The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-10-02

that's all, said I. ,...
"'StolenN he cried, falling back.
you don't mean to say that
Aye, and stolen within an hour
within half an hour-of our being
here together last night.
Il cannot-I will not-believe
such a horrible thing. Stolen! and
in this very Office too
II never saw better acting in all
my life than his Indignation and hor-
ror and astonishment.
; Mr.. Strangway on reaching the
Office half an hour earlier than usual
gave orders; for another search. 1t
was quite unavailing. No tale OF
tidings of the cash came that day.
No secret.was made of the affair
in the office, and as the hours went
on I became confident that in Mr..
Strangway's eyes was the criminal.
I don't know how it happened, but |
did'not feel this much. was in a
drcam-a stupor.
Late in the afternoon Mr.. Strang-
way called me into his Office and told
me that, considering everything, he
did not intend placing the affair in the
hands of the police that day, but if
tonlorrow's sun went down upon
matters as they now stood he should
be- obliged to take action. The loss
Of the money 1 could BEAR said he,
but the ingratitude I will not stand
"This was as good as accusing me
of the robbery. Again I wonder
that 1 was not more put out, but l
felt little or nothing beyond helpless
and numbed.
Next day Mr. Strangway said
not a syllable about employing the
police, or indeed about the affair at
all, nor did he, as far as I know, take
steps in the matter.
ga fortnight after the loss of the
money a telegram came for Mr..
Strangway. It was sent into his
private Office. Presently he opened
his door and beckoned me to so in,
and when I had entered he motioned
me to chair.
Mr.. Mayfeld, said he, I wish at
the earliest moment to relieve you of
what must have been terrible anx-
iety. The thief has been found and
is now in custody. Mr.. Strangway
waved the telegram. 1 have just
got the message saying Stephen
Grainly, with the bulk of the notes
on his person, is in the hands of the
police. He was about leaving this
country-for Spain, it is supposed
He stole the money a fortnight ago
and stole the list you had made of
the numbers of the notes. Knowing
the way in which the. notes had come
into his own hands in the country,
he felt confident they could not be
traced from their source to him, and,
of course, they could not be traced
from him to the Bank Of England, as
the listof the nIlmhess was destroyed
by him.
"'Then how in the world, sir, were
they tracedl' said I.
'Mr. Strangway raised the blot
ting pad and took. from under 1t a
piece of paper, the back of a letter.
=" The news Of, the: robbery got
about he said, and Of course our
customers were interested in it, Mr..
Young of ,Horsham among the rest:
Mr.. Young of Horsham was one of
the people you. wrote to that even
ing, the evening of the robbery, and
YOU sent him more than you In
tended.
"sNot the missing sheet with tho
numbets9 i know:I couldnt-Eess
done that, for I saw the memoran-
dunn on the slope of my desk after
closing his letter and handing itwith
the others to Calmly
"'No, but you put the memoran-
dunn on the slope of your desk with
the ink side up, and you copied Mr..
Young's letter in the copying press
and while it was damp put it down
on the list of notes in unblotted copy
ing ink, and the numbers of the notes
were family but clearly copied, re-
versed, of course, on the fyleaf of
Young's letter, and Mr.. Young sent
the copy back to me privately. Look:
"Mr. Strangway handed me. the
dyleaf of Young's letter, and there
were the numbers of the notes, dim
to be sure, but not quite as dim then
as they are now under the glass let
into the oak of the ovel1nantel.
Grainly had put a few of the notes
into circulation, and they had been
traced back to him.
"'He stole the money, 'Mayfeld,
said Mr.. Strangway to me, and he
tried to ruin you, or anyway he want
ed to saddle you with the theft, and
for awhile I more than suspected you.
But all is clear at last, and Ill pay
you handsomely one day for suspect
ing you.
"And so he did," said my father-in-
law. He lent me the money to buy
a partnership in the firm, and am
the firm all to myself now-and shall
be until the new partner comes IN to-
morrow"
He rose and shook me by the hand
and tapped me on the shoulder,>> say:
ing:
"Your partner for life will bewon-
dering what haslept you. Run away
to Kate now. my boy. Strand Mag
azine.
She Was Too Devoted.
Figg-I don't see Grimsby with
that Lutestring girl lately.
Fogg-No, when he spoke of mar
rage she frightened him off. She