The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-05-17
allowed to override higher duties.


flung myself on Uncle Poffkins, crying:
Surrender! You cannot escape me-"
My uncle fell heavily IN the gravel path
] fell heavily on the top of him and pin
toned his arms to the ground.
TONI he exclaimed. what the mis-
chief--are you drunk
ut is useless, SIR" | began, Ito affect
ign l had reached this point when |
was violently collared from behind, lift
ed bodily OFF my uncle's chest, where
had been sitting, and was deposited on a
grass plat. while a deep voice said in my
ears:
Now. then, young man, turn it up.
You're a lively un, You are. Furst yer
aunt and now yer uncle" The new
ome was q policeman. From his pocket
he produced a pair of handouts and put
them on my unresisting wrists, Then
found my voice.
What are You Handwriting me for" |
demanded. There's the thief"
"Gamnon" said he, grinning.
why, you fool, there's the property"
said /. He looked and saw the earrings
lying on the ground by Uncle Poffkins.
An expression Of bewilderment over
spread the officers face as cropping again
in his pockets he brought forth a pair of
earrings. Then gazing at the pair in his
hand to the other pair on the ground he
calculated softly. and to my ears at least
mysteriously:
t'These earrings in my and vas found
in your drawer, young man. wrapped in
cotton wool. 'Ow do you account for
thaty'
"Those ON the ground" | retorted,
were found in Mr.. Poffkins' pocket.
How doyou account for that!' He shook
his head sadly. Then be suddenly bright
ened up. He had an idea. He produced
another pair of handouts, clapped them
on my uncle's hands and cried cheer
fully:
I'VE can't be wrong now, can we?
March, So Uncle Poffkins and |
marched, the policeman between MS,
with a hold on each of our collars, and
in this ~predicament we were presented
to Aunt Pofkins, to Dora and to the
housemaid. The housemaid giggled con-
sumedly, for which. under the circum-
stances, one could hardly blame her.
Aunt Poffkins experienced a relapse.
and Dora alone was equal to the situa-
ton. She made us sit down and gave
rs each a glass of sherry. Then the re-
ordinations began. Uncle Poffkins de-
clared his earrings were not the stolen
pair. Distressed at my aunt's sorrow.
he had gone to the jewelers. and bought
her a similar pair. They cost so gum
cas-. The struggle 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. ''Uncle's earrings are not the
stolen ones. Tom, do you remember hay
ing the toothache? 1t was clear to me
in a moment. / had asked for cotton
wool, and had been directed to my aunt's
jewel box and from it grabbed a large
handful and carried it to my room. Then
on reflection / had tried brandy instead
of laudanum, and the cotton wool was
thrust into the draNse- The earrings
had been buried in the cotton wool.
$50 you were the thief yourselfr'
laughed Dora. 1t was true.
If only I had strictly followed out
what my reading had taught me! For,
improbable as it was that / should think
Uncle Poffkins guilty, it would have
been still more improbable had | fixed
the crime on myself. l lacked the full
courage of my principles, and the result
is Uncle Poffkins and / do not speak
st. James Budget.