The Somerset reporter., 1885-07-29

and The money taken--the savings Of years !
In anticipation Of his marriage, Mr..
Huntley had thought of purchasing house,
and he had drawn five thousand dollars
from the bank In neghboring town for
that purpose. Then he had three thousand
dollars laid aside for the purchase OF goods
for the fall trade, aud In addition to this
there had been about two thousand dollars
of government money in his keeping. 1t
was just at the close of a postal quarter,
and the pOstmasters Of several adjacent
villages, having no safes of their own, had
eDtrus ted their returns to his hands So
that full ten thousand dollars had been
stolen from the sale.
For lime Huntley was like one distract
ed, but he had sense enough to make his
loss known at once to the deputy sheriff,
and the officer, with posse was soon on
the search. 1t had been an adroit robbery
and in the outset the searchels had no pos
sible clue. Both the lock of the door and
the lock of The safe must have been picked
by skillful hands, for neither of them WAS
injured In the least.
Miss Dubois was early at the store, and
when she had heard of her lovers loss she
endeavored to console him.
"DOn't worry, dearest" she said
when my father comes Lean help you.
If this loss cripples you, it shall only be
for time"
"But, Clara, wo Id not have it appear
that married you for your"
"Naughty man, hush! Will you not let
me love you littleY"
! What could he say more?
Evening came, but not trace of the
burglar The sheriff had hit two or three
possible trails, but they had led to no sue.
cess. On the morrow he would set fo:th
again, hoping that, meantime, he might re-
| ceive favorable answer to some of the mum
erous kilograms he haG sent OFF.
When the stage arrived that evening al
old gentleman, with white hair and beard
and wearing an enormous pair Of gree
spectacles, wa, helped out, aud, leaning
heavily upon his stout oaken staff, hobbed
into the hall He signed his name upon
the register in tremulous, struggling
hand: "Dr. Seth Bumpus, n. y"
When the tea-bell sounded, he stood IL
the hall, and watched while the guests en-
tered the supper-room. The landlord can't
In to wait upon him.
Landlord, who is that young lady who
just went in with your storekeeper2"
THAT is Miss Dubois"
~ thought so. Egad, her father and
were old friends, and have petted her ere
now. l wish you would let me have Il seat
opposite her at the table, and see If sht
will recognize me-"
"Certainly."
And DR.. Bumpus was seated directly op
posite the fair visitor. If he watched heI
sharply and studied b r carefully, she did
not notice it; for at the beginning of the
meal she was very busy talking with hei
companion, and when she found leisure tC
look around, her ris.d.Uis had concluded
his study, and was watceful only of his
plate.
When the meal wa. finished, Miss Du.
boise took Mr.. lluntley's arm, aud retired
to the p rlor, and presently afterward the
whiie-haired man named Doctor Bumpus,
| followed them. The first two had seat d
| themselves upon sofa, and the latter took
II seat in chair between them and the
door, and at the same time, stout, dark
| faced man, in a lree-and-easy suit of blue
flannel, had stopped upon the threshold,
and was standing in the open doorway.
Miss Dubois saw these two men-saw
the positions they had taken-and her
teeth came together with snap and her
| lips were compressed and pale
"Sir," said she, addressing the white
haired man, "you stare at me as though
you had met me before" And as she spoke
her right hand stole down by her side to.
ward the pocket of her dress.
"Look, my dear, and see if you don't re-
member me-" With this the white wig was
| lifted oil, the green spectacles and the
white beard removed, revealing compact
slnewy, keen-eyed man of about forty.
| On the next instant Miss Dubois had d
| pistol in her hand, q was cooking it; bu,
the man in the chair, and the man at the
| door had both been watchIul of her. They
were upon her before she could do any mis-
| chief, and after sharp, furious struggle
| gtru, In in, hi,D hn
| had severe work to do-a pair of ratchet
| irons were upon her wrists.
| Mr.. lluntley for the second time that day
| had been thunder-struch, so completely
| struck that all power of defending his
| promised wife was lost to him. and he lid
| not even recover his power of speech until
| the icnoble irons had been snapped upon
wrists.
"In the name of mercy" he at length
gasped, "why do you take lady thus
"a lady! That's good! Say, you are Aar
| on Huntley, amt YEP
ayes, sir"
"And was robbed last night"
"Ye-es, sir"
"well, am Captain Joyce of the New
| York detective force; and this fair com
! psnion of yours has been giving me cou
| siderable of 4 waltz lately, as he can tel
you"
"Hef
Eyes, sir,-IIe. Didn't ye ever hear d
one John Ropert, otherwise called Liver
pool Jack?"
81 have read in the papers of big re.
ward having been offered for Liverpool
! Jack" answered Mr. Huutley, wonderingly
I "Well," retlrued Captain Joyce, there
we have him large US life, and he would be
| full as natural If it wasn't for this feminine
| 10