The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-05-01

are. YOU re welcome 10 their use.
My dear but Mrs. w. S feelings
were too many for her.
The situation was extremely deli
cate | scarcely knew how to act. |
managed, however, to tip the General
a wink, and he followed me out.
I'm afraid did it very awkward y;
but | somehow succeeded in making
him comprehend that if his wife could
make out with Mrs. c. 5 diamonds
they had cost seven thousand dollars
the want of ready money for travel
ing expenses needn't stand in the way:
He grasped my hand, and pocketed
the money.
Mrs. WydeSwarth packed up her
things, Pollv's diamonds included,
commended her husband to our care.
promised to be back in week, and
was waiting for the carriage in which
we were all to ride to the station to-
gether, when her husband came IN.
lookinga a good deal concerned.
He too had received 4 letter, sum
moning him away on important busl.
ness. 1t was necessary he should
leave at once-bv the same train with
his wife, in fact.
I.oath as we were to part with both
our friends at once, it was, after all,
gratifying 10 think that Mrs. ". would
be saved the annoyance of travelling
unattended.
Atthe station succeeded in pressing
a couple of hundred more on the Gen
eral, to meet his own expenses. AS he
was only to be gone couple of days,
that sum, he said. would be ample.
The kissing of the ladies, and the
handshaking of the General and my.
self. were interrupted by the Cry OF
"All aboard" and in anothermoment
the train was numbering Oft, Mrs.
Wvdeswartl waving her handkerchief
from the window at Mrs. Crumplehorn
standing weeping on the platform.
We were just getting back into the
carriage. when another train stopped,
out of which three men rushed, in one
of whom we recognized the husband
of the unsociable lady that had given
Mrs. Crumplehorn the turn.
Here's couple of them, shouted
the latter gentleman, making a dash
toward us; and, by Jove! that's my
wife's breastpin that woman has on
now!
What do you mean?you villains"
roared, aiming a blow at one of the
men, who had laid his hands some,
what rudely on Mrs. Crumplehorn'
shoulder
Come none of that, my covey.
exclaimed another of the men; and
before knew it, pair of handouts
were snapped on my wrists.
We were about being hustled Oft,
and Heavens knows what would have
come of it, if some of our neighbors
hadn't interfered and demanded an
explanation.
Everything was soon made plain
enough. The General and his wife
so called-were couple of notorious
thieves, in league with goodness
knows how many others. They hao
been plying their vocation at Saratoga
under the guise of a pair of fashiona
bles. Among their victims had been
the unsociable lady. And Mrs. Crum
plehorn and myself, whom nobody
knew, having constantly been seen IN
the Wydeswarth' S company were, nat
urally enough, suspected as accom-
plices suspicion materially strength
ened, l may add, by one of the stolen
articles being found in Mrs. Cs. pos
session.
Ny own statement, however, and
the testimony of our neighbors, com
pletely satisfied the strange gentle
man and the two detectives, and Mrs
G. and myself We're at once released.
I was willing to say no more about
it, but Mrs. G. being a woman Of spirit
as she handed back the breastpin,
couldn't refrain from sending hel
compliments to the gentleman's wife
"And tell her. she said, If | eve,
should. think of stealing, it'll not be &
lrumpery piece of pinchbeck like
that"
She had called it ''love of thing
that very morning, but circumstances
alter cases.
Polly and are not going to Sara
toga next season. To say nothing Of
the water. we've had quite enough o1
fashionable society for one while.