Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1881-09-08

A True Homanee Girls love for
Her BetrOthSd Braves Dangers, Jail,
and n Detective.
Never condemn a person on cir
cumstantial evidence; II is unreliable,
even when the circumstances seem 70
lit into each other like a couple OF cog
wheels" said John +. Morris, who Is
nm experienced detective of Springfield,
Ohio
Give us the story, Uncle John"
mot long ago there resided in
franklin County wealthy old maid,
Miss Sabna Smith. BY inheritance she
was the possessor of large farm, on
which was an old-fashioned, though
comfortable, dwelling house. She was
reputed to have a good, square bank
account"
"How old Is she?''
"Well, on the shady side of seventy,
but she had a weakness like all old
maids, not for kittens, pOodles, or ca
narios, but for children. She had
raised several orphan girls, who are now
well settled in life. in 1865, she adopted
a siX-year-old, black-eyed girl, bright
as button, named Mollie McCann,
whose father had fallen in battle. fight
ing for his dag and country, while her
mother, crazed with grief, pined and
faded away. Mollie soon learned TO
love her new mother, and from prat-
tling maid in short clothes and pinafores
she soon bloomed forth into gushing
schoolgirl, and at eighteen was the
belle of every rustic gathering-the
pretty Miss Mollie McCann, over whom
the boys raved and the girls envied.
To all her admirers she turned deaf
ear, and, with pretty toss of the head,
and merry twinkle of her rOguish eye,
bade them be off and not bother her."
"Miss Smith was sensible; knew
that Mollie would probably marry aud
have a home OF her own some day, so
she neither discouraged her fondness
for society nor harped upon the
miseries of welded life in the maiden s
car, but when she came back from tho
State Fair at Columbus in 1873, and told
her adopted mother about the young
gentleman she had met, his attentions
and good qualities. Miss Smith was not
pleased, nor did she hesitate to frown
her displeasure aud advise her ward to
turn n willing ear 10 the many suitors
Of the neighborhood instead Of seeking
in far-olf fields that which was nearer
home.
but Mollie was, like many another,
struck on a travelling man, and she
carried on secret correspondence
with him through a lady friend for q
long time, until at last they were en-
gagged.
"Miss Smith aud Mollie were the
sole occupants OF the house. The bed
rooms were four in number, two OF
which we're used as spare rooms, one
occupied by Miss Smith and containing
two beds, Mollie occupying one. Miss
Smith the other. The fourth bedroom
was called Mollie's, but was only used
by her when a lady friend was visiting
her. In one of these spare bedrooms
was an old-fashioned bureau and book
case combined, the top drawer OF
which could be CONVEX ed into a desk.
The back prrs II this drawer was fitted
up wit, small drawers One OF these
small drawers had from time immemo-
rial been used as a money-drawer. In
the summer OF 1879 the sum OF 1855
was missed from the drawer; In the
summer OF 1880 500 mysteriously dis
appeared, together with a quantity OF
old gold coins which had been In the
family for over century. On the goth
day OF last May Miss Smith loaned to a
neighbor $500, giving him her check
and he signing a note In her favor.
Sickness prevented his presenting the
check at the bank 81 Columbus, and,
learning that Miss Smith was going To
that city on the 8Oth, he requested her
to get II csshed. She did 50, and re-