The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-06-04

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"Oh. | should not fear to tell him
all responded sydney. But with
them. what could | invoke for my de-
fence? l anu a gambler. | have lost.
and have paid my losses with money
which had been entrusted To mo while
believing that | was m honest man
And Sydnry mOan"d again, and
dashed his hand 10 his head, deSpa"-
ingly.
And Tony. struggling for calmn"SS,
said, Come. come, sydney, let lis meet
this evil face 70 face. and manful,y.
In the first place. you have not Yet
told me what was the sum you lost 1T
cards. .
And when sydney had answered
that question, his brother looked ter
riiiCd at the amDpnt that had Len
named.
And presently Tony proceeded,
since il is very certain, to me at
least, that you did not pay your losses
ut cards from the chest OF which You
had been made the bearer, | have
been wondering whence You could
have obtained the money with which
you discharged your gambling debt"
"-\h. there | am indeed guilty"
cried sydney.
And this was the history u The ron
ey with which sydney had II reality
paid his losses At the Caru-lablc.
Eighty pounds Of that "uonry lad
belonged To Ton. and the remainder
OF the hundred and twenty-five pounds
To Sydney himself.
Th"ir joint savings. it had hrCn
agreed between the brothers. wrr" 10
be placed in III" bank IN VIII IN sgd
ny was clerk; but So lurrlHdly waS
he despatched On his mission - WcX-
ford-So sudden his departure fr"m
I~.0ndon-that. having bat just Iciurr
received his brothers >hrr" OF the
money. ne was compelled To r~eliJIuliSh
his intention Of lodging i; III the i"nk
until his return from i-rlini; and
had, without Il thought. allowed the
pOckrt-book. containing nat which
was the entire fortune NJ them l"iil.
II remain in the pocket watch he first
had placed il.
Afterwards he had, rs We hlvH seen,
secured it in his porrmantrau.
Aud this account was 4 graf relief
Ia Tony: he cared little thnt his say
ings had vanished-hiS hr0rhcr had 4
I'i iiShi W Niifli, ~ '''IN.tt'INl 4,
though his marriage must upw be
postponed for he knew not how long.
he vas content to wait: although. Der
haps. his intended wife wOutd lr like
ly somewhat complain 1T delay
which she had. at preSrrr, little rta-
son TO suspect.
But Tony had received full prrof.
not that his reason hal demanded it,
yet, nevertheless. he WAS very lad
that clear and ampia proof Lad been
afforded him, thar his brother had been
most u~njustly accused by hose who
had denounced him us Il thief.
"-And did not you Tell them that o
had paid your loss IS with cur own
lawful money" demanded Tony.
And Sydney had rolh them -. he
said. but had not been believed.
"oh! but they shall believe me-"
cried Tony. and was for proceedingly
directly TO the bank. ana was with
difficulty persuaded 10 forgo his i'll
tention.
And. poor grandmother" sighed
Tony; what shall We say I o her."
That in a single night have mis-
erahly diSsipated the fruits of INV
brothers hard-earncd savings" Sgd
ney cried, deSparingly; but that |
have been too severely punished for
that fault. since"
You will tell her nothing Of the
sort" hastily interrupted Tony: "f.r
you know we'll that such tidings would
kill hcr."
And Sydney felt aSsuredly that his
brother had spoken truly.
Tony sank into deep thought. 1t was
perfectly certain that the chest which
had been given to Sydney'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. "Oh. no one;
and even now it 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"
In Il cupboard in my bcd-rhamher."
Locked safely up. as you bclievrd:"
Yes"
'And the kcyS?-th0Sr of the cup
Board and the moncy-chcSt:"
Locked within my portmantcau."
"Ihats IL. them cried Tony. The
rascal. whoever. he was. had found a
Key which would open your portman-
i"au and had thence abStracted those
other keys"
But that was impossible" Sydney
asserted. FOR the keys had been placed
i'll Il secret compartment of his port
mantrlu. which no stranger to il would
l." able 70 detect; and which required
for opening ii Il key of most peculiar
constructions"
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