The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-04-09

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side out. She felt in her pocket; she
looked up her sleeve. It was no use.
The money was not there. Miss Mimi,
meanwhile, stood regarding her through
her spectacles in manner that BODIED
no good to Patience.
"Well?'' said she at length, and all
the judgments of the law seemed con-
centrated in that one word.
GIVE lost it, oh, I've lost itr' said
Patience.
"Don't add to your sin by telling lies
about it." said Miss MINI. Confess
what you've done with the money, or
it will be worse for your
As she spoke she clutched her chate-
laine and Patience found herself won
dering if she intended to cut her head
off with the great scissors attached to it.
81 had it, and it's gone, and that 8
all can tell about it," said Patience,
almost sobbing.
Every well, miss. very well. You may
60, and don't show your face here again
until you're ready to confess how wicked
you have BEEN"
As Patience turned away, Miss MINI
exclaimed, in q tone of triumph, 81
wonder what Mr.. Hawly will say
now?"
The thought that she should be able
to prove to him that she was in the
right in her estimate of Patience almost
compensated her for the loss of the
ffty-fve cents, and such was heI
haste to tell him the story that she
finished the dressing gown an hour
sooner than she otherwise would, and
took it over to him herself. But Miss
MINI was much too good diploma
fist to show her triumph. On the con-
trary, she related the circumstance
with very dismal face, and wound
up by saying, I'm sure it's dreadful
to find such depravity in a child. You
can't think what my feelings were,
Mr.. Hawly. You mi ght almost have
knocked me down with feather
''And yet am disposed to think the
case is not so bad as you fear. She
may have lost the money, after all"
"Ard never found it out till she got
to my door?" said Miss MINI. THAT
don't seem likely, for she had it in her
hand. -or pretended she had. It's well
to be charitable, but facts is facts, Mr..
Hawly," and with this unanswerable
argument. Miss MINI took her leave.
The next morning, as she sat at work,
Sarah Bangs came in to be fitted for
dress, and her first words were, "You
haven't lost any money. have you, Miss
Minn?''
"Me lost money?-why?''
because I picked some up in your
yard" said Sarah.
"Well, did lose trife-6fty-fve
cents-but I didn't think twas worth
making fuss about" said Miss MINI.
with varying emotions.
Heres what 1 found. I haven't
counted it twenty-five and three
tens; that's it exactly. It was under
the rose-bush. 1t was so nearly the
color of the dry grass, shouldn't have
seen it if hadn't dropped my handker-
chief"
Miss MINIS first thought was that
Patience had dropped the money from
her mitten, which was indeed the case;
but wasn't it possible that some other
person had lost itp People were COM
ing and going all the time, and the
money might have lain there a week
for any evidence to the contrary.
But if Patience did not drop the mon
ey, then she herself had no claim to it;
and wasn't this dilemma for the poor
woman? She determined to test the
matter to the utmost, so she hung out
her accustomed signal, which soon
brought Patience to her.
II sent for you to give you one more
chance about the money. Tell me the
truth about it, and I'll overlook it this
once, bad as your conduct has BEEN"
IF that is all, I might as well not
have come, for I can't tell you anything
only lost it." said Patience. sadly.
"Look here, child, I'm your friend,
though you may not think it. saw you
speak to Becky Sprigg. I saw you, SO
you needn't deny it. y
II wasn't going to deny it, but I got
away from her as soon as I could"
eyes, saw that, too. Now what if
Beck Becky s sp ri snatched the money away
.'She didn't. She couldn't, for the
money was in my mitten," exclaimed
Patience.
"You thought so, but it may not
have been, and Becky is very bad girl.
If you say she snatched the money
everybody will believe you. and you
will be cleared"
"She didn't take it, for I had it after
ward" said Patience, sturdily.
"Oh, we'll, I knew she didn't" said
Miss MINI, foiled in her little game. II
only wanted to see what you'd say.
The truth is, there's been some money
found in my yard, and no doubt it is
what you dropped. Your change was
two quarters and five, wasn't it?''
"No, it wasn't; it was a twenty-five
and three tens" said Patience, "and
one of the tens was mended."