Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1891-11-28
THE PONDALE ROBBERY
Satisfactory Solution Of q Very
Mysterious Affair.

The peace and tranquility that had
long distinguished Pondale society was
disturbed and ruffled,
Brown, the postmaster, was first to
discover that something was wrong
with Jaynes Bruce, the wealthy in
snrance agent, who, instead of buying
the Rampant Republican, as he had
every evening for the past twenty
years, got hold of the Defiant Demo-
crat and did not discover his mistake
till Brown called his attention to it.
This and other circumstances gave
evidence of abstraction. After careful
consideration the gossips decided, with
out a dissenting voice. that Bruce had
something on his mind.
Now if Jaynes Bruce was troubled
about anything it was agreed that
there must be a serious hitch in the
business or social mechanism of the
place, for he was president of the local
board of trade and a trustee Of the
fashionable church.
The result of this conclusion immedi-
ately manifested itself in q slight bust
ness depression, first felt by Crane, the
butcher, who failed TO obtain discount
on a note until rigid inspection had
been made as to its security.
Had pondale known the truth, its
social structure would have trembled
to its foundations.
nri,n,. ,I, ,,,,go - Du,,z-t -..
was this; On three different occasions
within as many weeks he had missed
from his safe sums of money ranging
from fifty dollars to three times that
amount.
lie was being robbed, and here came
the sting; The thief was some one in
his own employ.
MIR. Truce was one Of those men who
pride themselves upon their executive
ability, Ills business was performed
in the grooves of a cast-iron system. !
His clerks were machines. and he had
taken care 10 construct all those ma.
chimes himself.
He took the clerks as soon as they
had finished their education, and, hay-
ing the raw material thus obtained be.
fore him, he nodded and reconstructed
1t according to his own ideas. When
he had finished the clerk was an aeon
rate autolnaton, adapted exactly TO the
place he filled and no other.
Once, however, he had departed
from his system to oblige a relative.
taking into his employ young Tom
Hyde, the smartest clerk in his estab.
lishiaent, but whose utility Bruce was
never ;eady to acknowledge on ac
count Of his having obtained his bust.
ness training elsewhere.
AS soon as Bruce discovered that he
was being robbed he at once suspected
and for no reason except that
he knew his a~ntecedents only through
which was no reason at all.
lie had often said that nothing but
would result from this break
n his system, and it may be that deep
Town in his heart he felt a grim salts
action in finding himself a ,rue
|
Another AUST had appeared to preiu. ,
lice HIM still further against HYDE. |
MIR. Bruce was a widower, whose i
'ouse was kept by his only child, a {
cry pretty girl, who naturally had |
many admirers, upon all of whom her I
ather had looked with suspicion until
lie had discovered that danger lurked
n an unlooked-for quarter. and he !
concentrated it upon Tom Hyde.
Jaynes Bruce had good sense enough /;
OF to proceed in the ordinary way.
lie did not call Miss Edith and com.
1and her to repel the advances of his /;
resumptuous clerk. She was of age, ,
ad a neat little fortune in her own
light and hal also inherited a good
of what her father called ,
strength of WILL" and some malicious
eople what great man has no enc.
lies?) termed obstinacy. d,
Now that he suspected him, he de-
.rmined to wait until he had con-
incing proof in his hands and then to /
her that Hyde Tas a villain of
he deepest dye.
But as he sat reading his paper be-
ore the open fire in the coy sitting
his daughter crcchettipg. with
m bic fingers on the opposite side of ,
~ center table. h could not forebear
drop n hint that would tell her In n
elicate way that he d not look upon +,
Dung Hyde with approval. /,
sfAf. d...u ia 4. -. E.
almAess, which proved an utter fail.
re, my dear. don't you think that
hat young lyte's conduct toward YOU |
! rssner- er. forward and presumIng
one In his p ,sition?"
She dropped her long lashes 70 con. 9
eel . mischics ous twinkle and bent
nore cltsc'y over her work. /,
-Weiis' "a. she. intrrrogatively.
brnss Wal n Darrassed. He wished