The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-04-06

uTel WOulO nave palO a second VlSlt
I'll fix him, though, so he'll never
get another chance"
ooh, papa, you don't mean Har-
ry," Ethel cried, her face growing
white as snow.
" | don't mean Harry!' he re-
peated. "Who else, I'd like to know,
could get into that safe without
knowing the combination. I'll have
him jailed before tomorrow morn
ing"
II can't believe that brother did
it," cried the girl in anguish. "There
is some mystery about this. Oh,
Harry, Harry" she moaned, and
then fell forward in dead faint.
The old Squire was in no mood
to deal with fainting women, SO
ringing the bell for a servant he
strobe out, leaving Ethel lying on
the sofa.
It was dark before the old Squire
returned. Harry had been caught
and locked up.
Though none Of the stolen money
had been found on him, his previ-
Gus theft and his present visit were
sufficient to prove this crime. He
was tried, convicted and remanded
to be sentenced the day following
Christmas.
Ethel was in desnair.
For three days she had kept to
her room. On Christmas eve she
felt that something was about to
happen. She sent for her dearest
friend, Mabel Stanhope, a near
neighbor, and dear to her because
of the love she bore for Harry.
The two girls consoled each other
until a late hour, then Mabel, at
Ethel's piteous entreaties, consented
to stay all night with her friend.
Mabel and Harry had been be-
trothed year ago, but the first ac-
cusation against Harry broke the
engagement.
1t was not her doings, but Harry
insisted that it should be so until
he could clear himself.
But alas here was the second
charge and her lover in Jail. She
sat before the fire thinking what a
cruel world it was, when slight
noise in the direction of Ethel's
bed caused her to look around.
Ethel was sitting bolt upright, her
eyes wide open but staring. They
looked at Mabel, but no light of
recognition shone in them. Mabel
was about to cry out for help, when
suddely Ethel arose and, seizing
the lamp, started for the door. She
opened it and silently walked into
the hall.
Softly Mabel followed. Intuit-
lively she felt that something was
about to happen, and she refrained
from waking the sleep-walker.
Straight down stairs and into the
library went Ethel, and Mabel after.
The safe stood in the corner. With
out the slightest hesitation Ethel
knelt down, turned the combination
not a few times and opened the safe.
With startled eyes and bated
breath Mabel watched.
Carefully Ethel scraped every
vestige of money and papers from
the safe, rolled them into bundle,
carefully closed the safe and re-
traced her steps to her bedroom.
Going to one corner, she lifted
up the carpet, took up loose board
and dropped the papers within.
Then she went to bed, and was soon
sleeping peacefully as child.
Innocent Innocent! Thank
God p cried Mabel in the excess of
her joy, for it was thus that the
robberies had been committed.
Long and silently she cried for
happiness, and then she crawled in
alongside of Ethel.
Christmas day dawned upon a
snow-clad country. Silently the
pure white fakes had fallen and cov-
cred the earth with soft mantle.
The old squire rose late and
shivered as he gazed out of the win
dow. AS was his daily custom, the
safe was the first thing attended to.
| He opened the safe and then sud-
denly staggered back with a cry OF
dismay.
"My God! what does this mean? ?
Robbed again, and for the third
time. Who could have DONE
"I know" broke in the sweet,
! soft voice of Mabel Stanhope as she
entered the room leading Ethel by
the hand. Allow me, Squire Haw-
kins, to present you with the proofs
of your sons innocence"
"What do you mean?" the old
gentleman asked, excitedly. Are
you mockiIg me?"
"No, indeed, am not. | am all
seriousness. Ethel, here, is the real
but unconscious thief"
Then noting the old gentleman's s
look of modification, Mabel rapidly
related the story of Ethel's som
nambulistic feat.
II have no doubt, she concluded
with happiness shining from every
line in her face, "that you will find