Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-09-12

WIN lne oppression Oh Wnlcn ueSper-
ate decision, he deliberately thrust his
hand through the aperture, and lightly
picked of the topmost tart
Hilton looked on obviously.
"Is it good?"
"Good2 Don't talkp,
He could not converse with ease him
self, so full was his mouth with pastry
and jam. He swallowed the sweet NOR
sci and boldly extracted another.
"Suppose some one were to come
around the house, or-or open that
door" ventured Tom, timidly.
"This is Il Christian country, where
starving men are not refused food" de-
ciared Bertrand, reaching for his third
tart.
"But w-what would you do" STAN
mered his friend, terrified by such rash
ness, tiff any one were to catch us
you, mcan3"
"l'd run" decided Dick, as he calmly
purloined another tart.
"Stopm
Tom was fairly dancing.
'Eh2"
"Stopl say. That's your fourth"
"Proves how fine they are, responded
Bertrand, brushing the crumbs off his
mustache.
..'But you won't leave any for me-"
walled Hilton. -; .;;''~.
His scruples were quite gone. Dicks
enjoyment OF the tarts had been toe
much for him. Hunger had conquered
conscience. He made an onslaught on
the shrinking pyramid. He captured two
tarts which he dcvoured in successfully
distributed and impartial bites. When
five minutes had passed, all the prim little
forgct-me-nots and primmer little rose
buds were visible on the oval dish.
Comicaly, guilty, the criminals
looked at each other. Then rs if moved
by ono innulse, they put their hands in
their pockets. Dick laid silver dollar
on the plate. Hilton followed suit Then
Bertrand pulled out his notebook and
wrote:
ITO the Queen of Hearts, who made some
tar;s-with thanks and compliments.
He tore out the page, laid it on the
Bcleek dish, and weighted it with the
money. After which both conspirators'
took up their guns, and, shaking with
laughter, ran across Il vacant lot, around
a corner, jumped into their waiting bug
gy, and drove rapidly into town.
at is after four" remarked Tom;
Give must make haste"
And all this time Chrystal Brunton,
blesscdly unconscious of the theft being
perpetrated, sat and listened to the chat
ter of Miss Stokes. 1t was quarter to
six before that victimizing visitor made
her welcome adicux.
"Gracious, how / will have to rush."
groancd Chrystal, as she closed the door
behind the brown silk back of Marin
Angeline-for that was her guests novel
istc name.
Into the dining room flew Miss Brun-
ton, pushed out the table, whisked off
the velours cover, spread on the cloth of
milk white damask, took the solid silver
from its chamois wrappings, and brought
the company china from its seclusion
under the sdcboard. Then she put on
big nainsooll apron, went into the
kitchen, frightened the fire, hurried to
the buttery, carried the meat into the
dining room, and went back for the
tarts.
Where Lad they vanished! There was
the dish But the tarts! She stood still
and rubbed her eyes.
Stolen, beyond a doubt.
The face that was so sweet, and youth
ful and sunny soulcd, if not positively
pretty, grew scarlet from brow to chin.
Oh, it was too bad After all her trou-
be, too. Who could have taken them?
probably those horrid little Volmouth
children.
The CLEAN of the dollars caught her
eye. She went forward, took up the
scrap of paper, and read the lines thereon.
She laughed in spite of herself Assur-
eddy. the Volmouth children were not the
culprits. To be robbed and paid in this
fashion! What hungry ard gentlemanly
villain lur&ed in the neighborhood?
Oh, it was aggravating and ridiculous,
too!
"Well, I'm glad it was the tarts and
not grandmother's Belek dish he fam
cied," sic told herself, by way of conso-
lation.
Half an hour later, Clarence and his
friends appeared. Mrs. Brunton emerged
from her room, and the head of the
family came home from the city. At the
Htss iuNoiaOic DGck-
oned her brother into the hall.
"Clarencc"
"Wena" !
"rhe strawberry tarts!'
:..'Did they fail?'
His particular pcnchant was strawberry
tarts. He was interested in their posi-
be fate.
aFail!" Indignantly. "They never
nifty, ''were stolen!'
MOP"
She nodded sadly.
"By whoms"
81 don'tknow" And then she told
him of the note and the money left ON
the plate.
At supper, he laughina insisted on
telling the whole story Hilton and
Bertrand, who had grown painfully en-
barrassed when Clarence Bruuton had
pointed out his home, stole startled