The Penn's Grove record., 1894-07-27
HER TRAP.

The telephone rang briskly in Mrs
Howard Bascomb's pleasant home
and stepping to it, she received thi
message from her husband:
cHello! Is that you, Lottiep Nv
concluded to leave for New York thi
noon. The boy is on the way to tn
house for my grip You know wha
I'll need for a week or ten days alb
sence. Get your sister to stay will
you for company. Goodbye, dear
s'long. Take care of Yourself"
Then he rung of, and Mrs. Bas
comb went in search OF the satchel
which she packed with a deft hand
She was a young woman, sensible
well balanced, and nothing ever dis
turbed or annoyed her to the extent
of making her ffdgety or nervous
Being in robust health, she hardly
knew what nerves meant She was
s~elf-reliant, but domestic, and alb
sorbed In her home life, which com
prised her world. She had perfect
faith in her husband, or else pre-
tended to have, and cheated herself
comfortably with the delusion. AND
she never crossed any bridges until
she came to them. She knew that
her husband had intended going tC
New York on the following 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 wanted
It She added nothing to its usual
contents, and subtracted nothing.
Yes stay. She did take out hi,
sevep-shooter, every chamber Of
which was loaded, and lad 1t on the
table under the mirror In the back
parlor.
'.Howdy has one revolver with him.
That Will have to do him this trip
/ like TO have one handy in case
should nekd it,"
She smiled and smiled again with
out being a villain. The idea of need
ing firearms seemed so incongruous
and absurd.
In the afternoon she went up to her
home TO BORROW her sister," as she
expressed it, But Miss Madgie had
gone away with some young friends,
and was engaged to spend the night
at The house OF Q schoolfnate. So
Mrs Bascomb returned home alone.
=
Two men stood In the doorway of
an unused fight Of Office stairs and
Rad an naySnr
They were much occupied in dis
cussing one item among the personal
news It was this:
s,The Rubber Horseshoe Company
is an assured fact Mr.. Howard Bias.
comb drew s18. 900 from the NJ. & NJ.
Bank to-day, the Investment of the
branch company formed here, and
will leave for New York tomorrow.
A capital Of $50, 900 is assured"
'.Do y see?:" calculated the younger
and smaller Of the. two men "Drew
SIS, 900 ia spondulicks Goes home
with 1t in his vest pocket, blow me et
he DON'T"
Maybe not, pard. s'posin' it's a
certified check?"
s'Then there'll be a reward offered
to get 1t back-see?"
"Jim, g'r0un' to tn bank an find
out which and whether it werc," sug-
gested the older man.
"Bank clussed," remarked Jim
sententiously.
'S'pose 1t air. Did yer expect to
send In yer card to the cashier, or tho
president? Get aroun' an interview
tn ianitor. Represent yerself as
Mister Bascomb's confidential bizness
man, carn't yere"
Jim started off at once without
waiting to give his ''pard" any out
line Of his plan. e He was gone an
hour. but when he returned he was
freighted with intelligence.
"Bills," he chuckied, "Hve hundred
and n thousand dollar biIls-whewl
An he'll sleep with them about his
honorable pusson to-night-mebbe."
''Does yer know the house?" asked
tho other man, after a spell OF
silence
IL don't, pard. But I've looked it
up in the directory, and it's as handy
as a mitten on yer nose. Let's 10
and get somethin' wet to improve
our mlnda It's tween US 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 theIpolice, which would have
recognized in their duality a con-
spIracy against law and order.
When Mrs Bascomb returned from
her visit it was dark. She had staid
to supper. and as the girl opened the
door she saw that she was somewhat
excited.
what is 1t, Kitty" she asked.
rather gravely. because the girl was
inclined to get Illustrated easily.
"Oh, mem, what was the name Of
the girl as lived here before I Gamer"
she responded with a counter cues.
tion.
"Her name? Sarah something, I
remember just now-Why?"
'Oh, there vas a young man here
looking for his sister, but her name
was Annie Donovan. He said he
hadn't e e her in ten years, and she
was grown up now, and he talked
about her. 1t would bring
the tears till your eyes, maan, Ito hev
heard him"
.Kitty I wouldn't gossip with
strange men if 1 were you. 1t isa't
safe He probably was a tramp, and
ell that story about his sister wss Just
made up out OF whole cloth What
else did be want?"
Nothing, ma'aul, and / didn't let
him inside the kitchen door. He
warn't no tramp, an Pm sure he were
the truth"
Mrs Bascomb did not prolong the
argument, but busted herself until
bedtime with some household duties,
which were really in the line of pleas.
ures to her womanly nature. Then
she saw that the house was locked up,
sent Kitty to bed, and went into her
'front.' parlor. which was lighted and