The rustler., 1891-09-25

had | brcathed the faiutest suspicion OF
their honesty. Three other men. two
OF whom knew slightly. were lodging
In the house. a. I have said. but a. 10
suspeciing them Of this petty larceny
the idca was out Of the question No,
II must be one Of the servants But
which, One Of the three was = lad Of
sixteen. He was newcomer, truly.
The two women were In the house
when took up my quarters there-re-
spectacle elderly parties"
did not know what 10 do for the
best To lock up the rooms was impos-
sible. and even 10 do the same with all |
my drawers. writing table, wardrobe.
etc. now after never having previously /
turned key ON anything. would be at /
once 10 cast n Elur on the establish |
ment besides. never could tell ex-
actiy when | missed this or that article
because. as ! repeat, my careless ways
had often led me 10 imagine that l had
lost thing when merely mislaid H.
Presently the idea occurred 10 me
that would set trap. l left a small
sovereign purse in a corner drawer Of
the dressing table, whence ! could de-
clare many trinkets and valuahles had
been purloined: but there II remained.
shifted Il. partially covered It with
other things. as II by accident. or as II
IL had been forgotten. Yet 1t was al
ways forthcoming whenever | looked.
put a solitar sovereign on corner of
the mantelpicce; the housemaid twice
drew my attention To the fact that the
| Let eh.srss NJ moth.
ing that ever placed as a bait disap-
peared. The depredat ons were con-
fined TO such objects a. | hadn't Leen
thinking about until I wanted them.
The month was August, the nights
hot and sultry and less than ever con-
ducive to sleep. had nothing TO do
that evening, and, although ! turned in
early II was with the usual result The
clock had just struck one, and had
been in bed since eleven without clos
ing my eyes. IL was the old story;
was accustomed to it. Suddenly, amid
the host of perplexing and even awe
inspiring thoughts whirling through
ones brain under these conditions, /
remembered that pocket letter case
containing the two one pound sterling
Scotch bank notes. Where was IL? /
had not seen IL for weeks. After rest
lessly striving TO drive away the desire
to get up and get it, it mastered me,
and out of bed | sprang. For fully an
hour | carried ON the quest but all in
. vain. Every conceivable corner, draw
er and pocket was ransacked. The key
, of the cscritoire had been mislaid, so
could not examine that; but knew il
contained little else but papers.
At length, entirely exhausted, irri'
tated and fevered, and with the cham
: Der candle expiring with sputtcr,
flung myself ON couch in the drawing
: room. Dawn had not vet broken, bu
: in few minutes, as | lay there coilc'
: up in my dressing gown, unexpected
ly fell asleep-a restless, dreaming
sleep. full of fantastic, wierdliSe, indie
" scribable shapes.
When | awolSe II was daylight
though the room was still shadowy ant
!, obscure, save in one spot close to Tn
long window, where the Ncnetia
= blird was partially raised-the win
: dow nearest that dark corner occupie
I, by the old escritoire. The head of tn
!. couch was toward the mantelpiece, bu
= almost facing the door from the land
I, ing on the further side of the wall.
-. At the moment / opened my eye
: with feeling of relief ut having jus
: escaped some visionary peril, to IN
i, amazement saw that door slowly ope
A. and the figure of man stealthily eI
ItI - tulF fha fufnf a.
.d sound on its hinges, nor did he with HI
=. footstep-not so much as the creal
ing of plank The light
!, that part of the room was ia
: too dim to allow of my seeing whH
:. he was like. Ills face was slight
averted. also. and except that the ger
l.. eral looks of the man seemed to i
- not altogether unfamiliar, | could nC
"a in the least tell who he was The iirs
!. impulse, of course, was to sit up an
~ call out, but for some inexplicable RET
n son / restrained it-perhaps beeaus
=, the thought instantly crossed my min
~ that here was the thief, and upon thi
~ | suppose rapidly concluded to watcl
a and pretended to be still sleeping.
a However this may be. / did not NOV
ms as observed him creep noiselessl
N. across the room to the end of the maj
-, tclpiece farthest from that where | WI
I lying He appeared not to notice IN
nd and after feeling with his hand for
nv moment between the edge of the Loo
ing glass and the wall by the mant
mr.. shelf, he took something away, and i
IN stantly crossed back TO the window
mo- the escritoire. lie passed the litt
II. gap of light so quickly into the dar
ar. corner that still failed to recogni;
him Then | ennld dimly make out III