The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-06-16

And lndeedtiiis. seemed 10 be the case.
for the day Miss Molefte went an ay her
admirer was missing also.xIs M
II wonder what she will do with her
elephant, Z observed Air. Thornton
Send for the police j hape,l' said
Mr.. Bronson. THAT fellow is such q
COMPOUNDED fool there is no putting up
with him" aRa
81 don't dislike the creature, observ-
ed Mrs. Bronson. Il know he, lacks
polish, but then there is something suos-
pathetic about him. y
He is always thankful for being no.
ticed." returned MIR. Bronson. ut is o.
mystery to me how Miss Afolette can
endure to have him about her SO. con-
tinually."
''Miss Molette would fiirt with the
longs" said Mrs. Bronson rather more
sharply than she usually spoke.
When Miss Molette returned alone.
from the wedding her fellow-boarders
wished to know what she had done with
Mr.. Billings and We're surprised to learn
that she had not seen him. He did not
make his appearance on that day. and on
the next he was forgotten for the time
being, for the diamond robbery had
again become a topic of all-absorbing
found by the police in the possession of
the proprietor of Carew's saloon and the
earrings safely slowed away in Miss
Molette's writing desk. These worthless
were now lodged in Jail as the receivers
of stolen goods. The thief had fled,
having, so it was supposed, received
timely warning from the prosecuting
parties.
81 always suspected that Bronson
gambled," observed Mr., Thornton in
commenting on the affair, s.but didn't
suppose he had got so low as to pay his
gambling debts with stolen jewels. And
the mystery TO me is how that Molette
woman came by the earrings. lBron-
son didn't seem to be particularly sweet
on her,
This remark was addressed to the
company in general. and-to the surprise
of the others Mr.. Hunter, the school
master, answered it. @rfsU .
THAT mystery is easily explained.
Miss Molette, who happened to be one
diamond transaction and threatened to
blab (there was a reward offered, you
know if she were not paid for holding
her tongue"
How did you hear thisp'' asked Mr.. {,
Thornton.
From Billings was the reply.
ttBillings?a
Eyes; it was by my advice that Bill
lings was sent for, and l had a fifty-dol-
lar bet with old Cartwright that he
would find out about the matter in less
than ten days. He came only ON con-.
dition that Cartwright would go home n
and that would not claim acguaint-.
ance with him as long as he stayed here.
The first thing he did after his arrival
was to spot Miss Molette, whowas dress
ed far too extensively for her visible a,
means of support. He followed her
around. and of course in the way of
business she soon introduced him to
Carew and some of the rest of that
gang; then after losing money pretty
freely and getting dead drunk (nobody
can play at that better than Billings),
he managed to overhear more in Ca
rew's den than was intended for his ears.
Then he followed this girl to r.,
went to the wedding as a hired waiter
and saw her with the stolen earrings
in her ears. This clinched the matter,
and after notifying the@sCartwrights, SO
hey might give Bronson warning to
get out of the way, hei1et loose the po-
ice on the others, and the consequence
IS Miss Cartwright has her diamonds,
Mrs. Bronson is rid of a worthless. hus-
band, and Carew and his girl will. re-
tire for awhile into extremely private 4
ife''
Then Billings isn't country fellow
after all?'' said Miss Price.
..No-only one of the smartest men
in the secret service - Our Continent