The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-03-12

.noiC iiNe1y ~ eIpPeu overheard
When they were bringing your traps
ashore remarked Tom with a re-
pugnance to having people suspect
ed.
But Mrs. Prindle, convinced that
the bandbox was in the waiting
maids possession, insisted on going
herself to see the captain. ~.
The captain, who had lust risen
from breakfast when the carrvall
stopped at the gate, listened to Mrs.
Prindle's story with courteous pa-
thence. Mrs. Bates had been on the
boat tor thirteen years, he said, and
he had never had cause to
suspect her honesty; but he
was more than willing to investigate
the matter. It was possible chat
Mrs. Bates had taken the box to her
own room simply for safekeeping, he
suggested.
But Mrs. Bates, who had lust fin
ished putting in order the stateroom
Mrs. Prindle had occupied, denied all
knowledge of the bandbox, and was
so indignant over Mrs. Prindle's i'm
piled suspicion that the captain had
some difficulty in preventing q scene.
Its very strange" said Mrs. Prin-
ole, stlff1y, as the captain helped her
over the gang-plank. "A box like
that couldn't have gone off without
hands. Somebody must know some
thing aboutit, and if itisn't the maid
1T must be some of the passengers"
But all the passengers had left the
boat, and Mrs. Prindle herself had to
admit that to send a search warrant
after them would be an unwarrant-
able proceeding. Beyond question
the bonnet was lost and she, returned
to MISUNDERSTANDING that the pleas
ure OF her visit Was at an end. Even
the fact that her travelling hat was
pretty fair affair, and not at all out
of style, afforded her little consola-
ton. Still, she could have worn the
the travelling hat in a more resigned
state of mind had the weather been
such as to make the other seem
tritle in advance OF the season; but
from the hour of her arrival until
she turned her face homeward,
scarcely a cloud marred the
serene azures of the skies. The air
was full of subtle hints OF bursting
buds, and robin songs filled the per.
fumed dawns, while up and down the
streets from morning till night the
merry children trundled their hoops
and high above the treetops scared
the inevitable kite; but to Mrs. Prin-
die, bereft of her bonnet, these unmis-
taxable signs OF spring served only
to intensity her sense Of loss, and she
was scarcely sorry when the time
came for her to return to town. The
loss, trifling in itself, took the beauty
out OF the velvet lawns.
Jack, like the dutiful spouse that
he always proved for himself to be,
Was at the landing to meet her next
morning, and on the way home she
poured into his sympathetic ear the
story of the missing bonnet.
"You are sure you took it with
you?' he asked when the recital was
ended.
"Jack! Of course I'm sure! You
don't suppose I'd gone off without
it after buying it on purpose to wear
it when at homer"
"Hardly, but never mind, dear; all
you have to do is to go to Nine. LIE
Grand's and dublicateit,'' said Jack,
eager to comfort her.
II may go to Nine. LIE Grand's and
order another: but [ shall not dupli-
cate it, said Mrs. Prindle with much
dignity. "I've no wish to have nv
bonnet a companion-piece to Mrs.
Bates. That woman ought to be
brought to justice, and as soon as
we're through breakfast, Jack, Iwant
you to take a description of the bon
net to some detective and put him on
the watch for her.
Jack barely succeeded in suppress
ing a whistle
"Wouldn't it be better" he be-
gan but the stopping of the street.
car in front of their own door served
to change the subject. Il feel like a
famished hunter" said Jack, as he
turned the latch-key.
Mrs. Prindle, too was hungry, and
when Jack had deposited the parcels
she asked him to tell Bridget to put
breakfast on the table ut once.
''l'll be down in a moment,' she
added, as she pulled out her hat pins.
Jack started to obey, but before he
was halfway down the stairs, a cry
from Mrs. Prindle caused him to face
about, and on regaining their room
he found her standing in front OF the
wardrobe gazing in a dazed way at
the upper shelf.
"Jack," she whispered, huskily, ''is
there a handbook up there?'
"Jack seemed a little dazed. cit
looks very mnch like one, my dear,'
he said, slowly; "bnt of course it is
not the one you took away with
you.'
'T'm-oh, I'm afraid it is, Jack!"
gasped Phebe, as Jack took down the
box, cor rather Pm afraid 1 didn't
take it, after all. I remember telling
Bridget to put it with the other
things in the carriage, she had my
bag and umbrella in her hand at
the time-and Just then the door bell
rang, so l told her to go on and I'd
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