The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-10-08

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'Theyre caught the thief w1so stole vo,sr
money.
Anne went off in hurry by rail next
about an hour before DR.. Tib-
bets came home from the city to find
her gone. The house seemed strangely
cold and empty and ungenial, and he
was glad to be called away to a scarlet
fever case at Deadman's Hollow At
tea Mrs. Bissell seemed to have changed
into petrifaction of her former self,
the Holmes family had crept back into
their inexpensive, fiat featured shells.
and Miss Carver was furtively watch
ing the scene and drawing her own cou-
clusiens7 about Anne's sudden fight
Evidently the Bissells had discovered
unfavorable to their paragon.
She communicated her suspicious to the
Widow Harkaway, and they waited i'm
patiently for an explosion that did not
come. There were no more jokes at
table about the doctors growing prac-
tice. 10 more fun or life o.. active sym
pathy. Without Anne's girlish laughter
and bright presence the house had sud
denly turned into a vault.
The change in Mrs. BisseD struck cold
on the doctors heart. He suspected that
she blamed him for not having traced
the stolen money or captured the thief.
and speaulated as to what further steps
he could take to show his zeal He was
under cloud, and he fell into the way
of entering and leaving the house stealth
lily, shutting himself in his Office and
smoking more cigars than were good for
him. He watched the smoke wreathe
up about his head by the hour and Anne's
face appear and vanish away, and his
blues grew daily of deeper indigo hue.
He noticed as significant sign that the
floral offerings that once adorned his
Office table had ceased to appear. Once
he thought seriously of asking Mrs. Bis
sell what he had done to forfeit her es-
TEEN, and then his pride rebelled, and
he concluded to fall into the business at
titude of boarder and landlady. He did
not even dare to inquire after Anne or
when she was coming home, for all his
questions were met with polite but frigid
encouragement.
He could see that Mrs. Bissell suffered
silently, but the loss of her interest
money, the shiftlessness Of Bissell and
to account for her low spirits. Only
Miss Carver throve in the changed atti-
tude of affairs. She now firmly believed
the doctor was thief, and that the Bis
sells had found him out, and for some
reason were hushing matters up; but
she was willing to indulge in scientific
conversation even with man of his
suspicious character, now that she had
the field all to herself, and Anne's irri-
tating beauty was no longer beaming on
the opposite side Of the table. In spite
of her belief in his turpitude she was
half disposed to go over to the little pill
theory, for the doctor was very generous
in his medical opinions he gave gratis on
her pet diseases. Miss Carver had tried
her best to fathom the mystery of Anne's
absence and Mrs Bissell's freezing up
toward the doctor, but without very
brilliant success.
They've found out something pretty
black about him, you may be sure" she
said to the widow, ''for I never saw a
girl make bolder push than she did
after that man, and they were all just
ready to eat him up"
A month had gone by and Mrs. Bis.
sell showed no sign Of relenting toward
the young doctor. She was more and
more polite and formal and cereno-
nious, and it occurred to her that he
would soon be looking out for a fashion
able boarding place, where the climate
was more salubrious, for the spread Of
scarlet fever in Deadman's Hollow had
given him plenty of hard work, and il
was no uncommon thing to have the
door bell broken twice week by the in
sistency of night messengers. One au
tumn evening she was sitting in her OWL
room with a great pile of stockings be
fore her, fresh from the wash and await.
ing the darning needle, when the doctor
burst in without stopping to knock. He
held long official looking document in
his hand, and his face was flushed with
eager, happy excitement
Excuse me, Mrs. Bissell, for forget
>. 4
you that have just had great news
from the Boston chief Of police. They've
caught the thief that stole your money
and got back all those marked bills but
one that has mysteriously disappeared
But it is sure to come to light in time"
"What do you say?' Mrs. Bisseli asked
sharply, clutching the arm Of her chair
and looking up bewildered through he,
glasses
They've caught the thief" said he
raising his voice with the impression
that she had suddenly gone deaf. "Ht
was an old state prison bird, who haf
just been discharged from the peniten
tiary He pretended to be plumbel
and roofer by trade, and was engaged
here with Fraser early in the summer
He intended, it seems, to clean out Lit
tlefeld, but got scared after he hat
robbed you and left town suddenly.
why, that's the very man that pre-
tended to mend my roofr' cried Mrs
Bissell.
"Yes," said the doctor, smiling, 'sant
1t seems the fellow took the opportunit..
to go through your bureau drawers"
A hot flush burned on Mrs. Bisselp
thin cheek, and she put her hand befor
her eyes for very shame. ''Oh, doctor,
she cried in a stifed, choked voice
broken with sobs, 81 ought to go dow
on my knees and humbly beg your par
dom"
The doctor looked startlai q and my
titled.
"What in the world do you neaI
/: NJ d