Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-12-25

/
1T has everything to do with the
bank, Mr.. Mason. This note is q stolen
| one."
Young Mason stared as il shot, then
! looked at the manager with the finest
assumption OF injured innocence ever
saw.
Il know nothing of that, sir. But
would rather not explain how got 1t. ~
Perhaps not. But you had better,
and when my nephew returns" (he was
| out driving Mrs. Dale in her pony car
riage) Il shall ask HIM for an e1plana-
tion of how he and you, my clerks, come
TO lie at pot-house studying a sporting
paper Here the young chap looked,
If you will excuse my little Joke
! quite chap-fallen, as I've heard Hamlet
say. However, I've known you and
your parents SO long" the manager
went on in kinder tone, that if
you'll admit you've been betting like a
couple OF young fools, will see what
can be done, thoug b L am very wrong
In doing 81, to hush the thing up"
| The young man thereupon vowed and
/ protested that he and Mr. Lenton never
betted, and that as fol the note, he had
it paid him by Str. Philips, the grocer.
Then he hust know something
about it. And why was it paid you?"
said Mr.. Dale.
Here Mason lookel very red again.
and stammered out that it was for a
prize bull terrier pup. Being urged by
| Mr.. Dale to explain further, he con-
fessed that he and young Lenton had
/ joint stock of bull-terriers, which they
| bred and showed. Hence their study
OF the sporting paper. Mr.. Dale
seemed somewhat TO believe this story,
! though even breeding bull terriers
scandaliZed his transporting heart, but
l didn't, and thought what a muff he
must be to swallow such rubbish.
However, he gravely enjoined secrecy
on Mason, dismissed him, and then
went with me to see Mr.. Philips, who
was a sporting grocer of very free and
easy manners, and not a customer of
Mr.. Dale's establishment.
Mr.. Dale was too official, and the
grocer turned rusty. So tipped him
the wink to go, and, remaining alone,
| got him to accompany me TO his favor
itA house of call, where we had Irish
cold together I'll was supposed on this
occasion TO be the former owner of the
note) and he became very talkative,
though expressing his dislike of that
''sJuck-up" manager in a manner not
uncommon among gentlemen who want
! doubtful bills discounted.
He confirmed Mason's story complete
ly. As for the note, he believed he
took it of a book maker named Flash
| Dick, at DoDcaster, on the previous
''Leger- Day"-a tall, black-eyed man
with splendid teeth.
L felt puzzled again. Certainly bet
ting and the note had had some connec-
ton, but not according to my theory.
So home went, told Mr.. Dale what
| had heard, and found him evidently
doubtful of my prospects of doing him
any good. He seemed thoroughly wor-
ried, said he should not speak to his
nephew that night, but should take
some chlorsl and 60 to bed early, and
so he did.
Now, L had had a curious fancy OF
recollection of something read formerly
that occurred TO me when, as / said just
now, found him prowling about the
house at small hours, and that Was of a
man robbing himself when walking in
his sleep. This might be so here, or,
which was far more likely. Mr.. Lentuu
(whOm | still suspected) IN ght, having
seen his uncle take his sleeping draugut,
think it fine chance to do a little vide
awake walking on his own account.
uO", L ltoOlNtI hlltI lilb hO'ASt
was quiet to watch. l was piqued, !
confess.
Well, 1 hid myself in the cupboard,
which commanded view of the safe,
and wretchedly cold 1t WAS, beside a
most cramped position TO stand in.
got sleepy and dIsgusted, when a noise
caught my ear, very slight, but enough.
There was somebody about. | was
alert-all eyes and ears in a mn lie.
Now, at at all events / should discover
something. Then faint light CLEANED
t rough the door opening into the bank
and came round the corner toward the
glass room, and the figure cIrTylng il
was Mr.. Dale. Yes, L could swear to
his blue dressing-gown anywhere, for
he would sometimes smoke in II, and
but-why was it pulled over his head
And here, as the figure stopped be-
fore The safe, the dTessing-gown was
thrown back from the head and showed
"A mass of flowing brown hair and a pale
BEAUTIFUL face, the eve, full Of terror
the face of Mrs. DdleI
| SAW her from her shIpely head t.
til. tare white feet that peeped under
the blue edge OF the uressing-gown.
Like a flash it passed through my mind.
How clever il was to wear her hus-
bands dIessing-go knowing how ft
SOMETIMES prOWled about OF course
she took the nights when he slept tired
out and of course she had mis- keys al
her own command. But who would
have thought itr
She stopped, opened the safe. took
out some notes, selected one, relOckeI
the safe, and gave a long, shiverinl
look around. Meanwhile, for duty:
sake, blew her light out and sndtchel
the note from her hand. She gave :
scream that l shall never forget, anC
tainted. | was sorry as | ran up 4
her husbands room, but II L hadn't
called his own eyes as evidence he'C
never have believed me. Iroused him
showed him the note, told him th'
thief was in the back parlor, and beg
geI him to come do yn. He threw hi
clothes on, glanced at his wife's empt!
, place, then, with a look Of such agonl
as touched even my tough heart, h'
ran down stairs.
She was lying there, the keys clenchet
! in her hand He frantIcally kissed her
dashed water in her face and revived
: her. Then the kneeling, shiveriDg
sobbIng, miserable woman told all. Sin
had robbed the safe, and no one els
r knew of it. The notes were sent to he
/ only brother-a thorough scdmp-sup
} posed to be dead, recently turned up
, but idOlized by his SISTER, and men
} gambler-in fact, the very Flash Del
that Mr.. Philips knew.
. l left husband and wife together
The next morning po r Mr.. Dale mad
, the fullest apology TO his nephew an
r Mason. and resigned his appointment
No one knew the secret but myself
and didn't ne his entreaties, whe
he gave me my handsome lee, 10 re
spect it. Mr.. Dale and his wife sai.e