Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-11-16


his pocket when my feeling overcame
me. Respect for ones elderly relatives
is praiseworthy feeling. but it must
not lie allowed to override higher duties.
! flung myself on Uncle Potfkins. crying:
Surrender You cannot escape me !"
My uncle fell heavily on the gravel path.
! fell heavily ON the top of him and pin
Toned his arms TO the ground
Tom he exclaimed, ''what the
mischief-are you drunkyH
Il is useless. sir" began. . to af-
feet ign -. l had reached this point
when l was violently collared from be-
hind lifted bodily off my uncle's chest.
where had been sitting. and was de-
posted ON grass plat, while a deep
voice said i'll my ears
Now. then, young man, turn it up.
You're lively 'un. you are. Furst yer
aunt and now yer uncle. I" The new
conner WAS a policeman. From his
pocket he produced pair of handouts
and put them on my unresisting wrists.
Then | found my voice.
what are you Handwriting me fort"
l demanded. There's the thief.
Cannon r. said he, grinning.
why, you fool. there the property"
said l. 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 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:
These earrings in my and was found
in your drawer young man, wrapped in
cotton wool Ow do you account for
thatg" Those on the ground, / re
torted, were found in Mr. Poffkins's
pocket. How do you account for thatl"
He shook his head sadly. Then he sud
denly frightened up. He had an idea.
He produced another pair of handouts,
clapped them ON my uncle's hands and
cried cheerfully:
We cant be wrong now, can wet
March p So Uncle Poffllins and 1,
marched, the policeman between us, with
a hold on each of our collars, and in this
predicament we were presented to Aunt
Pofflxins, TO Dora and to the housemaid.
The housemaid giggled consumedly, for
which under the circumstances one could
hardly blame her
Aunt Poffkins experienced relapse,
and Dora alone was equal to the situa-
ton She made us sit down, and gavs
US each a glass of sherry. Then the re-
began. Uncle Poffkins de-
clared his earrings were not the stolen
pair Distressed at my aunts sorrow.
he had gone TO the jewelers. and bought
her a similar pair They cost eighty
guineas 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 yen remember
having the toothache?" It was clear to
me in moment had asked for cot
ton wool. 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 drawer. The
earrings had been buried in the cotton
wool
80 you were the thief yourselfr'
laughed Dora 1t was true.
If only 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 lacked the full
courage of my principles. and the result
S Uncle Pofflzins and do not speak
St. James Budget