Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-09-27

out OI tOWH IOT nile, returning nome
over the fields and through a small plan
tat.on. A fw days after the loss OF the
cash box he took the accustomed path.
Dot, his favorite dog, half pointer, half
retriever. accompanied him. IN the
middle Of the plantation Dot suddenly
snuffed the air, then bounded in smong
| the brushwood and pointed.
dot, Dot" called his master. Here
good dog, come back" But Dot had ev-
identity found something and refused to
be shouted off.
Mr.. Nyse made his way TO where the
dog was standing. Up sprang q fine
rabbit and dashed away, Dot in hot pur-
| suit. But Mr.. Vyse Needed neither rab-
bit nor dog. His gaze was riveted upon
the place from which the rabbit Jumped.
Thus for a moment or two he stood,
then, with a peculiar smile upon his
! face, he wheeled around and walked
0riskly home. Some three days later
Rl.hard 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 9th
er OF my Clerks, therefore | think 1t only
right to make you my spokesman to
them. l wish you then, TO tel them on
my behalf that l attribute the disappear
aDce OF my cash box TO none OF them;
that l am quite convinced of their limo
cence"
Richard Starkie paled slightly. Had
mis- scheme TO ruin young Acland failed
miserably after all? II seemed so. But
/ he replied, with apparent frankness: Il
am very pleased to hear that Robert
Aciand has cleared himself, sir"
He has done so, completely" rejoin-
| ed Mr.. Vyse. Il have very high opin-
ion of Acland, Starkie."
so have l. sir" he returned, glibly,
while he inwardly cursed the man whom
he spoke thus laudingly. at has caused
| possibly be thief"
Is 1t possible that this man is limo
cent after ALP" wondered Mr.. Vyse. IF
not his hypocrisy is simply astounding,
but l shall soon know the truth" And
grim smile passed over his face.
, Just one thing more" continued Mr.
Vyse, looking straight into his clerk S
! eyes, which met mis- own unflinchingly.
| and this for your ear alone. Stark!e,
/ in the theft Of my cash box have sus-
| tanned a far greater loss than anyone
| but myself is aware OF. 1t is a box Of
peculiar construction-in fact, it had a
false bottom, and in that false bottom,
| Starkie, there were notes to the value Of
f7OO. had placed them there only two
! days before | was robbed"
of course, you have the numbers,
sir?"
Why, yes, have the numbers. Star
| kie, but an expert thief-and I imagine
from the GOODNESS and audacity Of the
| robber that l have been the victim of
I one-fnds no difficulty in changing
stolen paper. He knows where to take
1t 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-baffied spite and
greed Of further gold.
Il will destroy him yet" He thought
| of Bob Acland. Hes escaped me for
a while, but 1t shall not Be for long.
| Elsie Venner shall never be his wife.
I am a good plotter, friend Bob, and
though you wriggle out of my clutches a
/ hundred times I will have you the hun
| dred and first"
Poor old buffer"-hls mind reverting
to the man whose presence he had just
| left-"you little guessed that in making
a 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 commits
sion would not be more than 1900.
| Markby's getting very FESTIVE for his
money and l could pay him and still
/ have a nice little balance in hand.
| You're in luck's way, Dick, my boy;
fortune fayors you.
II 10 be standing in the dark on the
brink Of precipice without knowing 1t,
is to Be in luck's way, then Richard Star
kie was indeed in an enviable position.
Bending down amid the bramble and
| brushwood which formed the under
growth of a small plantation, cropping
among the br.ars and grasses, Richard
| Starkie was searching for the cash box.
81 know l flung it somewhere here,
| he muttered fiercely. Where can the
thing be? All and his hands at last
alighted on some metal, "here you are!
l was just beginning to think that
iadish fortune had served me scurvy
trick. Well" casping the box TO his
bosom. you've been a good friend to
me and III treat you as slightly as pos
sible. Come-let's awayi Merclful
powers! What's that?"
Four stalwart arms had seized him
| from behind and were holding him with
a vise-like grip, and before he knew
what was really taking place he felt the
cold steel on his wrists and realized that
he was a prisoner detected thief,
who had blindly fallen into skillfully
laid trap.
The arrest of Richard Starkie had not
! become generally known when Mr.. Vyse
called together his clerks on the follow
( ing morning, and communicated to them
the startling news that his confidential
servant was in Jail. Great was the
wonderment manifested.
And I wish TO say, gentlemen" he
wound up, that in consideration or MS
mast services to me l should not have
prosecuted S:arkie had he not endeav-
ored by every means in his power, from
motives of personal spite, to fix the
theft on one of yourselves"
Who that one was soon became pubic
nroperty. as also the motive power OF
! Starkies animoslty.
AT the ensuing assizes Starkle was
sent into penal servitude for hve years.
regretted by none of his fellow workers,
for owing to his insolent overbearing
manners. ne had never been 1aVorlle.
What thoughts filled the poor