Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1880-09-09

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my hopts were down to zero. 1 !
knew that Harding's eagerness to
win sweet Lucy Crofton made him
jealous of the favor with which her
father regarded me, and was convinc-
ed that his object was not only
money, but to ruin me in my en-
ployer's estimation. The result
| would be the same, at all events.
Unless l could get back the package,
farewell to all my bright prospects
and the sweetest maiden in sill the
world to me.
sit was dusk when / reached
Stockport, for which l was not sorry.
l went directly to the hotel where l
knew Harding boarded. He had
been out of town for the last two
days. SO the porter told me, 'but
had just got back Ascertaining
the number, proceeded to his room,
and the door being ajar, 1 went in.
Harding was not there, but the bright
light and cheerful fire indicated that
he was not far off, and sat down
and waited.
81 looked scrutinizingly around.
On the chair near me lay IAN old
glove: the mate to the one in the
satchel, as l found by comparing
them. Another link in the Chain of
evidence.
/ II had scarcely time to secure
this and decide upon my course of
action when Harding entered
have not power to describe his aston
ished and dismayed look as he saw
me. Quickly recovering himself he
advanced eagerly toward me.
''Ignorin" the outstretched hand,
! said, stcrnly:
." Mr.. Harding, here is the satchel
you left behind you in the little
masquerade you played last night.
You acted your part we'll, but it is
time to lay off the mask now. In
this satchel is an odd glove, the mate
of which / found upon the chair yon-
der, and which may be of value to
you. You can have it in exchange
for the package you took from me-
''Taken entirely by surprise, and
a coward at heart, the villain turned
deadly pale.
| "'Will you give me twenty-four
hours to leave town in!'
''Taking a revolved from my pock-
ct | advanced one step nearer.
"'Give me that package and you
can have forty-eight hours; refuse
and you have not five minutes to
livcn
1T was about his person, as sur
missed, and without another word he
gave it to me.
''Only waiting to make sure tina,
it was the same, and had not been
tampered with, 1 sprang down the
stairs, two steps at a time, in my
, haste TO catch the train that l knew
would soon be due. Twenty minutes
later was on my journey again
, feeling like suddenly freed bird a.
. 1 speed along.
"By travelling day and night, and
: taking brief times for rest and re
freshment, l SO nearly ma.le up tn,
' time had lost as to be able to brin:
:, my business to a satisfactory conclu
). sion within the limits assigned me
= On my return found good man,
- of my friends and acquaintances con
i siderably exercised on the subject O
- Harding's sudden and mysteriou
disappearance. kept my owI
, counsel, however, being more asham
= ed of the successful game that ha'
y been played with me, than by bein
y able, by a fortunate combination Q
:. circumstances, to eheckmate him i
:. the end.
~ - "It was not until Lucy had bee
my wife nearly a year, and / wa
- junior partner of the firm, that ven
;. tured to tell her father of his narro
escape from serious loss, which, i
:. its result, would have been more dis
- astrous to me than to him, inasmuc
- :. as it would have involved the loss {
ts n the most precious of all my earthl
possessions.
" In every greenback paper we pic
c, up, we see something about "Resuml
in ton" and thc ''soft money platfor
OF the Democrats in 1873" and s'R
l sumption" &c. While this resuml
ie ton business reminds us somewh
er of last years birds nest, it beir
sc an accomplished fact, the discussie
" of the dead issues two years ago r
n minds us of little anccdotc:
OF A gentleman in the interior of Mi
e, nesota who had improved fine far
y, in the outskirts of civilization ke
C, writing to some of his eastern frien,
ld to come out and hunt deer with hin
OF After some years they came. II
re farmer said he knew just where TO iil
&, a fine old buck, and after an car
r. breakfast one morning all parti
:. started, in high spirits, for the stan
1g On the way the old gentleman W
re telling his friends to be as still
n possible, as they must not let t
ng buck hear them. Finally he point
&c. out an old rotten stump of tree an
lat with anxiety depicted all over !
IT. countenance, told them now to
ire careful for the buck was just behi
nd that stump. Alter cautious q
er- proach with guns cooked, and eas
for the sight Of the animal, th
reached the tree and no deer and
signs of any having been there We
he visible. The old man had kline
wn stayed back in order to give his q
The friends the first shot. When th
10 Ereacbed the tree he halloed:
I'll, ''Why don't you shoot!"
''There is no deer here" he
ath piled.
rt- ''Thunder," said the old man,
the he came painting up,- you must
ok mistaken, ! saw hun there myse
ice just four years ago, to day."
led The moral Is obvious. The gre
BILE hackers have not found out that n
ea, thing has transpired since the Der
irst Gratis saw. the time the country neet
GU more money. They saw the b,
the theTesjust four yeas Osand it "
me be there now.
had - ---.- sss---- -s.ss-s---,:s;s. =
1t o The minister stopped at ho
rd- last week, and sought to improve
f<hRl .