Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-06
for the purse. He hurriedly put his papers
AWAY mud wnnt ont into the air

etiRhEt NiNtONtlN.
He was so absorbed that he noticed no.
thing; and "a he turned q sharp twist in
the lane. he would have been knocked
down " he had not sprang quickly 20 the
side when some one called 20 him out OF O
carriage which was being driven swiftly
toward him.
1t was Maine. and shepulled up sharply.
Why, Mr.. Power. | thought you were
going 10 be al work ~
Helooked up quickly and saw, or thought
he saw, signs of anxiety in her face az she
continued.
II have left my purse At home, some
whore, and have to drive al! the way back
90 ind it,"
Why. would they not give YOU credit in
Marshley ~ he asked. trying TO make his
voice natural, but failing so much and APP
pearlng so constrained that the girl no.
ticed IT.
1t IS not that. but there is something in
the purse ! particularly want-some pat
terms and so on
And again the man thought he could see
that she was very anxious.
You left the pursei in the library he
said. looking at her. saw lt after You
Lad gone and tried 20 catch you whit,
but could not. gu VIII find IL there
now"
This time he was certain that her manner
showed confusion, "a she gathered mp the
reius of her ponies and drove n, saying
Then j must make haste and fetch 1t.
GoOd-by.'
A fierce struggle ragged in the mans mind
a. he continLch his walk for sOme hours
through the woods and lanes, aud when he
reached the Grange just before the dinner
hour he was disQuietCd and agtated.
Re saw Malino in the drawiug-rcom
few minutes before dinner. They were
sss. s Gov NJ { On who had come
in later than usual, and lie said to ner:.
" Did YOU find your purse all ught
eyes. thank you she answered. but IN
2 manner so completely diff rent from her
usual tone that he looked at her IN aston
ishmeut.
She returned the look steadily enough,
but she seemed so serious and grave that
he was startled.
"But / am afraid / disturbed your pa
per-." she said, not looking at him, but
staring ont of the window and speaking IN
o. voice that trcmnled. Il knocked your
blottug-pad on 90 the floor and scattered
the contents. but 1 tried TO put them back
as far as ! could i'm the same order
" 10 is not Of the least consequence" he
answered: and then they sad no more
until Mr.. Caringham came down ana thoy
an went 90 dinner
During the whole Of that night Wilfred
Power did not sleep. All the facts of the
robbery be knew them, and as they
were c0l0rod by the light of the DAYS dis
c0ycry-were reviewed by him. time after
time.
The sight Of the notes in the girls purse,
hcr evident anxiety TO get back quickly
from her drive 20 secure the purse, ahu
her manifest trouble and agitation when
ne next saw her and asked her about u t.
ii condition of mind that had lasted the
whole evening -perplexcdand conioundod
lum.
Trv ma he would, he could not get away
from the conviction which, though n an
first had seemed impossible had atterward
gathered weighr-tue conVcuon that she
had. for some reason. taken the money.
Then De tried TO think what must Toe the
conseWouces 20 her of discovery: what
would the father think of the chhd ne
almost idolized If be mad TO know her as as
"a thief!
This thought panied him beyond mea-
sure.
H. loved the girl with all the force Of his
nature and the father had been 10 MIN q,
q father: bad taken him when young ana
triondle-s. educated him, and treated hin
lust as q son. -
Gould he do ANYTHING to avert the blow
which he saw must fall upon Mr.. Ca
rinp0am If once the fearful truth were
known:
out off his Thought grew q resolve that
yyg. lulyOtie but quite characteristic OF the
maD Dee would eudeavOr TO draw upon
himself Mr. Caunghnm's Suspicion ana so
suell the girl. e,
ne thought long and anxIously OF the
best means of doing this without actually
stating that he was tho thief. And he de-
c.dal t0 tell Mr.. tarnghnm that ne must
600 away. and to tell him ia such manner
a- tl make him connect the departure
with the theft.
Hclose in the morning looking haeeard
and i after the night OF struggle, but hrm
ir hIs resolve. .
~ don't understand You, Wilfred," was
Mr. Car4gLams FIRST comment. When me
other told him he wished 10 90 away.
"What isn't? What's the matter! What
DO you wWtg'
"I want nothing except 20 go away,
"Wou. but-my boy, can't do without
YOU. on are just Ike my son-tne dear
Dad whose place you have taken. DO You
mean Won want To 20 away for good ana All
and leave the old Grange: Tell me- my
II can't tell you why, Mr.. Caringham.'
Can tell me why, Nliired. not after
NO. + can't tell YOU" answered the
other, kcenly touched by tic old mans
Iiut IT'S so sudden. Can't you wait
awhile--ive me little time 70 prepare
mvsolf< will be like losing the lad over
again. Then he paused and added: Are
Won I'm any trouble. my boy: mean, nave
Won got into any kind of scrape: Tell me,
and I'm DO an ! can for YOU
mo, Mr.. Carugham, J have tronole,
but none YOU can help me through" an
a
liant is 1t anything todowith Maine ="
mis- was "a nome-thrust and made VIII
fred vince.
"Ithought Won were such friends and |
hopcd-but there. what's the good on
hoping: Have You quarreued, you tWo'
no. Mr.. Caringham. 1t is nothing of
that sort.'
"Then what isit? There must be some
thing n isn't. But there. / won't
hurt Won by even thinking that Won are
leaving because Of this cOuiounded Dusl-
ness of the theft. You're not the LAD 10
leave % place because there IS bit OF slur
somewhere about 1T"
" Unless 10 were better that / should be
away from IT," answered Power, at loss
how 10 make the other suspicious of him.
But it isn't better Surely know best
about that Why. If YOU We're 10 90 now
and this business were ever found out peo-
ple would say-by Heavens ! don't know
what they wouldn't say about YOU
"Shll, il might Doe best for mo % 60"
How ON earth could that be, lad
suspicion must fan on some one-and
rightly" be added in an undert0ne.
" Maybe. hut not on you, my BOY, IN,
VIVA; What do You mean by that looSS
Sneak ont, boy: speak out cried Inc old
man. growing terribly eager IN ms anxiety
ut the other's manner
IL cannot speak cut. Even alter these
wears 1 dare not. But ] must go, and |
fnust 90 without an explanation. and
lelye YOU 10 think what YOU WILL.
Don't say any more now. wired; IN
loss Won want 70 Kill me outright. don't
,rite know what YOU mean me TO thlnk
tut Won have aroused such horrible
thoughts that can't bear any more now
TRY not to think too hardly OF me Tor
tbe sake of old times. and tell no one, =,
said Poweras ho went ont ~ be room ana
closed the door gently behind MN;
HE old man laid his face IN ms hands as
soon as he was alone and murmured 10
himself in broken tones;
"A thief, 4 thief
He had rushed. ike many people, from
the one extreme of the impossiblhty OF
holdinea suspicion 10 the other OF aoso-
Lutte conviction.