The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-06-28
robbers could be offered 81: i i t,,,a.,c;.k 1

robbers could be- offered BY. d pack. 81
SCARED women, an invalid boy and one
tottering old man. g.,5s...... (
l thought first OF Miss Turpin, our
governoss, and Miss Climber, and in
this order. They both occupied rooms
on the same floor as myself, but far
in the rear OF the building. 1t was an
ugly venture to get to them. As
was debating remembered my moth.
er's jewels. These were deposited ii q
dressing case. locked Into i wafdrfds
strong boz n papa's room. Had they
escaped the thieves? Would they es-
cape? BY almost mechanical i'm.
pulse !, un(astened and opened my
door, and stepped lightly tho FIVE OF
six PAGES to that Of the vast cavern
like chamber in which, the fable goes,
q queen once slept. There was q
light within, other than that of the wan
young moon, which glinmered feebly
through lozenge shaped panes in 9
window high over my head. I sucked
in my breath with we'll nigh audibl6
gasp and shivered; but it was rs
though subtle fascination drew me
nearer in spite Of the peril. l crept
to the tell tale crack through which
tie penciled line Of light fell. x single
peep end I knew the worst; We wer6
betrayed. Kneeling before the recep.
tacle OF my mothers family heirlooms
was q woman holding a lamp for the
guidance of a male confederate, who
busted himself with a file at the ward
robe lock. They seemed equally
absorbed in their neiarious task. The
man l had never before seen; the
woman VAS Mrs. Climber. l believe l
was higher to swooning than on any
previous or subsequent occasion
Lucky, with q supreme effort l Was
able to recover the self possession
wrestet1 from. me by the double shock.
I dare not think what might have
been the denouement in the contrary
vent.
How papa had been deceived! and
all OF us, for, though I had vaguely
disliked the newcomer, no suspicion
OF her fidelity had entered my mind,
yet my eyes had testified that she
was an accomplish in 4 sinister plot.
Very possibly she was it's originator.
1t gave me intense anxiety to de-
eide upon my next step. A daring
suggestion flew to my brain, but /
dismissed it. not so much as imprac-
ticable as useless. 1t was to lock the
two thieves in. This was possible, if
managed with adroitness, for tho key
cast q shadow on the polished floor.
Mrs. Climber had locked the door OF
papa's room with hypocritical care
as we retired that night. saying that
housenaids were curious and had
been known to walk in their sleep,
and that it was not we'll to trust
them to excess. And now the adven.
turess had left the key on the outside:
But what would the countermove
avail? There were villains below
making away with the plate; l had
heard them; they would come to the
rescue, and I had no means OF sue.
cessfuly following up the TEMPORARY
advantage. Yet my fingers itched to
drag to that door and imprison my
foes.
Clang! CHATTER! all our bells seemed
to be ringing at once, and Mrs. CHM
ber's precious confederates would not
have given the alarm, it must mean
for them interruption and discomfit-
ure. And in trice had acted on my
wild idea. The great oak door was
fast-fast! ! had the key, and with it
l fled to my room. There l covered
as children do under the bedc!othvs,
and suffered paroxysm after paroxysm
OF helpless. abb ect terror. Every vest.
ise of bravery, deliberate or fortuit0tis,
Tested.
What happened on the other side Of
my fortress can be simply and sic:
cinctly related in the words with
which on the morrow our friend and
benefactor, Mr.. Lindlaw, enlightened
papa, 1t will be, needful to resume
from the point Of his recognition OF
Mrs. Climbers handwriting when
chatting in our drawing room.
"You see, l am an expert in these
matters" he said. Probably you
may have seen my name in the news.
papers in connection with some trial,
civil Or criminal, in which the identi.
iication Of handwriting has formed
leading feature in the proceedings?"
III have" papa answered.
Exactly. And two months ago I
had to make a professional study of
various documents and signatures in
q north country case OF systematic
and long continued fraud. | am pre-.
pared to swear that the specimen of
Mrs. Climbers alias Mrs Clegs's hand
shown me by your son is the fac
simlle OF q large number of those forg-
ed papers. The writer is the Same.
And now that have seen her-she
had q most valid reason for keeping
IN the background yesterday evening
Il recognize the woman too. She
only escaped long term Of penal
servitude through the plea that she
was her husbands tool. And another
thing made me startled and suspi-
cIous. 1t was this: at Daleford q man
left the same train whom l identified
in spite OF his wrappines as tile broth
er OF the condemned Long Firm swim.
dler, who stood in the dock with Mrs.
Clegs. He'll soon follow him into q
convict cell. He was involved in the
Manchester case, though there was a
flaw in the evidence. and he eluded the
grasp of Justice"
"But Mrs. Climbers testimonials
they were most excellent" murmured
papa.
"Forged, my dear sir: 1entertain no
doubt OF it," replied Mr.. Lidlaw.
"These people saw your ADVERTISE
ment, and application and references
were all parts OF a rather clever plant
But the female trickster carried her
daring a step too far, and will pay
the penalty. When 1 was confronted
with that couplet, in the hand / had
SO much reason to know, l got
an mixing of the game that was