The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-04-03

mug and pitcher and teapot, but hop
ing in vain.
The news of the loss spread rapidly.
Miss Amelia posted notices offering a
reward to the "honest finder of roll
of 5O-dollar bills" probably lost be-
tween her home and Lawyer Smiths
Office, "by lady in plaid cloak"
Mrs. McMurtry resented this. Pub
lie opinion was divided. Some said
the bills must, in all the washing of
china, have gotten into the dishwater
or the fire; others, that Mrs. Nc
Murtry had lost them; others still, on
whose property she held mortgages, or
who had bSen "sold OUT by her, made
the same remarks about the plaid cloak
and the miser's heart that Amelia Per-
nv had made. Finally the courthouse
was packed one day to listen to the
case of Amelia Perry against Jean Nc
Murtry-the former declaring that she
had paid the latter the sum of $4,000;
the latter declaring that though the
money was laid upon the table, close
to her elbow, she had never touched it.
81 might have taken it up again and
forgotten" she said; "but never since
was OOIA OlO AhOAOJ AOOoN 40
my hand. When 1 was a child put
my penny in my pocket when l went to
buy candy"
While Miss Amelia swore that she
laid the money at Mrs. McMurtry's ell
bow, she could not avow that she saw
her pick it up; and Amanda had not
seen her do it either.
Lawyer Smith and his clerk swore
| that Mrs Nc Murtry came into the Office
J in a great hurry, to get the necessary
! papers and receipt, and said: There's
my money lying ready for me on the
| Perrys' table. It's more than 1 ever
expected, and 1 should have hated to do
what I'd have had to do"
Every one sympathized with the
| Perrys, but neither of them could
swear that she touched the money.
Laying it on the table near her was not
giving it to her; and shortly it was de-
cided that Mrs. McMurtry had the right
to foreclose the mortgage, which was
overdue.
While Miss Amanda, who was very
i pale, pinned blue veil about the bon
! net of Miss Amelia, who was drowned
in tears, Mr.. Smith turned his atten-
| ton to his client, who had found her
plaid cloak too much for her and had
removed it. The garment had fallen
/ to the floor. It was an intricate thing,
with sleeves, capes and straps and l
know not what, and somehow, in pick
ing it up, MIR. Smith reversed it and
laid it over her shoulders upside-down.
She, unaware of what had happened,
shook it wildly, hoping to settle it, and
suddenly a small boy, who had some
how smuggied himself in, shrieked:
Get on 10 the money!"
Those nearest stared. A $50 bill was
lying at Mrs. McMuTty's feet. In a mo-
ment more hollow square of court
officials had formed about that lady
and her lawyer, who was on his knees
picking up vast quantity of bank
notes, all new and crisp and green,
that fell mystcriously as a shower
of mama upon the courtroom floor.
1.-TWO thousand five hundred dollars"
he counted at last.
While Mrs. McMurtry tore off her
cloak and flung it from her as though
it's touch were deadly, shrieking:
There's rip in the silk facing, and
it made a pocket OF itself, and me a
thief! did pick up the money with
out thinking, and put it in there.
wouldn't have dole it on purpose for
kingdom. But who'll believe me?
Nobody
81 believe you, Mrs. McMurty," cried
Miss Amanda, who, perched on a
bench, looked down upon the scene;
| ..e.to A
YES" said Amelia, family. Eyes,
it's that rip il, the cloak facing that's
to blame for ALL
Meanwhile bursts of laughter came
from the midst of the group as Mr..
Smith shook out of the plaid cloak,
upon the floor, a host of hairpins,
cards, letters, a ginger-snap, a photo
graph, all sorts of small, tat trifles,
the accumulation, probably, of several
years which Mrs. McMurtry had put
into the rip in the facing instead of her
pocket. And finally the courtroom was
cleared of a laughing crowd, who watt
ed to see the plaid cloak make its ap-
pearance.
1t waited in vain. LAWYER Smith
Struggled his client home through a
back door, and the Misses Perry occu-
pied the vacant seats in the queer lit
tie wagon.
It was Miss Amanda who told every
one, next day, that Mrs. McMurtry had
forgiven them the mortgage and re-
fused to touch the recovered money.
'She says she owes it to herself to do
it," said Amanda, land guess she is
right, though sister Amelia felt proud
about it,"
AS for the plaid cloak, everybody had
seen the gardener burn that to finder
before the McMurtry house, and when
its former owner once more appeared
in public, she wore a new outer gar
ment of plain dark-brown, and ceased
forever to be 'The Plaid Lady."-N. Y.
Ledger.
A Dishpan Stand.