Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-11-12

Acland with the theft occurred to him.
Irresolute in this, as i'll everything else,
he wavered some time before finally de.
Gliding to commit this last piece of vii"
lainy, but his evil genius, as always,
prevailed.
Course the fellowW he ground out
between his clenched teeth. "If only 1
can ruin him. If only | Can make Elsie
despise and loathe him! What is he that
he should steal her from me? I'll win
her yet in spite of him.
1t was Mr.. Vyse's custom to go for a
walk, unless the day was very wet, be-
tween the hours of IL and l. He usu-
ally went down the high road straight
out of the town for mile, returning
home over the fields and through a
small plantation. A few days after the
loss OF the cashbox he took the accus-
toned path. Dot, his favorite dog, half
pointer, half retriever, accompanied
him. In the middle Of the plantation
Dot suddenly shifted the air, then
bounded in among the brushwood and
pointed
"Dot! Dotp' called his master.
"Here, good dog, come backP' But Dot
had evidently found something and re-
fused to be shouted off.
Nh Vyse made his way to where the
dog was standing. Up sprang fine
rabbit and dashed away, Dot in hot
pursuit But Mr.. Vyse needed neither
rabbit nor dog. His gaze was riveted
on the place from which the rabbit had
jumped. Thus for moment or two he
stood; then, with peculiar smile on
his face, he wheeled round and walked
briskly home. Some three days later
Richard Starkie was summoned to his
chiefs presence. He went, trembling,
fearing he knew not what
"Starkie," said Mr.. Vyse, "you have
been in my employ longer than any
other of my clerks; therefore I think it
only right to make you my spokesman
to them. l wish you, then, to tell them
OH my behalf that attribute the disap-
pearance of my cashbox to none Of
them; that am quite convinced of
their innocence. :"
Richard Starkie paled slightly. Had
his scheme to ruin young Acland failed
miserably after all? It seemed so. But
he replied, with apparent frankness, ~
am very pleased to hear that Robert
Acland has cleared himself, sir. !"
"He has done SO most completely, "
rejoined Mr. Vyse. II have very high
opinion of Acland, Starkie.
$50 have !, SIR" he returned glibly,
while he inwardly cursed the man of
whom he spoke thus laudingly. "It has
caused me great pain to think that he
could possibly be thief. y
els it possible that this man is inno-
cent after all?" wondered Mr.. Vyse.
eff not, his hypocrisy is simply astound-
ing. But I shall soon know the truth. "
And grim smile passed over his face.
"Just one thing more" continued
Mr.. Vyse, looking straight into his
clerks eyes, which met his own I'M
flinchingly, "and this is for your ear
alone, Starkie In the theft Of my cash
box / have sustained a far greater loss
than any one but myself is aware of. 1t
is box of peculiar construction-in
fact, it had false bottom, and in that
false bottom, Starkie, there were notes
to the value of e700. I had placed them
there only two days before l was rob.
bed. /"
"Of course, you have the numbers,
sir?''
"Why, yes, have the numbers,
Starkie, but an expert thief-and i'm
agine from the GOODNESS and audacity of
the robbery that have been the victim
of one-fnds no difficulty in changing
stolen paper. He knows where to take
it and obtain good price
When Richard Starkie went back to
his colleagues to give them their en-
ployer's message, his breast was torn by
two emotions-ba ffled spite and greed
Of further gold.
81 will destroy him yet" He thought
of Bob Acland. "Hes escaped me fol-
awhile, but it shall not be for long. Elsie
Venner shall never be his wife. am q
good plotter, friend Bob, and though
you wriggle out of my clutches hun.
bred times, I will have you the hundred
and first
"Poor old buffer" his mind revert.
ing to the man whose presence he had just
left-"you little guessed that i'll making
confidant Of me you were telling the
thief how to further enrich himself
Well, 500 guilds will come in very
handy just now, and, suppose, the
commission would not be more than
e200. Markby's getting very FESTIVE fol-
his money, and could pay him and
still have nice little balance in hand.
You're in luck's way, Dick. my boy.
Fortune favors you. ;"
If to be standing in the dark on the
brink of a precipice without knowing il
| is to be in luck's way, then Richard
| Starkie was indeed in an enviable posi-.
tion.
|
Bending down amid the bramble, and
brushwood which formed the under.
growth of small plantation, cropping
among the briers and grasses, Richard
Starkie was searching for the cashbox.
II know I flung it somewhere here.
he muttered flercely. "Where can the
thing be? Ah," and his hand at last
alighted on some metal, "here you are
was just beginning to think that jad
ish fortune had served me a scurvy
trick. Well''-- clasping the box to his
BOSOM you've been q good friend tt
me, and I'll treat you as lightly as pos
! sible Come, let's away-merciful pow
ers, what's that?'
Four stalwart arms had seized him
nom behind and were holding him with
viselike grip, and, before he knew
what was really taking place, he fell