St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-05

Its no fault of ours,' said Miss PriS-
ella, beginning to cry.
LET US take time for consideration be-
fore doing anything" returned Miss
Briggs. LAS you say, there is no reason
why we should have discovered the rob
berry. do not see why Robert should
not discover it for himself"
"But l will not remain in the house,
Maria," said Miss Priscilla, emphat-
ically.
mo, we will go home at once. Mean
while lock the chest up again and leave
it as we found it," said Miss Biggs.
So the two ladies retired to their sit
ting room and deliberated in secret as
to the course they should pursue. They
lnterrogated the servants, not because
they doubted their honesty, but in order
to ascertain whether the domestics had
discovered that robbery had been COM
mitted. They became convinced that
their attendants were not only entirely
innocent of the affair, but also that they
were ignorant of the existence of the
valuables. How the thieves had con-
trlVed to effect an entrance was sub
ject which the old ladies did not trouble
to Investigate too closely. Having sat
iStied themselves that there were no
conspicuous traces of the burglary likely
to arouse the suspicious of the servants,
the Misses Briggs were content to ac-
cept the inevitable fact that Bob's prop
erty had been stolen, without further
inquiry.
For the truth was that the old ladies
came to the conclusion that it was
necessary, for their credits sake, to adj
here to their resolution not to reveal to
any one that they had SurreptitiouSly
discovered BOb's treasure. If they had
found their nephew's study in disorder,
the lock of the chest forced or other
outward tokens of robbery having
taken place they would have had legit-
innate excuse for summoning the police
and raising an alarm. But the thieves
had done their work so cleverly that
the Misses Briggs were compelled either
to assume ignorance or to confess their
illicit Investigations. The former plan
commended itself so strongly to their
agitated minds that they determined to
adopt it, cOnSoiing themselves with the
reflection that they were not in any
way responsible for what had hap
pened.
This decision, however, appeared to
them to involve the unpleasant neces-
sity of continuing to be their nephew;S
guests until the termination of the pc
rl0d originally fixed for their visit.
Their first impulse had been to return
fact of so doing seemed likely to arouse
suspicious as to their motive, and might
lead to diSagreeable complications. Be-
tween a guilty conscience and panic
stricken condition of mind the poor
ladies soon began to entertain grave
doubts whether, by their silence, they
were not rendering themselves amena-
BILE to the law of the land. This dread
full thought almost reconciled them to
the prospect of remaining where they
were, lest by taking an abrupt depart
ure they might give clew to their Sc
cret. They, therefore, did not commu-
nicate to their nephew the slightest
hint that anything had gone wrong. aud
were most careful not to disclose to the
servants or to anybody else that they
had any cause tor uneaSineSS.
But the effect of this severe Self-re-
straint, coupled with ahiect terror at
living in a house which was apparently
happy hunting ground for burglars,
was that the two ladies became really
i'll. Miss Briggs had fit which very
nearly proved fatal, and Miss Priscilla's
| nerves were completely shattered by
felt gratitude, therefore, that they at
length hailed the near approach of the
day when they could legitimately eS-
cape from the scene of so much misery
and discomfort, and the prospect af-
fOrded them such unspeakable joy and
relief that their sentiments toward their
| nephew underwent marked change.
81 really believe, Maria" said Miss
| Priscilla one day with unaccuStOmed
frankness. THAT Robert cannot be so
much in debt as we feared. All the
neighbors speak we'll Of him."
81 always hoped for the BEST" ac-
| nuipSop6 Miss RripUG
so did |; and considering what Rob-
ert'S expenses must be, there can be no
| doubt that he is making progress in his
| professions" said Miss Priscilla.
II air glad to learn, at all events, that
| he is, by all accounts, steady young
man." said Miss Briggs, quite benignly.
'It is creditable to him that he has
not parted with his plate and his wife's
| iewelry," added Miss Priscilla. II am
not excusing his thoughtlessness in
leaving the things here, of course"
'"rney are not here-now," said Miss
Briggs with an unmirthful smile.
"No, and l have been thinking,
Maria" added Miss Priscilla, whether,
under the circumstances, we ought not
to make Robert some compensation for
his loss. Though nobody is to blame
but himself, it is just possible that if
we had called in the police at once the
property might have been recovered.
THAT is quite true. We need not tell
him the reason we are sending him the
money. 1t would appear to be gift by
way of payment for the use of the
house." said Miss Briggs, eagerly
adopting the suggestion as a salve to
her conscience.
1--WE shall then have the satisfaction
of feeling" added Miss Priscilla, THAT
Robert will not have suffered to any
great extent by the robbery"
Though he deserves to do So" said
Miss Briggs, glaring through her spec
tacles.
"CertaiIy he does, and depend upon
it, he will not feel his loss the less
said Miss Priscilla shrewdly. ut will
not occur to him to associate our check
with his missing property; but we snail
know, however much he may complain,
that he is not loser"
The consequence of this conversation
was that on the morning after BOb'S re-
turn home he received from his aunts,
who had departed the previous day, a
somewhat stiff and formal letter of
thanks for the loan of his house, inc,u l.
ing a check for e200 as donation
toward the expenses of his holiday.
This wholly unexpected bounty de
iISiI6u DOD UeS Ouu luedSuIes HUG Only
because the money was particularly
welcome at the moment, but because it
seemed to augur we'll for the future:
and being in a boisterous good humor
he was moved to make confession of a
little piece of conjugal duplicty.
by Jove! Annie, can't bel p telling
you nOw," he said, chpckling as he
fingered his aunrs' check. You remem-
Der that day l ran up to town."
ION business?" said Mrs. Bob, little
quickly.
Yes, on business: but L had little
private affair on hand also," replied
B b. ''The fact is, l had omitted to
take the plate and your jewelry to the
bank"
"Oh, Bob! How careless of youp'
said his wife.
II was very busy just before we came
away, and L showed the things in the