Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-11-08

body Lou bearing the double student
lamp-less as a means of illumination
from her manner of carrying it. than 8
weapon to be flung at the burglar who
was probably hiding under some bed
we went over the house, collecting
every bit of valuable property, even
that stored away in odd hooks and
corners. Aunt Barlow unearthing her
precious gold watch from the. recesses
of the feather bed she always would
sleep on, and, bringing to light from be.
hind one corner 81 the rasrpet the Jiia.
mond earrings she had promised to She
first bride. Matilda clutched the gold
CHAIN and sanded rolf of hills, tiffs
dolh q esP for stsIy, the CHECK
noii R5 at aiede n I Lon a. No
was OF much Assistance N reminding rs
of this or that valuable slowed away in
some old place. or out of use SO long il
had been forgotten. We huddled them
in our aprons OF oyer-skirts and return
ed to the sitting-room to wait for Mr..
Forbes.
Even in our terror. forgaye' his
laughter when he came at last and
found. the sitting-room presenting the
appearance of a pawnbroker's shop,
with four disheveled females sitting
about in attitudes of disconsolate fear.
Even ghost stories had lost their charm
for that last half hour. and in silence
had we waited for the football of our
protector. We could laugh little
Historically with him in our relief, but
begged him, just for that night, to take
our property under. his own charge.
We should not sleep unless we knew it
was in his room. Lulled, however, BY
that security, and tired with the excite
ment and unwonted late hour, we over
slept the next morning, and it was two
hours past the usual time that we could
talk over, at the breakfast table, the
terror of the previous night. A little
shame mingled with our daylight views,
and think none of us were sorry that
Mr.. Forbes, having breakfasted at the
usual time, had gone into town. He
would be back at his ordinary hour,
and we did without spoons and forks at
breakfast and dinner, for he had forgot
ton to leave behind the key to his secre-
tary. -..
And then Billy walked in in the after
noon, and he had so much to tell us that
we could only allude briefly to our
boarder, and passingly to our excitement
of the preceding night. However, Billy
knew us.
But Mr.. Forbes did not come on the
usual train, and Jack Walcott did. He
walked straight into the house without
ringing, and greeted us with as little
ceremony as though he had seen us ev-
cry night for a month, instead of making
one brief call. What had come over
Jack in that month we had tried to
guess, but could arrive at nothing more
satisfactory than the humiliating con-
clusion that Billy had been the attrac-
ton for him, and not our charms.
4 have some sorry news for you
about Walter Forbes" he began direct
ly. Il thought | had better break it to
you gently, rather than have you learn
1t through the papers, knowing how
much you We're all attached to him"
He addressed us all, but his ewes were
fastened on me. ..Embezzled. Alb
soeh What, =, '~ss2' i'ae - 40.
1t was fourfold exclamation, and
even the one word had not come till
after full minutes paralyzed pause.
Billy left the room. Something kept US
all from speaking still. We We're try
ing to adjust our ideas of the universe.
Walter Forbes a No, we could mot
say the word even to ourselves.
- Some. mistake turned up two or
three days ago, but nothing was said
about it to him. Experts were set to
work on his books, and it seems he has
been helping himself Systematically for
the last year. He got wind of it some
how, perhaps over the books last night,
and did not put in an appearance this
A sad pity. Such a nice young
fellow: And it is the seventh case that
has taken place on the street since
spring"
With one accord we took out our
and began to cry. All /
know why / was crying. But why in
the world were all the others crying
with equal vigor? Billy had come back.
I've broken open the secretary" he
said. There's nothing there. VIII it
him? Hope they will. Not so much as
a fork left. l suppose it's safe to be ten
years?"
They'll probably get him. All of
ten years"
somehow Unal 1uea Ireeu our tongues,
and woman-like we proceeded to judge
with our feelings, not our judgment.
Poor dear fellowr' murmured Aunt
Barlow. How he must have suf-
fered!''
You heartless boy.'' cried Matilda.
'Couldn't YOU telegraph him, or do
anxiously.
"You don't mean he taken all our
things, too?' cried Lou.
billy added nothing. His face was
to the window, but his shoulders were
shaking. Yet what there was ridicu-
lous in the situation it was impossible
to see.
"fll never believe hew to blame.
They have no business to put such
in mans way. Seven
cases. How perfectly dreadful! Charles