Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-09-28

said Mrs. Leslie to her friend Mrs.
Gordon, that night.
TO make him feel at home,' echo
ed Mr.. Leslie. at is our aim to
make his last days as pleasant as
possible-you know he is getting old
for he has seen rough times out in
the West, and has earned a good
rest, I'll warrant"
The fact is this was a triie hypo-
critical on the part of Mr.. Leslie.
Truth was he was beginning to get
little anxious over the fact that I'm
Gle George was not making any law
ish expenditures of his vast wealth.
In another part of the house that
night there was another interesting
little scene It was behind huge
bank of ferns and palms that the Vi
vacious Miss Bessie was explaining
ing to her betrothed, Frank Jswett,
all about the new-found relative.
"You must be very good to him,
Frank she was saying. "Of course
I know he is horrid looking old
fellow and he dresses like scare
crow and he's stupid as stick aud
all that !; but then he's rich and we
all want to keep on the good.side of
him. II it wasn't for that We would
MT have him in the house. But papa
is going to let him make bis ;lsnne
with US, and when be dies ~ viii
surely leave us all his money Antzl
I wouldgassv "a ad q
we kept IN his good graces, it ne
wouldn't furnish our house for US
from cellar to garrett when you and
! are married. y
was that a faint ctuoklo that
came from the other side of the
thick bank of ferns and palms !?
One morning Uncle George failed
to come down to breakfast. This
was not an unusual thing, for Mr..
Leslie's avunculsr relative was in
the habit of taking long morning
strolls, 'Jest to brace up my appe-
tite bit,' he would explain.
But when he failed to come back
to lunch, to dinner-when night ar
rived and still no Uncle George
Mrs. Leslie began to be alarmed.
81 am afraid something has hap
pened to him. said she to her hus-
band. ale is not very well acquaint-
ed in the city. Who knows but
that he might have been robbed and
murdered 2"
So Mr.. Leslie hunted up the chief
of detectives and reported the mys
ferrous disappearance. He describ-
ed the missing man.
"Was the gentleman's forefinger
missing up to the middle jointf'
asked the chief.
eyes," said Mr.. Leslie, wondering
how the chief knew that fact.
Sand he had a sort of innocent,
rustic, modest air about him?"
eyes, yes" said the other, "you
have found him, then ?"
"No," replied the detective with
quizzical smile, "but / wish / could.
Is this his picture ?" he asked point
ing to a photograph which he had
selected from large brown book.
aThe very man." exclaimed Mr..
Leslie. "Has anything happened to
him? How did you come by his
picture ~
"The gentleman has the distinc
ton of having his photograph in the
rogues' gallery" was the quiet re-
ply.
"Rogues' gallery Why, what
do you mean, man p gasped Mr..
Leslie. "He is my wife's uncle"
"Can you prove that" queried
the chief.
"Why, yes-that is-well,' STAN
mered the now thoroughly astound-
ed man. New light was thrown on
thousand trihing circumstances Of
Uncle Georges visit and actions.
II tell you," continued the 6etcc-
tive, pityingly, this man is Louis
Rebsteise, one of the sharpest conf.
dence men in the country, who
makes /. business of this sort Of
work. He has been missing for
some time, and / suppose be has
been out West, where be probably |
met the real Uncle George and |
learned enough Of your family story |
to play his little game.
IF you search your house you
will probably find that all your sill
yerware, jewelry and money are
gone, or at least as much of them as
one man can carry away.
The chiefs surmise was correct.
The choice old family plate, Mrs.
Leslle's iewelry and two hundred |
dollars, which Mr.. Leslie had taken
in the day before after banking
hours-all we're gone; loss eight |
hundred dollars.
In their place was q little note
pinned to one pillow of the bed |
lately occupied by the departed. It
read:
81 must he off. Have enjoyed
myself hugely. Sorry can't leave
you my vast fortune. No, Bessie,
I'm afraid / won't furnish your