The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-11-14
PERLErS PRETTY SISTER,

Kill y III OtO Lth
Ii was duh. rainy day towards the
end of September-one of those days
when earth and sky are grey and
dreary, and the rain drops pattering
against the window sounded like
human sobs. The clock that hung
against the wall pointed TO the hour of
5 in the afternoon. and / was sitting in
our little inner Office, looking out at
the expanse Of dull. grey wall that
formed my only prospect from the not
over clean window. and thinking. /
had read every square inch of type in
the newspapers
| was musing about Kitty Elton aud
wondering how long il would be be-
fore should be able to marry her.
Dear little Kittiei she was as sweet
and ms patient as it was ia the nature
of woman to be; but / knew it was
a hard life for her in that over-erowd-
ed miiliner's work-room. and l longed
10 set her free from the monotonous
captivity. She was a pretty. blue-eyed
girl of 80, with dimple in her chin,
and the sweetest roses on her cheek.
was no poet. vet think / understood
aud appreciated all her womanly beau
" as fully as ii my hearts thoughts
cnHld shape themselves into verse.
And it was Of them | was thinking
when the door opened and Mr. Clenner
came in.
Mr. Clenner was our .ehief'-a
dark. silent. little man. with square
stern mouth and clouded grey ewes.
which appeared almost expressionless
when they were turned full upon YOU.
and Vet which seemed to see everv-
thing at . glance. He sat down be-
side me-
Meredith he said in a quiet sub
dued tone that was natural to him,
didn't yon say that You were tired of
doing nothing?"
Yes, sir.
Well. have something for YOU to
What is it. sir?1
Something that viii bring YOU both
credit and friends. if You manage it
skillnllv. had intended 10 go nv
self but circumstances happened un-
towardly. and shall send YOU in
stead
Bending his head toward me and
speaking scarcely above whisper. he
told me the special business on which
| WAS 10 be sent
There had been, il seems, a series
Of very skillful forgeries lately COM
mitted, with poldness and audaeity that
fairly seemed to set the authorities at
defiance For some time he had been
in doubt as to the exact perpetrator OF
the crime; but after much quiet in
vestigation and casting hither aud
fhither, he had detected the hidden
spring-one Perley Mattison. who had
skillfnlly eluded all pursuit. and was
now somewhere IN hiding in the north
of England. His whereabouts had
been aseertained as nearly as possible
aud it was for me 10 90 quietly up and
apprehend him before he should be-
come aware OF our knowledge OF all
his movements.
I sat and listened to all the various
details of our plan. as they were
sketched out by Mr. Clenner The re-
ward that had been privately offered
was high; my heart leaped as reflect
ed how much nearer II would bring
me to Kitty Elton. nor did the enter
prise seem particular difficult to ac-
eomplish.
DO You think You can do ita" Mr..
Clenner asked, after the whole thing
had been laid out before me-
Yes, sir. When shall | start?n
Now, within half an hour
SO soon?"
Yes; why not?"
/ could think of no sufficient reason,
except one, which / did not care to
communicate to my superior = the
longing to see Kitty once more before
I started.
just as You decide, Mr. Clenner, oi
course, - I said rising. If / take tht
night express shall be there early ir
the morning"
Yes, and that is altogether the best
plan. He will not remain long in any
one place just at present depend up
on it, and what you have to do must
be done at once.
All through that long night journey
mused upon the task that lay before
me. The house to which l was direct
ed was quite in the country, about hal
a mile beyond the village of Berwood
and was the residence of Mrs. Matti
son, the mother of the audacioui
forger. If help was needed was full
ly authorized to call upon the con
stabulary authorities at K; but
expected to need no assistance.
The rosy dawn was Just ushering the
eastern sky when l alighted, stiff
weary duQ ldQcQ. 1EOul tue NEdlu-
Can YOU direct me to Mrs. Matti
sons placer / asked of the sleepy
station-master.
s.Mattison-Mrs. Mattison; / dom
know her, but can tell you where sh'
lives. just you follow the main stree
of the village to wood, with foot
path running through it. Get over th'
stile. follow the footpath. and in lit
tie while you'll see yellow house-th,
last place in the world where you'C
expect to see a dwelling. There,
where Mrs Mattiscn lives"
thanked my informant and set ou
at brisk walk. carrying my travelling
bag ia nv hand. 1t was half an hou
ere diverged from the main road, o
rather lane The stile at the end O
the footpath through the wood wa.
!. quickly reached, and the little yellow
Eouse-a cream-colored cottage literal
overgrown with honeysuckles :
sently rewarded my search, and, a
sked at the door, a clock some
-ruck the hour of z.
ent-looking elderly woman
weeds, came to the door.
fattison in-Mr. Perle,
vered quickly, with
confused look
her, aud askei
m expect hin
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