The Monitor-register., 1896-08-28
Maggie, her glorious eyes flashing with
scorn, turned sharply and before be could
prevent her. dashed from the rom

hS Ah4uiAou lie Laughter ITO lodruou
that she and Mrs. Boothby, the elder
woman who had been engaged as the
girls companion and chaperone, had
gone to the city.
John Mesnier was the support of his
widowed mother and two little sisters.
He never took his business cares home
with him and he was all life and jolity
this night, although his employers sig
nifcant words and dark frown weighed
heavily upon his mind.
He was having a game of romps with
his sisters, when the door bell rang, and
their maid of-all-work announced that
there were two ladies in the parlor,
who asked to see him.
1.-TWO ladies to see me!' calculated
John. e" wonder who they can be ?"
He put off his coat for another,
smoothed his rumpled hair and went
down stairs.
Imagine his joy and surprise when he
found that one of the ladies was the girl
dDOto Oil O1uoTS ue aUOreQ.
At the expiration of fifteen minutes be
came up stairs, and with the simple
announcement that Miss Ransom and
her chaprone were in the parlor, and had
solicited his escort while they made an
important business visit, put on his
great,coat.
He was gone some hours, and when he
returned to the house the two little sis.
tiers had gone to bed. His mother asked:
"What did Miss Ransom want, John o.,
"She wanted me to bear her company
while she paid a visit to "a detective"
"Mercy!" calculated Mrs. Mesnier.
"What business can she have with a
detective ?"
"You must ask Miss Ransom to answer
that question:" replied John, and he went
off to bed.
When Maggie and her chaperone re.
turned to Lyndhurst there was a light in
the library, and when she entered the
room her father looked up from his
book.
"Tve got something to say to you,
papa" she said.
And while he regarded her with sur
prise, she told him where she had been
that night and what she had done.
"Don't you think it was rather impru.
dent to" he began, but she interrupted
him.
"No," was the answer. "Mrs. Boothby
was with me. l think it was only just to
the man | love-" and now her face flushed
rosily. Nov, papa" she continued,
and dropped upon her knees beside his
chair, II want your help. This detective
will begin work tomorrow, and it may
be necessary for him to be at the store
after night. You must fix it SO that he
will never be suspected. Now you will,
like a dear that you are, won't you?"
She raised her lips to his, and thus
cajoled, is it any wonder that she received
the promise of his assistance?
Casually, the next day, after an. inter
view with a nan who looked like a pros
porous mechanic, Mr.. Ransom mentioned
to his manager that he intended to make
some long contemplated repairs ia the
store.
81 don't want to have any clatter dur
ing business hours" he said, ''and the
workmen will come here after the store
is closed. Notify the Waterman, so that
they may be admitted, will you, Mr..
Hicks ?"
Mr.. Hicks bowed and returned to his
desk.
That night several mechanics, under
the direction of the little mar who had
had the conference with Mr.. Ransom that
day, began hammering about the store,
and the Waterman was puzzled to under
stand why so many mirrors were set into
the walls of the cashiers office, or why
two big brass pipes connected it with a
little room above, which was used tc
store the pals and brushes used by the
cleaners.
He was a very discreet man, was this
Waterman, however, and he kept his
thoughts to himself.
Three days passed, and every afternoon
Mr.. Ransom was late in leaving the store
and his daughter usually came in to join
him.
On the third afternoon John Mesniel
suddenly entered the Office, and Mr..
Ransom looked up, inquiringly.
Il have to report another shortage
SIR"
"How much ?" demanded the mer
chant.
zone hundred dollars, in two dollar
bills. The package came from Miss
Meek's desk"
"Ah!' vouchsafed Mr.. Ransom; and
he called, sharply: "Mr. Hicks"
The manager, looking meaner and
c~raftier than ever, glided into the office
"Mr. Mesnier reports another mysteri
GUS shortage, SIR" said Mr.. Ransom.
"We never had Shortages before
sneered Hicks, and he glanced maliciouslJ
toward John Mesnier.
"There will probably never be one
again." called a voice behind him, anc
the man who had directed the mechanics
stepped into the room and laid his hant
on Paul Hicks arm. 81 arrest you, " b.
said, "for the theft of this package o.
money" and he held up the missing
bundle of bills. (which l found behint
your desk where you had hidden it."
"It's a lie-it's a trick!" cried Hicks
pale with anger. "Mr. Ransom, l be
seech you"
"How does this happen, then" inter
rupted the little man, Tightening his gril
on the managers arm, shat my Gamers
%reproduces your hand" and he held up thu
managers right hand, the forefinger o
which was missing, sin the very act O
abstracting the bundle of money through
the wire grating surrounding Mr.. Mes
nier's desk, in which there has beer
inserted a very ingenious little door tt
open from the outside ?"
As he finished speaking, he laid bott
the package of money aud a Photographic
negative on Mr.. Ransom's desk.
The merchant held the latter to thu
light, and saw plainly revealed an exac
reproduction of the cashiers desk witt
the piles of money surrounding him, ant
near the wire grating which enclosed it
human hand, the forefinger of which wal
missing, in the act of closing over one O.
the bundles of bills.
"Hicks!' he cried, sternly-and signed
| RI tho dotoakipo - ~I1nx.