Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-04-08
THE AUNT'S EARRINGS.

Detective stories have always been
my favOrite form Of literature. l
have read many, and have gained
from them a thorough contempt for
probability and the police. The first
thing you should do when crime has
been committed, as / often said to
Uncle Poffkins. is to suspicion the
most unlikely man as being the crimi-
nal. That was the course adopted
when Aunt PoffklnS' earrings were
stolen. 1t was in the morning when
the theft was discovered. Aunt came
down late and ran into the room
where Uncle Poffkins, Dora, and 1
were breakfasting. My aunt bore
traces of strong agitation, and she
had forgotten her cap.
"My earrings" she cried. ''They
are gone-they are stolen"
''God bless my SOUL" exclaimed
Uncle Poffkins, dropping his teacup
rs if he had been shot, and leaping
I'D with yell of pain. He said the
yell was attributable to the heat Of
the tea, which was trickling down his
legs.
NV aunt explained. The earrings
were kept wrapped in COTTON wool in
n Jewell box on her dressing table.
The box was never locked, and the
housemaid had access to the room.
The girl had only been In the house
q week, and was known to have a
beau. My aunt and cousin at once
concluded she was the thief, and sent
for a policeman, who searched her
trunk ana found nothing, of course.
T could have told them that.
Meanwhile kept my eye on Uncle
Poffkins He was the one person
who could have no motive whatever
In stealing the earrings. He was
very rich, most respectable and ex-
tremely slow and noisy in his move
ments; moreover, my aunt would
have given him the earrings at any
moment if he had asked for them.
Evidently he was. the last man to
attract suspicion. Accordingly l
watched Uncle PofTkins closely.
We passed a week Of excitement.
The police were running In and out.
Dora croSS-eXamined the hOuSemaid
necessarily. Aunt Poffkins went
about weeping and reminding every
one she met that the earrings were
present from Uncle Poffkins on the
occasion Of their engagement. My
uncle himself affected to make light
of the matter and went so far as to
loudly and OstentatlouSly curse the
earrings. He was wrong if he thought
/ could be put off the scent by that
clumsy muneuver. I never left him
alone: l tracked him to the city,
hung about all the morning, shad-
owed him when he went to lunch,
when he returned, when he crossed
over to the exchange Unknown to
him l was on his bus, inside if he
rode on the top, and on the top when
it rained and he slowed himself away
inside. He never escaped me, except
while he was in his office.
At last, after ten days weary chaS-
Ing, was rewarded. l need not say
that the police had discovered moth
ing. The house was still tOpsy-turvV,
aud my aunt subject to intermittent
Mysteries That wronged creature,
the housemaid, did her work with a
mop in one hand and in the other a
handkerchief wet with innocent tears.
But to return to Uncle Poffkins. The
tenth day after the earrings had dis
appeared, as he was brushing his hat
before leaving the house and looking
at my aunt's tear believed visage. his
conscience Smote him and he so far
forgot himself as to exclaim audibly:
balm blamed if / can stand this
any longer!" The folly of the man
was incredible. 1 had him now. In
an instant was after him. He took
a bus, / took cab and started for
the city. Now came the odd thing
Uncle Poffkins disappeared. How
it happened do not know, but when
the bus pulled up at the bank Uncle
POffkins was not TO be seen. l .aues-
toned the conductor. but he had evil
IDENTITY been bribed, and told me very
TN that he had something better
to than answer my riddles He
dIo 4 ON, and was left for the first
time at fault.
1t was evening before / saw Uncle
Poffkins. / was going home In a
very disconsolate state, when, about
two hundred yards from our gate, ]
espled him ahead of me. Quickening
my pace / stealthily approached him.
He opened the gate and passed in;
noiselessly / followed. A little
further on, sheltered by the shrub.
berry, he stopped, and after q
stealthy glance toward the house took
from his overcoat pocket small mo-
rocco case. l stood on tiptoe Just be.
hind, and, with mingled horror and
satisfaction as / looked over his
shoulder. saw the earrings! / wa:
right Uncle Poffklns sighed. s'Shal
1 give 'em to her or notr he said tt
himself. sits waste, Still. IT viii
keep her quiet" / watched the
struggle between his good and evi
angel. Clearly his good angel haC
triumphed so far as to bring the ear
rings within fifty yards of Aunt Pofl
kinE but now came the tug of war