The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-05-08


GIRL don't stay here. I'll have no sus-
pected thief in my house."
"Therell be nothing to suspect ner
of if / find the wallet" rejoined John'
dryly. "Don't give the poor thing
bad name till you know that she ue-
serves it, Then he left the room, uli-
mindful of the look of gratitude winch
shone upon him from the blue eyes Oh
the girl, who had dropped her apron,
and gazed after him till he was out oi
sight. ..
His reflections were not agreeable as
he retraced his footsteps over the dusty
highway travelled but yesterday with 50
LIGHT heart. The loss of his money
meant a great deal to John Boyd. Inc
pressure of anxiety seemed to settle
again upon his shoulders, as he thougnt
over the probabilities of its non-recov-
ery. "But won't give in without a
fight for it, he thought. grimly, as ne
urged on his horse. Miles seem douply
long when measured by heavy heart,
and what with dust, heat, and the con-
tinual effort to clear his mental contu-
sion as to where and when he last had
seen his wallet, the young farmer was
tagged and dispirited enough before
noon was fairly come.
He stopped to dine at little tavern
attached to toll-gate, and with some
vague hope that the money might have
been picked up on the road by some
one, mentioned his loss. The toll-keeper
shook his head.
Bottoms your only chance" he said.
If twas on the road you dropped Is
there's no likelihood that you'll ever
hear of it again. The dust's eight
inches deep, l should say, and there's
been three big droves of sheep and one
of bullocks along since yesterday, so if
your wallet was a-lying there, they must
have tramped itunder pretty thoroughly.
1t is buried deep enough, you may be
sure, unless, which is just as likely to
happen, some one has picked it up and
made off with it. Your chance is slim
one, reckon"
Cold comfort this; but John was
forced to agree with the opinion. De-
spondingly he rode through the after
noon, scanning the way as he went;
for, despite the toll-keeper, faint hope
still fingered in his heart, though the
track, deep in dust, and churned and
trampled by the crowding droves, pre-
scented a sorry field for either hope or
discovery.
He had gained the top of long hill,
from which Bolton was dimly visible,
when moving object far ahead caught
his eye, and he rose in his stirrups in
order to see more clearly. AS he did SO,
his horse made false step, stumbled,
and threw him forward in the saddle,
so that his head grazed the horses neck.
1t was in this position that tiny object,
of red not over an inch square. in the
dust beneath, caught his quick eye. His
heart gave little leap; then he called
himself fool; but all the same he dis
mounted to examine. Already ran
dom hoof-stroke had buried the red
patch from sight, but John recollected
the spot, and stopping, dug and scooped
till it again became visible. His I'm
gers again recognized solid substance.
Trembling with excitement, he contin-
ued to dig; another second the object
was uncovered, lifted out, and with a
wild, incredulous whoop of joy, John
Boyd held in his hand his wallet, buried
deep by the hurrying herds, and uncov-
cred for one passing moment that his
eye might detect it, and no other. Ex-
cept for that lucky stumble, he too would
have ridden over the lost treasure, and
never dreamed what lay beneath his
horses feet. ......l ....
"And some folks say there amt nc
God!" was his mental comment, spoken
half aloud. Then-for John Boyd's re-
igion, though homely, was a true one
he bent his head and said few
words of thanksgiving; after which,
jumping on his horse, he took the back
ward route, eager to tell his good for
tune, and exonerate the poor girl, who,
as he now remembered with self
reproach, must have passed painful
day under the stigma of undeserved
suspicion.
The heat was yielding to evening
freshness, and he urged his horse, i'm
patient to set matters straight; but,
with his best endeavor, it was after
eleven before he at last drew rein in
front of Nash's Hotel. He was expected,
that was evident, for lights were burn
ing, and both Nash and his wife hurried
out to meet him, wearing faces of lu-
gubrious length, which only in part
changed to cheerfulness when they
heard of the recovery of the wallet.
"There, what did tell youP" cried
the husband. "Haven't l ben assay
ing all day that likely as not this scare
would turn out all for nothingp And
you wouldn't listen to word, but just
kept on to that poor thing inside there,
and she nothing to blame all the time. |
declare, it's too bad the way women
act to each other-and folks calling
them the softer sex!' A man would
be ashamed to be so hard. Well, do
tell! and so the money was lying there
in the dust all the time! Well, I'm
mighty glad, for your sake and ours,
too. Go right in, sir, and wife III give
you some supper. I'll see to the
horse"
Mrs. Nash waited on the meal in
grim silence. She seemed only half
rejoiced at the denouement.
"It's mighty queer" she remarked,
as she set the last dish on the table.
"I don't feel as ifwe'd got to the bottom
of it yet. Why didn't Lucy deny more
positiveP"
"But she did," said John, between
two mouthfuls; "she said she hadn't