Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-04-09
lEt as wei if Won knaw all. !"

Just as wei if you knew all
He opened his safe, and took from +
of paper.
This document" he said, twas n
my hands by no other than my o
Read it, remembering that the gin
old companion and friend from chlldhoo
Hugh read it through. slowly and deIit
ately. Then he read it a second time.
| "You accept this statement" he ask
without question:
| Surely 1t is perfectly plain stat
by my own son, who can have nothing
ever to gain by misrepresenting the
You observe that he suppressed as lon
= he could the most important fact"
Hugh made no reply. But he read
paper third time Then he looked
fully about the room.
Come, Mr. Murridge," he said, tsle.
, anime this document with a little mo
Dick says that Norah shut the door;
door, as sometimes happen, was no5 4uit
close, but stood ajar; that from the plas
where he sat he could see through tn
partly open door. Come into the other o
fee with me-"
He carefully adjusted the door so that
should be ajar at an angle of about eley
and half degrees which is, SO to spes
a good large jar. $50
''Now," he said, eff it was ajar, i
tainly could not have been wider the
Here are two tables and two chairs;
he must have been sitting at one of u
while he saw the door ajar >"
This is my sons chair
"Sit here, Them Hugh went on. 9.
ne what you can see in your own officer
Nothing whatever could be seen of
inner office from Dicks seat, and noC.
from the other seat This will readil
understood, if we remember that the
place was on the same side for both
and that Mr. Murridge sat near the
his room, and Dick between the fir
and the window in his, while the off
was accommodated with table and
on the other side of the fire.
VERY good" said Hugh. THE first poin
of the story is that your son saw Moran
from his own place through the partly
opened door. Now, in order to see her, he
would have been obliged to leave the seat
and go over to the other side of the roon.''
''That makes no difference said Mr..
Murridge. "The point is that he saw what
was being done. He may have been stand
ing-or prying and peeping-that matters
nothing"
II do not agree with you," said Hugh.
1.-THE point is that, not being curious, he
saw without taking the trouble to spy"
''Still, no difference. Why shouldn't be
SPY? A man doesn't like to confess that be
was prying and spying"
Hugh went on to another point.
HE says that Norah folded the checks and
placed them in her BOSOM Very good. Let
us see the checks" m
''They are lost. They have been stolen
'That is unfortunate. Did you see them
'Of course did" IA
"In what manner had they been foldedF'
It was bow drawn at venture. Blu
Mr.. Murridge changed countenance and
looked disconnected.
Strange" he said; 81 had forgotten
Only one was folded The others had been
rolled or carried fat in pocketbook Z.
noticed that they were not folded. But one
was folded / am certain that one Of Their
was folded" ~
"This makes, you see, the second mistaL
in this document
"What do these little mistakes matter
SO weighty charge as this2 NY son sa
that he saw with his own eyes--it does1
signify to me whether he was paepJ
through key hole-he actually saw Nor
tear those checks out of the book. You ca
not get over that plain fact"
"Plainly, then, Mr.. Murridge, I don't
lieve it If that is the only way out of ii
difficulty, do not believe it"
you think my son lieds' s
Il am perfectly sure that if he chargl
Norah with theft, he lies" 81
"You are engaged to the young lady. Y,
are bound to say that But, young gent
man, get over her confession, if you can.
tell you I am ready to believe that my Sc
was mistaken if you can get over the plat.
facts-that l have been robbed, and the
Norah confesses" II
''Let us wait till Daffodil comes"
He sat down opposite to Mr.. Murridge
and they waited. There was nearly half a
hour yet to wait. To sit opposite to ma
for half an hour, waiting for a question t
be asked, a question in which is concernf
the honor of the girl you love, is awkward
While they waited, however, there cs
an other visitor
Mr.. Murridge's door was standing wis
open, and the visitor walked in. q
He was an elderly gentleman, with larg'
white mustache. very neatly dressed,
an upright. soldierly bearing. He taala
his hat politely, and as he did so Mr.
ridge started, because he recogpizsf ther
for whom he had that morning aayer.ls
AL leaSC, THIS man was snort OF one nnger
the forefnger of his right hand was gone
''You are Mr.. Murridgea' he asked, and
slightly foreign accent
II am, sir. And youa"
81 believe I am the man whose descriptI
is given in The Times of this morning"
'Pray go on SIR"
ut is, perhaps, usual to advertise for
gentleman under the promise of rewar
if he WAS a criminala,
IF he is wanted for evidence, why nots''
you may withdraw that advertisement
sir, and you may save your money. I an
the man who presented three checks at your
bank, and for twelve pounds, and each
signed by yourself" q
"Oh!n said Mr. Murridge. 'sNcw vs.
see." He turned to Hugh. 'Perh,
you feel SO strongly in this busine
would like to leave me alone with tn, q
gentleman"
On the contrary, feel so strongly
it that l must ask your permission t
what he has to say"