The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1895-05-31

I his face wore an expression of mingled
| cunning and good humor Everybody
spoke of "Old Charley Molier" as
| cunning rogue; but that had never
been distinctly proven in a single in
stance. He had accumulated quite
fortune 'bv hook and by crook as his
! neighbors said and he only kept
the little cheap jewelry store for pre-
| tense of having an honest occupation.
He loved his only child, Vivette, girl
of 10 years, as the apple of his eye.
And if he really loved any other person
in the wide world-since the death of
his wife-nobody suspected it.
Introducing himself as Mr.. Sam.
BLACKWELL of Gray Sulphur Springs,
KY, that gentleman requested a pri-
vate interview with Molier. Molier
led him politely to another room-an
inner room, separated by glazed door
from the shop, so that he might watch
for customers and at the same time
hear what Mr.. BLACKWELL had to say.
Mr.. BLACKWELL opened the convcrsa-
ton.
"Do you know an idiot boy named
joe" queried he, ''who is living with
your city surveyor, Mr.. Gust?"
"An idiot boy named Joe?" queried
Molier with well feigned surprise. He
knew the boy very well, but it did not
then suit him to say so.
Little Joe, they call him at Mr..
Gusts. Do you know Mr.. Gust?"
Very well. And l may have seen
the boy. Do you know Joe?"
IL do not know him." replied Blake
well; but the boy wears medal
and silver chain about his neck
worth some five or ten dollars
only--which want Get it for me and
l will pay you we'll"
will Gust sell it?"
"No."
"Will the boy sell it?'
mo; he hasn't sense enough to sell
it; and yet he has sense enough to hold
on to it. 1t cannot be had that way"
"Do you want me to steal it?"
This was asked by Molier with
knowing look which well expressed
thought, which was that if BLACKWELL
intended crime should be committed
he must share the responsibility, and
there must be a clear understanding
between them. Glow much will the
chain and medal be worth to you?"
ITO me! not anything. A lady in
whom l have some interest lost her
husband and son some three years
since, and though her boy was not an
idiot, he resembled this boy Joe some.
what. | would like to show that medal
to the lady to see if she knows any
thing about it,"
Then, plainly, Mr.. BLACKWELL, how
much do you offer me for the medal?"
81 shall leave the city Saturday
morning for home. If you will deliver
that medal to me at the ferry-boat
landing as l cross to Kentucky at 10
o'clock, will give you a fifty-dollar
bill"
And you will also give me receipt
for the medal, and l will give you re-
ceipt for the money" Seeing then
that Blackwell hesitated he added:
Larceny is penitentiary offence in
this state. We shall need the receipts
for mutual protection Yours will ac-
knowledge the purchase of chain and
medal; mine the receipt of $50 for sill
yer medal and chain. If that suits you,
think can purchase them for YOU"
Il accept" said Mr.. BLACKWELL
''Meet me at the ferry, and the fifty is
yours" He then took a formal leave
and went out
One of Old Charley's peculiarities
was habit of talking to himself, hich
he Immediately proceeded to do. "A
little too smart; took his measure in
a minute. Doesn't wear his name as if
it fitted him-must find his real name
some internal villainy about the mat
ter. Little Joe's a good boy, if he is
fool, and Vivette praises his funny
ways. A man doesn't pay $50 for
medal and chain worth ten, unless he
wants it more than the fifty Goes
away Saturday; all right; shall have n
medal and I'll have the fifty"
Then he put lump of beeswax in a
cup of warm water and set it in the
fireplace for the wax to soften,
and went TO his showcase and
examined a lot Of silver chains to sec
whether they would aid him in a
scheme he was connecting.
That very afternoon Joe, who was
accustomed to pass the shop of Molier
quite often, stopped before the window
to look at the glittering baubles there.
Come in, Joen' said Molier, holding
up bunch of silver chains; II have
something to show YOU"
The boy examined the chains curl
ously, pleased at the attention shown
him, and with a merry laugh: Like
Joe's medal" At the same time he
pulled out the medal by its chain and
placed his own silver cord beside one
of the Others as If for comparison.
"Wait a moment, Joe," said Molier,
taking the wax from the warm water
and making two disc-lilxe Jumps. "Let
me show you" And in few seconds
he had dexterously impressed the soft
wax upon the medal, making fair
copy of each of its faces Then COM
pairing his own chains with Joes he
very easily selected an exact match,