Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-01-02

Mrs. Moffet, there is a closet adioin-
ing Mr.. Montgomery's room. May oc-
cupy it tonight? I have an idea, and
would like to prove if my theory is cor
rect If you consent, [ will slip into the
closet after Montgomery has retired
there is another door, you know, and in
the morning I will make faithful re-
port to you"
At last it was settled There were only
three nights before Mr.. Montgomery
intended departure. They must make
the best of the time.
The next morning Frank Glyndon
smiled knowingly in Mrs. Moffett's di-
rection when he met her at the break
fast table. That smile and the look
which accompanied it met Mr.. Mont
gomery's eye, and straightway a strange
conviction was aroused in his breast.
What did it mean? That Mr.. Glyndon
was a detective he did not dream.
Shortly after breakfast was over he saw
Glyndon slip folded scrap of paper
into the widows plump hand. This
sight made Montgomery gnash his teeth.
"A billet douX.' he muttered. Here,
this is going on right before my eyes; l
suppose there will be a wedding nextr'
and Mr.. Truman Montgomery, as he
left the house and wended his way down
town in search of new boarding place,
certainly did not feel comfortable.
Now, the scrap Of paper had contained
these words:
I've found out the mystery. Have
some of the boarders-an of them, if
you like-in the upper hail tonight at
about II, and you will learn the truth
1t was just as had Suspected
That very morning Col. Overton an
nOunced his intention of removing him
self and ultra fashionable wife from the
communicating Influences of Mrs. Moffet's
boarding house Poor Mrs. Moffet, know
ing full well that the others would soon
follow in their wake, was half wild with
anxiety; but she remembered the APP
pointment for the night, and hoped on.
Eleven struck in loud tones from the
big clock on the stairs, and most of the
boarders, obedient to hasty summons,
appeared in the hall outside the door of
Nj. Truman Montgomery's room. A
little later the door was opened noiseless-
ly from within, and the b0arders saw
before them Mr.. Frank Glyndon. He
held his finger to his lip and pointed
within the room. This is what they saw
by the light of the hall gas: Truman
Montgomery, in dressing gown and slip
pcrs-but sound asleep-worl1ing away
diligently at the empty CRATE.
Mrs. M0tfet had been unable to have
fire started in his CRATE, for the Chin
ney smoked furiously, and had post
DOned its renovation until the bOarders'
departure.
Two dozen eyes watched with breath
less eagerness while Mr.. Truman Mont
gomery, still in that heavy slumb-r,
knelt before the CRATE, and thrusting his
hand up the chimney, brought down an
oblong tin box.
mo wonder the chimney smoked"'
exclaimed Mrs. Moffet, breathlessly.
And right then Frank Glyndon stepped
to Montgomery's side and slowly and
carefully awakened him.
Turn up the gas-high, Mrs. Mof-
fetr' commanded Glyndon, firmly. "NIr.
MontgOmery-you somnambulist.-you
money is foundT'
And so it was. Many such cases have
been known before. Truman Montgom-
cry had only added one more to the list
of such occurrences. The money was
found all safe within the box, from the
one hundred first missing down to the
five thousand, carefully sealed in a pack
age and marked with the amount in MIR.
Truman Montgomery's own hand; and
when he realized the truth he could
only stammer forth inaudible apologies,
begging everybody's pardon in a most
Ind ,i.,,Ir TO-
The next day lie sought Mrs. Moffet,
and there was a long private conversa-
ticn; when he left her he kissed her and
called her dear Lucy.
Shortly atterward the placard was re-
moved from the door of the Moffet
house-a boarding house no longer; and
only yesterday l read in the papers a no.
tice Of marriage, the contracting par
ties being named respectively MontgOm-
cry and Mofet.--Mrs E. Burke Collins
in Fireside Companion.