St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-06-13

uuSDduu Was COu1bluS AOA PuAoS aka
estimating the distance to the nearest
doctor and the rate of a messenger
boys locomotion. He assuaged his
grief by brisk computation OF the pal
try years remaining of his own allotted
time, and, after careful consultation
of his Bourbon, christened their infant
daughter Mantissa, at period when she
was too young to protest against the
indignlty to her womanhood.
John Macy was not thinking about
any of these things, as he knit his brow
that morning over his accounts. In
deed, he was accustomed to contine his
meditations to the present and the inn
mediate future. Having discovered the
trick that hadbeen played upon him, the
next thing in order was to catch the
thief. He observed the actions of his
private secretary and clerk, as they en-
tered the room and went about their
respective vocations. The crime lay
between the two, and whichever proved
to be the guilty party could be certain
of receiving small quarter.
The two young men presented
striking contrast in appearance. Frank
Hoyt, the clerk, was a manufactured
and somewhat stupid fellow, punctilious
in his manner and habits, and the sole
support of widowed mother. If Macy
cherished respect for any law without
the pale of his faYorite science, it was
the law of precedent. 1t would be en-
tirely unprecedented in the annals of
real life or romance for the homely, I'M
calmly, steady going employee to turn
Md haO fhoTQ
with his handsome face, pleasant blue
eyes and careless ways, was really ma
terial from which to construct the typical
rogue. As if to confirm his Judgment,
an old recollection arose. The lads
father old Major Markham. man who
had all his life commanded universal
trust and respect, had been found one
day making off with bundle of bonds
snatched from compartment in q
friends safe The shock of detection
had been too much for the Major, a
stroke of paralysis had checked his
rambling explanations, and ne never
spoke again.
The missing quantity was found. In
his mind Macy promptly formulated a
neat little algebraic equation, eondi-
of values, which ran as follows:
Good looks plUs the knowledge thereof equal
Hereditary influence plus temptation equal
craft
Following rule of universal expert
ence and reasoning back from the
premises, on the automatic principle
that things that are equal to the same
thing are equal to each other, his conf
Dental secretary was a villain and a
rascal. He watched the young men
closely all that day. Hoyt plodded
through his duties as usual, and greeted
his employer with the etolid repose of a
man whose mind and conscience are at
rest. On the other hand, singular
hesitation was perceptible in Markham's
manner. He looked up apprehensiVely
whenever he was addressed, and seemed
several times on the point of making
some important communication, but
shrank back with an unaccustomed
reticence when Macy, with grave and
serious air, endeaVored to encourage his
confidence.
A bright thought occurred to Macy
as he turned his latch-key in the door
that night In the solution of difficult
problem he always held that two heads
were better than one, as the very differ
ence in their Structure led them to adopt
different tactics. It had been the dear
est wish of his heart to make his
daughter a proselyte to his science, but
she had hitherto displayed lamentable
indifference to the subject
ELISA, he had dropped the first
syllable of her name in Difference to
her girlish prejudices against loga-
rithms.
Eyes, father?'' She was doing the
honors Of the table verysprettily. as she
sat opposite him in a dark blue gown,
with bunch of tea roses at her throat
II have made painful discovery to-
day; have thief in my Office
''ThiefI' The girl came near drop
ping the little japanese teapot in her
agitation, but he failed to observe the
sudden pallor that oyerspread her face.
1T lies between the two boys, my
dear" he said, calmly.
But of course your suspicious can
point to only one,o. the girl cried, MAX
ing desperate effort to initiate his
placidity of manner, and ignominious-
" failing.
Mr.. Macy paused with an olive be-
tween his fingers, and eyed his daugh-
ter with open admiration. Really this
was encouraging. He had not expected
such sagacity from one so young. And
how coolly she uttered the words. He
had half suspected her of prediction
for Markham. With such quick rea-
soning powers at eighteen, what might
she not prove at forty. But he an
swered her with gravity and caution.
She should form an unbiased judgment
81 own, my dear, that my suspicious
have turned in one direction: but I