San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-16
HNNE BISSELL,.
By AUGUSTA HARMED.

suddenly taken i'll in a city hotel. There
was just time to catch the train, with
hardly minute to spare, but as he was
rushing out Of the door, bag in hand, he
remembered something left undone and
turned back to the parlor, where his
landlady was sitting. "By the way,
Mrs. Bissell, here is my board for the
week." and he placed folded bill in her
hand, then turned and again dashed
away. When Anne came to the room a
few minutes later she found her mother
sitting in the armchair bolt upright,
quite stiff and rigid, as if stricken with
paralysis. Her brows were knit, Der
white lips pinched together, and she sat
gazing stupidity before her, with the bill
the doctor had given her tightly clinched
in her hand.
Mother! mother!" cried Anne, sis it
that bad stitch in your side?" and the
girl stood panic stricken gazing at her
mothers white face.
"Oh, Anne! what a blow this will be
to your and she mechanically held out
the bill.
Anne took it and turned it over in her
hand.
Don't you see?" said Mrs. Bissell in
an agitated whisper. "He was in great
hurry to catch the $40 train, and he
pulled this bill out of his pocket hurried
ly and thrust it into my hand for board
money"
The color had left Anne's face. She
brought the bill close to her eyes and
examined it all over, and in one corner
she detected faint capital B with lit
tie cross in blue ink close beside it.
Don't you see it, Amer" she asked
feebly, rocking back and forth with her
apron to her eyes. "And l had grown
so attached to him, almost as if he was
one of our own folks. was SO glad to
have him here, and now it seems as
though my heart would break"
1t was now Anne's turn to sink down
on the sofa trembling and white as
chalk. You don't mean, mother, that
you think he robbed you? You would
not dare to say it," and the color rushed
back in an impetuous flood to Anne's
face.
II don't know what to think, Anne.
I'm completely stunned. He might have
been up. You know he told us how poor
he was when he was trying to get up
practice at Kettletas. Perhaps it was
sudden temptation, and he thought he
could put the money back before l
should discover the loss. You know
some folks thought it was queer he
should take such an interest in trying to
catch the thief. and his efforts have
come to just nothing at all. 1t might
nave been done to cover up"
'Only such town gossips as Miss Car
yer and Widow Harkaway ever sus-
pected any wrong motive on his part.
Why, he was just goodness itself, Moth
er Bissen, and you know he was, and
now you are turning against him"
Il don't believe yOu would think he
could do any wrong if you saw him in
the act" returned Mrs. BiSsell with
mild asperity.
Il refuse to believe this, mother, for
it is unreasonable and impossible" and
Anne boldly put on an air of perfect as
surance HE has received this horrid
bill in change somewhere and hasn't
looked at it. Do you think he would in
criminate himself if he was thief and
had robbed the bureau drawer"
Don't seem like it, Anne" said Mrs.
Bissell glOomily, sinking her chin into
the hollow of her hand. But a body
never knows what felix's will do when
they think themselves safe from getting
found out, and he came to Us a perfect
stranger, and we did take up with him
and trust him to beat all. 1t all Genes
back to me now as clear as daylight. He
was up chamber good while that day
gran'ther was sick, and the old man is
most blind anyway and in dOze. He
wouldn't have noticed what the doctor
was doing there round the bureau"
Don't talk that way" cried Anne,
getting up with fury and fiinging herself
round the room. Its vulgar and low.
l tell you he's a gentleman, and III stake
my life on his honesty"
"NOw. Anne, you needn't go into hys-
terics. Didn't he say be was poor that
day he came, that he was starved out of
Kettleras? l forgot all about it when
saw his nice Office furniture, and the
horse and carriage that cost him over
three hundred dollars. Mebbe he was
wee tempted and fell for the first time,
and as for his giving me the bill, it was
all mistake. He was in hurry and
forgot himself and pulled out the wrong
one. can't keep him here any longer,
Anne. l don't know how to treat him
or even how to look him in the face. l
must make some excuse to get him out
Of the house"
Anne felt it was time to clap on the