The Portland daily press., 1895-07-15

Uectlon, or mayhap, as his brother sug-
gested. he had been stricken with the
pangs OF conscience. At all events, the
matter died out after awhile. and none
but the directors and myself knew how
deeply the bank had suffered. That the
unfortunate man was robbed of the great
booty he had taken by river plunderers
none OF the directors had any doubt
and although I, doubling this, spent
many dollars and six months of my time
securing around among the "dock rats, -
as river plunderers are called, it was to
no avail. | could discover nothing.
We detectives have a peculiar trick
of remembering unsolved cases, and SO
this matter was still fresh in my mind
when one evening nearly year later
there presented herself at my lodgings
woman a little past middle age. She
was richly dressed, and not until she
had introduced herself could recognize
her as a certain Mrs. Whiting in whose
simple farmhouse I had once spent
few weeks hunting and fishing in the
surrounding country. The Writings
were good plain country folk, and John
Whiting, though poor and struggling to
meet the mortgage upon his little farm,
was as honest type of farmer as had
ever seen. Their daughter Kate was
handsome lass, recalled as my visitor
talked.
ST see you do not remember me, said
she, ''for I have greatly changed not
only in dress, but in appearance. When
you knew me, was, although a poor
woman, fat and buxom. Now" exhib-
iting an emaciated arm, 81 am thin as
a skeleton. "
At this she began to weep, and I,
hoping to assist her, asked about the
Others, her husband and daughter Kate
) AT this she wept the more ''It-it
is about my husband" sobbed she,
''that have come to see you.
And then she told me this strange
story:
"We were still living upon the little
farm where you spent the summer with
us and were trying, as then, to make
our simple expenses and pay our mort
gage money when one afternoon my
husband came home strangely excited
and much pleased over something. 1T
is a secret now, Mary, said he. but
I'll tell you tomorrow.
''Next morning he was up bright and
early milking the COW and attending to
the pigs and chickens and was alto
gether in the best spirits ever remem-
ber seeing him. When we parted at our
little gate, he kissed me goodby twice,
and the second time he whispered:
Don't fret, little woman, about that
mortgage. We'll lift it soon, sure
enough. Goodby and don t worry if m
a little late.'
''That night Twaited until O'Clock.
Then I milked the COW myself, and aft
er sending Kate out to hang lantern
upon the front gate sat up and waited
Twelve o'clock came, and the hours
dragged on till morning, but my hus-
band did not come. Twas alarmed now
and was about to start for the city,
whittier knew he had gone, to look for
him, when blue coated messenger
came up on horseback to the front gate.
26 udu ii Jtihlf4r tTiIti -thfhil LII udu Uoou
left at the Office the night before, the
messenger said, to be delivered in the
morning. When opened the letter, out
dropped $500 bill. The letter read:
"DEAR MARY-I write this hasty note to tell
you that I shall not be home today, nor per-
haps for a week. have found good position
that will take me out of town travelling. Here
is money enough for you and Kate at present.
Do not fret, and you may look for another let
ter from me very soon.
fEP. S.-Do not mention to any one that am
away. Keep all secret for the present.
''The letter was written in hasty,
trembling hand, but was familiar as my
husbands handwriting. While Kate
and I'were rejoicing over fathers good
fortune-that day and the next-there
arrived another letter. This was Ion
ger one and was postmarked Chicago
The letter covered several pages, and
advised, nay, commanded us, to sell our
little place and move into the city at
once. When return, the letter said,
it will not be convenient to travel into
the country every day. Go to the city,
take nicely furnished apartment and
wait for me there Send your own ad-
dress to me at once in San Francisco.
And take special care that none of our
cid neighbors knows our new address, as
it may be unpleasant in our new Cir
cumstances to have them as friends
''This letter contained $500. And
wondering more than ever and grieving
a little over fathers altered ways Kate
and I gathered up our little possessions,
sold the old place and took an apart
ment in the Westlake, mentioning one
Of the most exclusive apartment houses
in the city.
"How long ago was that?' I asked.
"That," said Mrs. Whiting, "was
last spring, and though nearly year
has passed since then we have never
seen father since. For awhile the money
came regularly like an allowance, with
brief but affectionate letters Then, the
very day before Christmas, we got an
other letter-a long letter-saying that
as it was uncertain when he could come
home, and as it must be worrisome not
to know exactly when the next money
would come, it might be more conven-
lent to have it all in lump. With the
IQtfQr Woo hat