription.lis
was got up, and collection made Their
and then to the tune Of e2O. As nothing
else could be done with the money to
night, 1 was, as Treasurer, obliged to brinl
1t home; and very nervous l felt, cal
assure you, at coming along these lionel,
roads with such sum. However, l hayI
reached home safely, in spite of my fears
and now l shall deliver it over to you un
Ill can get rid OF it"
"And 40 free your mind from all respon
sibility," added my wife, with smile.
She knows that one Of my chief weak
nesses is dread Of responsibility.
"As far as possible" / replied.
We Immediately went into consulta
ton as to where the money should be put
| suggested the meat.sate, as a place t
which thieves would never dream OF goinI
for money, but my wife pooh.poohed Thu
idea, as well as several other suggestions
Of mine, which thought were not so bad
AT last the idea struck her In the shap,
Of the wine-drawer OF the cupboard OF tn,
sideboard. BY this means the money
would be doubly safe; she argued, for thu
drawer might first be locked, in addition
TO locking the door. looked rather con
temptuously on tine plan, for, il the trutI
be told, felt it was only due to myself t
do SO, since my wife treated every sugges
ton OF mine in similar manner.
Both Of US failing to hit upon anythin,
better, the wine.bin was agreed upon
and, as | looked over my evening paper,
watched her place the black japanned DO.
in the drawer, lock it, lock the sideboard
and place the key in her own purse.
"Therem she exclaimed. triumphantly
II shouldn't think any one would get a
that before tomorrow morning, for thi
purse goes into the well OF my dressing
case tonight, and that will be locked AM
the keys put away in my dressing.tahl
drawer, so we are doubly and tre6ly Sc
cure"
In spite OF these precautions there was
load on my mind that felt would only b,
removed when the money was safe in thu
bank. l envied my wife her happy insen
sibility, for in less than half an hour sh
was quietly sleeping, while l tossed rest
lessly to and fro, thinking about the none,
and wondering whether any one Couli
possibly get att.
At last grand idea struck me, which
was to :ut it inside the piano. Who woul,
dream Of searching for treasure in such
place? whereas, what robber coming int,
u house would not go to q sideboard9 anC
the very fact Of finding 1t doubly locked
would make him suspect that something
was hidden there. Plainly enough, Mis-
tress Marian, with all her cleverness, hal
chosen the very worst place possible
Should ! go down and remove it? l kney
where the keys were to be found. haC
half mind to do SO, II only for the sake O
quieting my mind and getting a littl
sleep. No donbt / should have done so
had not circumstances intervened-l fel
asleep.
1t seems scarcely an hour afterward tina
| awoke and heard sounds OF life in tn
street below. Well, SO far all was SAT
enough; no robbers had molested us, ant
felt so comfortable and easy now tina
all danger was over, that began to laugh
at my nervous fear. How stupid it woult
have been to have gone down atairs in th
middle OF such bitter night Than
goodness, l had been too strong mindet
for that.
fell of into another doze, and, as
natural consequence, was late for break
fast. That meal was hurried one, AM
when it was over and had my hat AM
coat on ready to start off on an importan
case, reminded Marian Of the money
and begged her to get 1t out quickly.
II had quite forgotten it." she sEolaiE
ed. Here Martha, run up stairs ant
fetch my purse out Of my dressing case
the keys are in my dressing table drawer.
Martha few upstairs to do her mistress
bidding, while stood and chafed in tn
hall and submitted TO having my Goa
brushed. In q moment she returned
bringing the purse, and Martha ran int
the dining room. Two or three minute
passed, and Marian was still fumblin
about at the siIleboard. entered tn
room impatiently. Marian looked at m
Grossly. -,
"This Is quite too bad, Harold. Wha
have you done with tho box%
"Done with the boxI" ] exclaimed
"what do you mean, MarianP"
II won't stand this trihing any longer,
replied my wife. "It's a shame to Civ
me the responsibility OF that money an
then tease me like this"
"WhAt on earth IS the woman talkin
about?" ] cried, hewildered. Say wha
you mean in plain words, ! beg"
. | AhV AiOhSY hSS ~ . HdAh1 ny
and ALL" Marian replied, with q whit
20" "Gone!" I cried, "Gone! whOre's It
gone, how's It gone, or who has taken 4
| I should like 10 know? You must be ra
ing. Let me come and look.h
Marian moved aside and ! knelt dow
to the drawer. No sign oil box WI
there. As my wife had said, the mont
But who, when, or whprpP The draw
was locked, the cupboard was looked, Il
purse was inside it, the keys in the dres
Ing table drawer. These things my vi
and Martha were sure Of. A man plact
in such a position Is bound to have
idea on the subject and to assert 1t, sc
suggested that Martha must be the culpv
aNo, no, don't say that, cried my wifi
excitedly, "Idas soon believe that | "
the thiei as she. I've known her all Il
lie. No, no, it isn't Martha"
'You talk like child" l replied, wi
an aIr Of superiority, for really WON
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