The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-03-01
'ou'n have an opportunity to see it,


i Tom was annoyed by the anfortu
nate loss Of the valise key, but ht
fogot his disappointment in listening
to the recital of a most extraordin.
| AIRY adventure of Mr.. Jones in South
Africa, which was hardly finished
when the train arrived at -.
We'll, goodbye, my boy. May
the day of our next meeting be no,
far distant These were Mr.. Jones
parting words.
As Tom left the car he glanced at
the man with the pepper-and-s Il
suit, bat he was asleep, or pretended
to be.
1.-The really was after the money,
he's had his tronble for nothing.
thought Tom.
Ten minutes later he entered the
office, where his father, Dick Fan
shaw, the foreman and myself were
seated.
We'll, father he said with a com
placent smile, here | am again
The money-Is it all right?'
Here it is, SIR
You had no trouble, eh?'
OF course not
I'm very glad of it. said Mr.. Slo-
man, as he opened it. But what's
this?'
The moneys all right. l hope
sir
Money There is no money
here?'
No money therep cried Tom and
Dick Fanshaw, while l dropped my
pen aghast.
Nothing but lot of slips Of old
paper said Mr.. Sloman.
Tom dropped into a chair, pale as
ghost. Dick uttered low, pro-
longed whistle, and | continued to
stare bereft of speech.
What does this mean p asked Mr..
Sloman, fixing his eyes sternly upon
his sons face.
Tom sprang to his feet, and his
face lighted up.
I'll iix it,, he cried. Leave it to
me, and he rushed from the office.
His father called him back, but
Tom did no. hear him.
Dick stepped to the door and
locked down tie street.
He's running toward the railroad
depot he said. Perhaps the bundle
got changed somewhere down there.
Maybe he'll bring the money back
with him all right
In fifteen or twenty minutes Tom
returned and sank into chair,
gasping for breath.
Well, asked his father, what have
you done?' Where is the money !?
On board-the train he gasped.
But I've telegraphed his description
to c.. and when the train gets
there they'll arrest him.
Whom? Whose description q de-
manded Mr.. Sloman.
Then Tom told US all about tie
man in the pepper-and-salt suit who
had followed him from New York.
When he had finished his story his
father said not q word, but again
paced the Hoor with bowed head
and contracted brows. Dick Fan
shaw returned TO his work and /
picked up my pen.
i telegraphed to the conductor
said Tom, after an oppressive silence
of five minutes duration. The train
must have arrived at c. before
this, and III probably get an answer
in few minutes.
Ten minutes later Tom received
an answer that the man he caused
to be arrested was a well-known
Judge, and not the culprit at all.
Tom overcome with shame and
modification, told his father the
whole story of his trip, and Mr. Slo-
man at once felt convinced that
Jones was the guilty party.
'Impossiblen
sWe shall see,' and Mr.. Sloman
seized his hat and left the office
During his fathers absence, Tom
sat and gazed out of the window
with a most doleful expression of
countenance. and without uttering a
word.
Nearly an hour passed before Mr..
Sloman's return. AS he entered
the office at last, both Tom and |
looked eagerly into his face
NO news 2 asked Tom.
None but what | received from
the conductor of the westward-bouDd
train which arrived at the station
while | was there. He said that
vour friend, the conductor of the
one which you came from New York
on was very much embarrassed blythe
mistake YOU made in telegraphing
him that the old gentleman whom
YOU described had taken your pack
age of money. He was very angry
when he was told of your suspicious,
and soon everybody in the car knew
all about it. The passengers, OF
course took his part. as he was
known by some OF them, and the
conductor was abused right and left,
The conductor, however, feels al
most certain that the man who sat
with you, and who seemed so friend
w. had something to do with the
disappearance of the money. He
rot off at Nj, the next station
above here
Il don't see how or when he could
have taken the money, said Tom.
II didn't lose sight of the package
for a minute.
Are YOU sure?' asked his father
Come to think of it, cried Tom,
changing color. did lose sight of it
lust for an instant, You see, Mr..
Jones, or whatever his name was
asked me to hand him his valise,
and I left the package on the seat
while | took the valise down from
the rack
That was probably when he took
the money! said Mr.. Sloman. Well,
Tom, | fear we shall never see that
twenty-five hundred dollars.
Tom said nothing, but looked un-
utterable things.