The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-06-08

he cried, with sudden change in his
voice; ''he cannot mean it. I rob my
| uncle-I-"
'.Mr. Fred" said the clerk, respect
fully, Il only waited to see how you
took the note to speak few words oi
advice. Mr.. Fred, I was with your
father when ne was killed on railway
train; l was with your uncle when he
! brought you from your mothers funer-
| al to his home. took you to boarding
school, and brought you home for the
/ holidays; and I've loved you, boy and
man. since you were ten years old-and
that's twelve long years. l know YOU
never, never took the money; but things
| look very ugly for you
"But," said Fred, grasping hard the
/ hand the old clerk held out to him, Il
cannot understand it. Listen" And
he read aloud the note from his uncle:
"as. FREDERICK TRYoS:-I could not be-
neye. without prcof-rn1eniable, positive
proof-that you could rob me OF five thousand
dollars, taken, as you know, from my private
desk on Wednesday last You are my sisters
| punish you; but YOU are no longer nephew
! of mine Willingly, L will never look i'll your
| face again. Your il-gotten gains freely giy q
| you viii endeavor to live honestly in the fu-
! ture. Do not try to see me; l win not listen
70 any explanations know to be false. Do
not write, for VIII not open your letters.
"RUFuS MAkKHAM."
Maud Clarkson grew white as death
as she heard the stern edict.
: so, Fred" she cried, "what can you
doo''
''Starye, l suppose" was the bitter
answer, "as I do not happen to possess
| the iil-gotten gains he so generously pre-
/ sents me. But viii not ask YOU to
! st3rTe with me, Maud. You were be-
| trothed to the millionnaire's nephew and
heir; the disinherited beggar frees you
from your promise"
chow can you be so cruel?' Then, un-
needing the clerk, who was discreetly
looking from the window, she came
close to Fred's side. Darling" she
said, fixing her large black eyes upon
his face, ''if all the world believes you
guilty, do not. Ii all the world casts
you of, | viii keep my promise
The Young lover had been bewildered,
Indignant, desperate, but he folded the
gentle comforter fast in his arms, and
great tears fell on her upturned face.
God bless you. Maudn' he cried; Il
can defy the world, if you are true to
me. ''NoW, Potter, sit down and tell
me what you know Of this wretched busi-
ness"
'.Well. Mr. Fred, never heard of the
| robbery myself until this morning. when
Eogdes, the detective your uncle en-
pIoyed TO work it up, came to make his
report. They did not notice me at first,
and when your uncle remembered | was
in the room, had heard about all
Nogdes knew. You remember there
was 3 note coming due last Wednes-
dav?''
TO Johnson?''
Yes; well, thought at the time it
was curious that your uncle gave him
check, when [ knew the money was
drawn out Of the bank, the day before
to meet that very note. But l never
knew till this morning that the money
was stolen from Mr.. Markham,s private
said the Old man, earnestly, lit was all
in Observation-Disclosures notes, aud your
uncle had the numbers.
..Well?''
This morning Vogdes brought back
one of the notes which you gave to t.,
yesterday, in payment for pearl
locket.''
.'Stcp! Potter, let me think. Where
did | get that note? I have it. Arnold
gave it to me to take ont hundred dol
lars | lent him some time ago. And
Arnold -Potter-Arnold borrowed my
keys, last Wednesday night, to open his
trunk. Potter, huzza! we know the
thief"
"Not so fast, Mr.. Fred; not so fast.
1t will not be an easy matter to prove
this. Were there any witnesses present
when Arnold borrowed the keysP"
mo; l was alone in my room, half
undressed. when he knocked at my door
and said he had lost the key of his
| trunk. l lent him my bunch of keys,
which he returned before l was out of
! bed the next day"
land you were also alone when he
| paid you the money!
Yes; thought he was very flush, for
You know as well rs do. Potter, that a
note for five hundred dollars is not a
daily visitor in Arnold's pocket
..He is cunning scoundrel. He
wants to ascertain if the notes can be
identified before he tries to get rid Of
them himself Mr.. Fred. viii you leave
it to NE few days-only few days
and, if l do not catch the thief, youmay
| try"
..But my uncle?''
'Wait till you can prove your inno-
/ cence before You see him. Only week
give me only week to watch Arnold.
And, by-the-way, you will give me an
additional chance If you win leave the
/ city. Throw him off his guard by let
ting him suppose you are banished for
his crime
Run away like a cowardr' flashed
Fred
Only for q week. You see. the prob
ability is that Arnold has the money in
his possession yet. He will wait to see
the fate of what he has given you before
| putting any more into circulation; but
he has probably hidden it very securely.
He viii watch, but if You are willing |
will take your room while you are gone,
! and do q little detective business on my
part"
1t was not easy to persuade Fred to
consent to Potter's plan, but Maud s
persuasions being added to the old
city for week and return in that time
to yind;cate his own innocence, in case
Of Potter's failure.
Before night Fred was on his way to
visit another city. and his landlady had
agreed 70 allow Mr.. Potter to occupy his
place during his absence.
Fred had been gone two days when
the Old clerk called upon Miss Clarkson
to report progress.
Il am completely bafied." he said, in
answer to her inquiries. You see, Ar
mold knows me; and evidently suspects
NE. He is so affectionately desirous OF
keeping me in sight that l cannot get 6
peep into his room; and whenever he is
out. he locks the door and gives the key
to the landlady. / cannot force the door
yet. and by the time Fred returns l ar
afraid the money viii be smuggled
away. l am sure the money is in his
possession now, he is so careful about