Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-04-28

ton: deed of Atherton homestead; will
of late General Cleveland Athertonn-
That's enough" curtly interrupted
Miss Smith; ''you have the key to the
sachel with you, s'pose." :"
Il have, madam was the reply.
sThen," returned Miss Smith, NOV
ing toward the secretary drawer, and
proceeding to insert the key, If the
things in the sachel correspon's to them
you've mentioned, why
Here Miss Smith stopped abruptly.
The drawer was unlocked. With face
paler than ashes, she jerked it open!-
it was empty!
"Robbers!i' she gasped, dropping in
to the nearest chair. ''Thievesr" she
screamed, Historically, as they all rose
to their feet and came crowding about
her. ..D-rglars.'' she shrieked, in a
still higher key, sand it's all been done
since six o'clock-that sachel was in
there then, for l see it with my own
ewes! And now-it's gone-gonei"
And Miss Smiths voice failed her; so
she began to sob.
At this startling piece of news Mr..
Atherton looked incredulous, Captain
Flagg and his wife astounded, Polly
amazed. Tad bewildered, Mrs. Mason
surprised and Mr.. Mason overwhelmed!
"By Jove!" muttered the latter gen.
tieman, as a sudden thought seemed to
strike him; and, leaving the little group
staring dumbly Mt each other, he bolted
into his own room.
Il don't wish to increase the general
unpleasantness," he observed, poking
his head through the door with ghast-
ly smile, "but Tn compelled to re-
mark that the thief has also taken'-
mot my Roman gold bracelets,
John DEAR" interrupted his wife,
clasping her hands in tragic manner
=" don't say that!'
Il grieve to be obliged to say so, my
love-" said Mr.. Mason, with affected
pleasantly, land also to add that not
only have your watch and chain been
stolen silently away, but the biggest
trunk seems to have been despoiled of
a dress or two, as well as the fur-lined
circular, which you aCould insist upon
bringing, in spite of my remonstrances,
while
Here, Tad! Tad. come back here!
where are you going!' interrupted Miss
Smith, as, at the words " fur-lined cir
cular," Tad, seizing his cap from the
table, bolted from the room without q
word, followed by Mr.. Mason, who
muttered something about hunting up
the sheriff, while his wife, with hys-
teric sob, sought her own apartment
for the purpose of seeing whether she
had sustained any further loss.
Mr.. Atherton rose to his feet with
suspicion in his eye, and the little
sachel key, which he had previously
drawn from his pocket, in his hand.
'1-I-do not like the appearance
of all this he said, in a tone of severe
displeasure. THAT boys behavior,
from my first encounter with him, at
the station in Philadelphia, to this last
-er-hasty exit, has, to say the least,
hardly been above suspicion; and l
must say''-
What, sirr' wrathfully exclaimed
Miss Smith, not needing pacific Mrs.
Flagg's gentle twitch at her dress
skirt, $50 you dare to insinuate that
my-that Tad, who's BEN under my
own eye ever sence he come to Blk
port-an' ahonester, stiddier boy never
Gved-would"-
"Without meanin' to come into no
collision" gently but firmly interposed
Captain Fiagg, IN persuasive tones,
IAN seein' we're all neighbors an
frien's, supposin' we lay to an anchor
for spell, an see what comes of it.
In my way of thinkin',n continued the
Captain, beaming mildly upon Mr..
Atherton, who, apparently little
ashamed of his haste, had subsided
again into his chair, 'that there boy is
all Miss Smith says, an more, too, an
it's my belief that what's sot him off all
so sudden is some kind of clew that
he's in hurry to overhaul. What do
you think, PollyP"
Polly said that she k11eaO it was some
thing of the sort, while Mrs. Flagg
murmured words to the same effect.
So, as there was nothing TO do but
await events, Miss Smith swallowed
what she afterwards mentioned as her
righteous Indignation and took up
her knitting; Mr.. Atherton controlled
his impatience as best he could, and,
drawing paper from his pocket, be-
came seemingly absorbed in its con-
tents, though Tad was perpetually
scampering up and down its columns;
while the Flaggs conversed 18th each
other and Miss Smith in confidential
undertone, regarding the strange events
of the day.