Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1891-12-05
THE PONDALE ROBBERY.
satisfactory Solution OF a Very
Mysterious Affair.

The peace and tranquility that had
long distinguished Pondale society was
disturb bed and ruffled
Brown, the postmaster, was first to
discover that something was wrong
with Jaynes Bruce, the wealthy in
surance agent, who, instead of buying
the Rampant Repu blican, 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 dissenting voice, that Bruce had
something on his mind.
Now if Jaynes Bruce was troubled
about anything it was agreed that
there must be serious hitch in the
business or social mechanism of the
place, for he was president of the loca!
board of trade and trustee of the
fashionable church.
The result of this conclusion immedi-
atcly manifested itself in 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 found atoms.
Briefly, the cause of Bruce's anxiety
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.
He was being robbed, and here came
the sting: The thief was some one in
his own employ.
Mr. Bruce was one of those men who
pride themselves upon their executive
ability. His business was performed
in the grooves of a cast-iron system.
His clerks were machines, and he had
taken care to construct all those ma
chimes himself.
He took the clerks as soon as they
had finished their education. and, hav-
ing the raw material thus obtained be-
fore him, he nodded and reconstructed
it according to his own ideas. When
he had finished the clerk was an accu-
rate automaton, adapted exactly to the
place he filed 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-
lishment, but whose utility Bruce was
never ready 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
Hyde, and for no reason except that
he knew his antecedents only through
report, which was no reason at all.
He had often said that nothing but
trouble would result from this break
in his system, and it may be that deep
down in his heart he felt grim salts
faction in finding himself a true
prophet.
Another cause had appeared to preiu-
dice him still further against Hyde
MIR. Bruce was widower, whose
house was kept by his only child. a
very pretty girl, who naturally had
many admirers, upon all of whom her
father had looked with suspicion until
he had discovered that danger lurked
in an nnlooleed-for quarter. and he
concentrated it upon Tom Hyde.
Juynes Bruce had good sense enough
not to proceed in the ordinary way.
He did not call Miss Edith and com.
mand her to repel the advances of his
prcsumptuous clerk. She was of age,
had neat little fortune in her own
right and had also inherited a good
share of what her father called
strength of WILL" and some m alicious
people fwhat great man has no ene-
mies?) termed obstipacy.
Now that he suspected him, he de-
termined to wait until he had con-
vincing proof in his hands and then TO
show her that Hyde was VILLAIN of
the deepest dye
But - he snt reading his paper be-
tors tbs open Are in the coy sitting