Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-04-08

victory OF evil. Uncle Poftkins, shut.
ting the case with snap, exclaimed:
Its all blamed nonsense I'll take
'em back to Abraham's tomorrow. I"
Abraham no doubt was the res
cefver, for my uncle went on, in 2
satisfied tone:
"Hen make no trouble about TAX
ing 'em."
He was putting the case in his
pocket when my feelings Overcame
me. Respect for ones elderly rela-
tives is praiseworthy feeling, but it
must not be allowed to override
higher duties l flung myself on
Uncle Poffkins, crying:
Surrender! You cannot escape
me-"
My uncle fell heavily on the gravel
path. I fell heavily on top of him
and pinioned his arms to the ground.
tom" he exclaimed, ''what the
mischief-are you drunk"
1T is useless, sir" l began, ''to
affect ig-"
had reached this point when I
was violently collared from behind,
lifted bodily off my uncle's chest,
where [ had been sitting, and was
deposited on a grass plat, while a
deep voice said in my ear:
"Now, then, young man, turn it
up. You're lively 'un, you are.
Fust your aunt and now your uncle"
The new conner was policeman.
From his pocket he produced a pair
of handouts and put them on my I'M
resisting wrists Then found my
voice.
"What are you Handwriting me
for?" l demanded. "There's the
thief"
"Gammon!:" said he, grinning.
"Why, you fool, there's the prop
erty," said L
He looked and saw the earrings ly.
ing on the ground by Uncle Pofklns.
An expression of bewilderment over
spread the officers face as cropping
again in his pocket he brought forth
pair of earrings Then gazing from
the pair in his hand to the other pair
on the ground, he calculated softly,
and, to my ears at least, mysteri-
Ously:
'These earrings in my 'and was
found in your drawer, young man,
wrapped in cotton wool. 'Ow do you
account for that?"
''These on the ground" 1 retorted,
s'Were found IN Mr.. POffkinS' pocket.
How do you account for that?"
He shook his head sadly. Then he
suddenly frightened up. He had an
idea. He produced another pair of
handouts, clapped them on my
uncle's hands and cried cheerfuIly:
"We can't be wrong now, can we?
March,"
So Uncle Poffkins and I marched,
the policeman between us, with a hold
on each of our collars, and in this
predicament we were presented to
Aunt Poffkins, [ to Dora, and to the
housemaid.
The housemaid giggled consum-
edly, for which under the circum-
stances one could hardly blame her.
Aunt Poffkins experienced a relapse,
and Dora alone was equal to the stu
alton. She made us sit down and
gave US each glass Of sherry. Then
the recrimination began. Uncle Poff-
kins declared his earrings were not
the stolen pair. Distressed at my
aunt's sorrow, he had gone to the
jewelers. and bought her similar
pair. They cost 80 guineas. The
struggle l had witnessed was between
love and economy, not honesty and
crime.
/ swore that the earrings found in
my bureau had not been placed there
by me.
"And you are both quite right"
said Dora. "Uncles earrings are not
the stolen ones Tom, do you re-
member having the toothache?"
1t was clear to me in moment. /
had asked for cotton wool, had been
directed to my aunt's jewel box, and
from it l grabbed large handful and
carried it to my room. Then, on re-
Election, l had tried brandy instead of
laudanum. and the cotton wool was
thrust in the drawer out of the way.
The earrings had been buried in the
cotton wool.
$50 you were the thief yourself"
laughed Dora.
It was true. If only I had strictly
followed what my reading had taught
me- For, improbable as 1T was that
/ should think Uncle Poffkins guilty,
it would have been still more i'm
probable had I fixed the crime on my
self. lacked the full courage of my
principles, and the result is Uncle
Poffkins and / do not speak.
cago Post.
Entertaining the Butcher.
Do Won remember the TriShwomap