Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-05-05

there's only one person been in your
room since you came besides yourself,
and she's the person you must reckon
WITH" pointing to the maid, who, with
white cheeks and downcast eyes, leaning
against the wall as if awaiting sentence.
ooh, indeed, indeed I didn't take it!
I never saw any wallet" she SAID; but
her voice was drowned in Mrs. Nash's
louder tones.
"And pray who else took it, do you
suppose? Who else had the chance?
Answer me that. It serves me just right
for taking in girl with no recommend
"a girl [ didn't know nothing about,
not so much us her name, or where she
came from, OF who her folks are. Five
weeks tomorrow, that's all the time she's
been in the house, sir; but this Is the
end of it. It's the last time I'll ever
have a help don't know all the long and
short of, so you needn't feel afraid to
stop with us agaln-no, nor none OF your
friends, either; and as for her, out she
packs this dayP'
"Pdbetter go for the constable, hadn't
I?-if you're sure it was under the pill
low you put it." suggested the landlord.
pleaded the girl, weeping violently.
"Give the gentleman his wallet back,
then, and perhaps he'll let you off.
81 can't. I haven't got it. L never
saw it. Oh, please, believe me. Don't
send me to jail" she urged.
The landlady only answered by sound
expression of disgust. And throwing
her apron over her head, the poor girl
wept in silence, saying no more.
John had held his peace during this
alteration, sharply cycling the parties
concerned in it meanwhile. The Washes
he knew something about. They were
of good reputation as far as he was
aware. The maid was a stranger to
them, as to him; but spite OF the cir
cumstances, and her manner, which was
hardly less suspicious, he could not
bring himself to believe her guilty. He
was not hasty man, and he was just
one, with kind heart to back his tenn
perate Judgments: and after few min
utes' reflection he made up his mind what
to do.
''I can't swear that I put the wall
under the pillow or anywhere else" he
said. "I'm pretty sure that [ did, but
my thoughts about it are confused some
how, and it may be that L left it at
Bolton, where 1 slept on Tuesday. [
don't want no injustice done on my ac-
count. So don't cry like that address
ing himself to the girl-"I'u tell you
what I'll do. Get the bay shod during
the day, will you ?"-to Mr.. Nash-''and
if you'll lend me saddle I'll ride back
to Bolton and make inquiry there. If /
find the money, well and good; if [
don't, it'll be time enough to talk further
about it tomorrow"
"I'm sure it's very good of you to take
so much trouble" declared thelandlady.
But whether or no, the girl don't stay
here. I'll have no suspected thief in my
house.
"There'n be nothing to suspect her of
if [ find the wallet, "reioinedJ John, dryly.
"Don't give the poor thing bad name
till you know that she deserves it."
Then he left the room, unmindful of the
look of gratitude which shone upon him
from the blue eyes of the girl, who had
dropped her apron, and gazed after him
till he was out of sight.
His reflections were not agreeable as
he retraced his footsteps over the dusty
highway travelled but yesterday with so
light heart. The loss of his money
meant great deal to John Boyd. The
pressure of anxiety seemed to settle
again upon his shoulders, as he thought
over the probabilities of it's non-re-
covery. "But won't give in without
q fight for it, " he thought, grimly, as he
urged on his horse. Miles seemed
doubly long when measured by heavy
heart, and what with dust, heat and the
continual effort to clear his mental con-
fusion 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.
"Bolton's your only chance, he said
eff twas on the road you dropped it,
there's no likelihood that you'll ever hear
of it again. The dust's eight inches
deep, I should say, and there's been
three big droves Of sheep and one Of
bulloclzs along since yesterday, SO if your
wallet was a-lying there, they must have
trampled it under 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 a 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 ways 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, presented
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 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.