Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-08-08

staircase. The scout, old dot and 60
one," as he was called from his wooden
leg, in vain essayed to detain him. Up
went MI. Bulstead two steps ut a time
to the second floor, where, above the
left hand door, appeared, in white let
tiers on a black ground, his own name.
He Knocked sharply, and hardly wait
ing for some one. within to utter what
might or might not be Come in threw
it open and entered. Lounging upon
one of the window seats, in tlannels and
a cigarette in his mouth, was a young
follow whose good-looking face was
rather manly and straightforward than
handsome. He was alone and got up
without much appearance of furry.
"How do you do uncle? l thought it
was you crossing the quad. Take a
seat. Why did you not let me know
that you were coming?"
Mr.. Bulstead took the proffered seat
and painted as he looked round. The
stairs were steep and his wind was not
so good as it had been.
Il thought I would come upon you
a bit by surprise, Tom," he said.
without any circumlocution. "The
fact is, that whiting has brought me-"
''Whiting, uncle!" calculated Tom,
with his first show of surprise.
.'Half a ton of whiting!' murmured
his uncle, irresistibly impelled to dwell
upon the mystery. "Half a ton Of
whiting! Ay, here it is" And he
flourished the bill under the others
nose.
Tom took it gingerly, and opened it
with a serious face. It seemed to Mr..
Bulstead that he was not quite so
much at his ease as he would have
his uncle believe, and the old gentle
mar glanced round the room. 1t GER
tainly was not the room of a hard
reading student, but still there was
nothing Objectionable in it, He turned
his glance again upon Tom; the latter
was contemplating the bill with a
broad smile genuine enough.
"Well," said Mr.. Bulstead, "what
have you to say about it? Half a ton
of whiting you know, Tom?"
The young man laughed loudly.
Il am moi in fault this time, sir; it
is the the Lawn Tennis Clubs account
sent in to me as Secretary. I gave the
ground man the check to pay it last
week, and why they should have had
the impudence to send it in to you 1
can't imagine"
"Umph! but how about the whiting,
Tom! What is that for:?"
Marking out the grounds. SIR"
'Of course it is, Tom! Very stupid
of me. Well, I'm very glad Of it, my
boy" said Mr.. Bulstead, pleasantly.
The mystery Of the whiting vas cleared
up, but somehow it had made him sus-
picious.
s'Now," said Tom, swili you come
with me to a shop l want to call at in
the High-not a hundrd yards off, sir?
and by the time we come back lunch
will be ready"
Was the dust of that whiting still in
Mr.. Bulstead's eyes? At any rate it
seemed to him that his nephew was
peculiarly ssand restlessly anxious to get
him out of the rooms. However, he
rose.
Eyes, Tom. certainly. Where did 1
put my umbrella? All, here it is,
thank y you. Why-what the-deuce-is
Ii it had been another half-ton of
whiting piled upon the sofa, the old
gentleman's face could not have grown
darker. The thing lying half hidden
by the sofa-cushion was a lady's para
sofa dainty, tiny, wicked-looking
s%un-shade of gray silk, and by it a
glove of too, too apparent French kid.
Mr.. Bulstead's worst fears were con-
tirmed with a vengeance; all along he
had felt that there was something
wrong; this was the haunt of wicked
| dissipation he had half feared he should
find it. Half a ton of whiting, indeed!
In a moment, and before he had
glanced at the young fellows confused
face, he thought the worst of him.
"Well, sir" he said-and there was
real sorrow as well as anger in the
tone-"can you explain this with equal
| ease?"
"No, 1 can not, sir; but"
"You can't? Can not say whose they
are or how they come to be in your
rooms? Fie, sir, fe! Or where their
owner is now, 1 supposed" he added,
| suddenly recalling the scouts seeming
attempts to delay him at the foot of the
stairs and marking the doors that led to
to two inner rooms.
Il Cd1 uOs dCCOuuG lOT IHclu.
"And will not, l SUPPOSED"
"You al put it that way if you like,
sir. All I can say is that l am innocent
of what you are thinking of me. I
| give you my word and honor, 1 am;
and l can't say any more"
The old man was a little impressed
by the youngsters earnestness. The
obnoxious articles might have been left
there ~innocently, of course
''Then let me have a look into your
other rooms, young man if you wish
me to believe YOU"
"No, 1 can not do thatr' cried Tom,
springing, as the other advanced, to-
ward the nearer door and setting his
back against it. He was cooler now,
and not a bit confused. The old gen
tleman, even in his anger, noticed that
he looked more handsome than ever be-
fore.
Don't be a fool, Toni" he cried, i'm
peratively. Then suddenly changing
his tone to an appealing one: "Make a
clean breast of it and I'll try to forgive
YOU"