The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1896-06-05
"Ah! there / am indeed griltyys'

"Ah! there l am indeed griltyy'
cried Sydney.
And this was the history Of the ron.
paid his losses at the card-table.
belonged to Tony, md the srnsxinder
OF the hundred and twenty-five pounds
to Sydney himself.
Their joint savings. It Ind been
agrees between the brothers. were 10
be placed In the bank in which sgd
ny was clerk; but SO hurrietlly was
ford-so sudden his departure from
London-that, having bur just l,efore
received bis brothers SHIRE Of tho
money, he was compelled to relinqaish
his intention Of lodging ], in the hank
had. without q thought. allowed the
pocket-book, containing That which
was the entire fortune Of them 10th,
to remain in the pocket which he first
had placed IL.
Afterwards he had, as We have seen,
secured it in his portmanteau.
And this account was u great relief
to Tony; he cared little that his saw.
ings had yanished-his lmothcr Ind a
perfect right to them, lie considered:
though his marriage must INV be
postponed for he knew not how long.
he was content to wait; although, per.
haps, his intended wife wculd be like.
~ somewhat complain at delay
which she had, at present, little rea.
son to suspect.
But Tony had received full pr1cf,
not that his reason had demanded 1t,
yet, nevertheless, he was very .iad
that clear and ample proof had been
afforded him, that his brother had been
most unjustly accused by :hose wlo
had denounced hin, us Il thief.
"And did not you tell them that you
had paid your losses With cur own
lawful money!" demanded Tony
And Sydney had told them 50, he
said, but had not been believed.
"Oh! but they shall believe mev'
cried Tony, and was for proceedingly
directly to the bank, and was with
difficulty persuaded to forgo his in.
tentiOn.
"And. poor grandmother sighed
Tony; what shall we say to herr"
''That in a single night have mis-.
eably dissipated the fruits of nv
brothers hard-earned sayings!' Syd.
ney cried, desparingly; ''but that l
have been too severely punished for
that fault, since"
you will tell her nothing of the
Sort" hastily interrupted Tony: ..for
you know we'll that such tidiugs would
kill her"
And Sydney felt assuredly that his
brother had spoken truly.
TONY SINK info dom fbouuh% t. MN -
perfectly certain that the chest which
had been given to Svdney's care had
been plundered; but how, and by
whom?
And why only of that precise sum
which his brother had lost at cards?
"And is there no one to whom your
suspicious point?" presently asked
Tony.
And Sydney replied, ooh, no one:
and even now 1t appears to me as some
wild dream"
'Were there no signs to tell you that
the box had been forced"
"No-nothing."
"And where had you placed that
box?' -
I'm a cupboard in my bed-chambcr."
LOCKED safely up, as you believed ?"
Eyes"
"And the keys?-thosc of the cup.
board and the money-chest?"
Locked within my portmanteau."
That's it, thenv cried Tony. 1.-THE
rascal, whoever he was, had found a
key which would open your portman-
teau and had thence distracted those
other keys
"But that was impossible" Sydney
asserted, ''for the keys had been placed
In q secret compartment of his port
manteau, which no stranger to it would
be able to detect; and which required
for opening it key of most peculiar
construction
"'Tis a mysterious piece Of bust
ness" Tony said, after long pause,
during which he had been cudgling his
brain to no purpose; land I must have
time to think over it."
"And must have time to think over
what punishment shall inflict on both
of you, wicked boys that you are!"
cried the grandmother of the young
men, who, as she had entered Tony.s
workshop, had heard the last few
words which had been uttered by him.
Mrs. Willoughby had spoken merrily
while proceeding straight to Syaney,
and throwing her arms around him,
and kissing him tenderly.
ITO Be Continued.)