The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-01-21
THE PONDALE ROBBERY.
Satisfactory Solution of a Very
Mysterious Affair.

1uG pcftSC duu bfhHQuliilby tuht hdd
long distinguished Pondale society was
disturbed and ruffied s'eHs'',.'.'-H,','
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 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
fashionable church.
The result of this conclusion immedi-
ately manifested itself in slight bust
ness depres sion. first felt by Crane, the
butcher. who failed to obtain discount
on note until rigid inspection had
ben made as to its security.
Had Pondale known the truth, its
social structure would have trembled
to it's foundations.
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 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 &C
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 alt
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 a grim salts
faction in finding himself true,
prophet
Another cause had appeared to preju-
dice him still further against Hyde.
Mr.. Bruce was a widower, whose
house was kept by his only child. a
very pretty girl, who naturally had
many admirers. npon all OF whom her
father had looked with suspicion until
he had discovered that danger lurked
in an nnlooked-for quarter and he
concentrated 1t upon Tom Hyde.
Jaynes 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
presumptuousclerk. She was of age,
had neat little fortune in her own
right and had also inherited good
share of what her father called
strength of will, = and some malicious
people what great man has no enc
MESSY termed obstinacy.
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 a VILLAIN of
the deepest dye. -
But as he sat reading his paper be-.
fore the open IRE in the coy sitting
room, his daughter crochetting with
nimble fingers on. the opposite side OF
the center table. he could not forebear
to drop hint that would, tell her in a
delicate way that he did not look upon
young Hyde with approval. III
my dear" said he, with attempted
calmness, which proved an utter fail
ure, s.my dear, don't you think that
that young Hyce's conduct toward you
4 rather .er, forward and presuming
Tor one in his p sition?"
she dropped her long lashes to con-
zeal mischievous twinkle and bent
more closely over her work,
s.Well2p 'sa she. interrog, lively.
Bruce va 3ptoarrassed. He wished