River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-04-06
A MODERN INVENTION.
How II Care to the Rescue of
Ers. Bascomb.

INC NtAE liuDAc rang Htt>haF III MIS-
Howard Bascomb's pleasant home,
and, stepping to it she received this
message from her husband:
Hello. Is that YOU, Lottie2 I've
concluded TO leave for New York this
noon. The boy IS on the way 10 the
house for my grip. You know what
I'll need for week or ten days ab-
seucc. Get your sister to stay with YOU
FOR company. GoOd-by, dear, s'long.
Take care Of yourself
Then he rang of, and Mrs. Bas-
comb went IN search of the satchel.
which She packed with def hand.
She was a young woman. sensible,
well balanced and nothing ever dis
turbed or annoyed her to the extent of
making her fidgety or nervous. Being
an robust health, She hardly knew
what nerves meant She was selfre-
liant, but domestic. and absorbed in
her home life, which comprised her
world. She had perfect faith IA her
husband, or else pretended to have,
and cheated herself comfortably with
the delusiOn. And she never crossed
any bridges until she came 10 them.
she knew that her husband had in
tended going to New York on the fol-
lowing day. and did not wonder or
ponder over his change Of plans.
When the messenger came for the
satchel She sent It carefully packed
Just as she knew her husband waated
it. She added nothing to its usual con
tents, and subtracted nothing. Yes,
stay She did take out his seven-ShoOter.
every chamber of which was loaded,
aud laid it on the table under the
mirror. in the back parior.
'HOwdy has one revolver with him.
That will have 70 do him this trip. /
like to have one handy in case should
need it,
She smiled and smiled again without
being a villain. The idea of nee.l:h-
firearms seemed 50 iUcougru5us and
absurd.
In The afternoon she wVnt up TO her
home 10 borrow her sister" as she
expressed It. Eut Miss Madgie had
gone away with some young friends.
and was engaged TO spend the night at
the house Of "A schoolmatc. So Mrs.
Bascomb returned home alone.
Two men stood in Tie doorway OF an
an evening paper.
They were mucn occupied in discuss
1ng ore item among the personal news.
II was this:
The Rubber Horseshoe company IS
an assured fact. Mr. Howard Bas-
come drew sixteen thousand dollars
from the NJ. 4 VI. bank to-day, the in
vestment of the branch company
formed here. and will leave for New
York tomorrow. 4 capital of eighty
thousand dollars is assured"
DO Y see. CALCULATED the younger
and smaller of the two men. Drew
sixteen thousand dollars in spondulicIls.
Goes home with it in his vest pocket,
blow me ef he don't
Maybe not, pard- s'posin' it's a
certified chcck?"
Then there'u be reward offered to
get z baclI-see:'
Jim, g'roun 10 tn bank an find cut
which and whether it WERE" suggest
ed the older man
Bank clussed," remarked Jim, sen
tentiously.
''S'lose it air. Did yer expect TO send
in yer ca I'd to the cashier. or the pres
ident? Get aroun' an interview tn
cantor. Represent yersclf as Mister
Bascomb's confidential bizness man,
cant ycr2'
Jim started of at once without wait
ing to give his pard" any outline Of
his plan. lie was gone an hour, but
when nc returned he was freighted
with intelligence.
bills, he chuckled, ''five-hundred
and One-thousand dollar bills-whew,
An he'll sleep with them about his
honorable pusson to-night-mebbe."
DO, yer know the house," asked
the other man, after a spell of silence.
i don't, pard. But I've looked it up
IN the directory. and its as handy as a
mitten on yer nose. Let's go and get
somethin' vet to improve our minds.
It's tween rs this time-you outside,
me in-savcy?'
The rascals, who. IN appearance at
least, might have passed for honest
men. walked out of the doorway and
parted company, TO avoid the eagle
eye Of the police, which would have
recognized in their duality conspiracy
against law and order.
When Mrs. Bascomb returned from
her visit il was dark. She had staid to
supper, and as the girl opened the
door she saw that she was somewhat
excited.
What Is it, Kitty?" she asked,
rather gravcly, because the girl was
inclined to get illustrated easily.
''Oh, mem. what was the name of
the girl as lived here before I cameo
she responded with counter question.
Her name? Sarah something. / can
not remember just now-why?"
''Oh, there was n young man here
looking for his sister, but her name was
Annie Donovan. lie said he hadn't
seen her in ten years, aud she was
grown up now, and he talked butch
fully about her. Il would bring the
tears till your eyes, ma'am, TO hev
heard him.
kitty, ! wouldn't gossip with
strange men If I were you. I. isn't
safe He probably was tramp. and
all that story about his sister wa just
made No ont OF whole cloth What
else did he vant?''
Nothing, ma'am, and ] didn't let
him inside the kitchen door. lie
warn no tramp, an I'm sure he were
tellin' the truth"
Mrs. Bascomb diJ not prOlong TIE
argument, but busted herself until bed
time with some household duties,
which were really in the line OF pleas
ures 10 her womauly nature Then
She saw that the house was locked up,
sent Kitty to bed, aud went into her
front parlor, which was lighted and
coy, just rs il the master Of the house
were At home
Il must send fathers message to How
ard. she solilcquized. and seating her
self at the pretty little desk which had
been one OF her wedding presents she
wrote a postal card. After giving the
business message from her father she
added one for herself When the card
was addressed she went 10 the window
and looked out, wondering why she
had not thought % write il earlier in
the evening. There was a mail box
diagOnally a,-css tbs street on the
corner.
''Iu Just ruE across and mail il. I'll
leave the door Open-it won't take .
lIOmen..
Taking a wrap from the hat-tree in
the hall she threw it about her, saw
that no one was passing and slipped
out II took her only moment To drop
that card in the box and run back 10