The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-12
A FREE PARDON.


Just like that Of fine creek statue" ;
but now, when this thought again pre-
septed itself he became beware that all
the color was bleacbed out of it, and
could not help thinking that there must
bo something much more serious on the
priests mind than mere dread thar all
was going wrong In his parish because ho
was south-country man born and bred,
and must on that account forever re-
main an alion To the respect and love Of a
North country population.
II want you TO come out TO Ashdeno
with me and dine with u.s." said Mr..
Blencowe. as soon as he saw that he
could speak without intcrrupting an ad-
dition sum. "Do come. Ii is not a
party-we are Alone
"Not tonight. thank you. Work'is wait
ing for me In my study that will Keep me
most OF the evening"
Mr. Bencowe used all his powers of per-
suasion. but in vain. and whsn once more
OH his way home, his mind was still more
perplexed. Money troubles might, of
course, be pressing on Father Urqunart.
for his income was small. and judging by
what Mr.. Blencowe himself saw aud
hsards he seemed TO give most OF 10 away.
But then h3 was not the man TO gard
money troubles as troubles at all. so
long AS be had q house over his head.
clothes. good or bad. to cover him. bread
to eat and water to drink. ne would
want no more. Ihe money troubles OF a
man who could reduce his wants 20 such
"A minimum scarcely required TO DO
taken into account
go Edward. you have rot said one word
for the last hour. remarked Mrs Blen-
cowe vben the clock struck ten "I
can't help thinking about Father Urqu-
hart. He seems SO wofully out OF spirits. y
$50 you said before; out 1T can't &c
about not getting on with tho Stag
borough people. for no priest was ever
more loved by his flock. :"
"1hen IL should pay little more at
tenti0n To what he says. and remember
tie poor and needy There Is next To
nothing in tine oifertory nowadays"
You must account for that in some
other way than any you have yet thought
of. Could any one steal what Is giyenY'
"ImpCssiblel The box mas "a most ex-
cells mt lock and only one key. which l
myself keep never open the box except
in the prsence Of Vickers He can't open
it without memo one cannot even
Urquhart, for no oEc besides myself has
a key. 1t would be difficult 10 use one.
too, oven if any one had It, for some one
Is nearly always in the church, though L
must say" but here he paused.
You must say what9 Go on. ;"
~ was only going to cay that had il
been possible 10 open the box, really
should have suspected that 1t had been
done during the past week. for both
Viokers end were certain that we had
cash put sovereign into the poor-b X,
and only one coin OF the kind was to be
found"
"Oply one sovereign was in tho poor
box. and each of you thought that you
had given il When did you give yours"
con SUNDAY morning"
"And he hisY'
aft .,ainntpc
or so before We cleared the boxes.
And you were both sure you had given
q ivCreign. and v, & only one was G. o:e.
How do you aocounp for thaty'
lone of us must have given shilling
by mistake"
THAT, dear. would not account for It, -
said Mrs. Blencowe dryly, "for i myself
put sovereign into the poor-box on
SUNDAY. took it carefully out OF my
sovereign purse, and l swear that made
no mistake. Now. / think you must see
that some one is stealing the money.
Mr.. Blenoowe was silent Feeling
that this was because he was uncon-
WINGED, she continued: That makes
two pounds that we know of that the
thief has got, and he must have got .
great deal more that we do not know OF.
There are not great meny Catholics in
Stag boz ough, but some Of them are rich.
DO YOU suppose thnt people like tho He'd
leys, and Smythe-Sympsons and Scrope-
Browns and ever so many more do not
give handsomely? The thief has got their
money and ours and would have got
what Mr.. Vickers gave. too only IL was
put in Just before YOU cleared the boxes.
''It really does look very much as ii
you were right, Agnes" said Mir. BleD-
cove sadly.
Right? OF course | am. How much
used YOU generally TO find in the boxes
last yeary"
ION. never less than four. or five, OF
six pounds but people ore holding back
for the Candlemas sermon-we always
have great haul tEcn.
ut Is the tbief who will have the great
haul! But l can SEQ you don't believe
that theTc Is u tOief.'
He scarcely did. He himself might
have made mistake or his wife might.
or perhaps NiUkers. 1t was SO easy tC
make a mistake
~ he money is stolen, Edward 1t be.
honves you TO be on your guard. Father
Urquhart know il. That is what IL
making him so i'll. "
=" hen be should have spoken to me al
once, " said Mir. Blsncowc, beginning Il
bo little more convinced. lit was III.
duty u tell me and then we could have
employed detectives and lad the churol
watched. -
don t you see that tbe very thought
of suUh thing being necessary is tortur'
n Father Urquhart-he Is so sensitive. sC
ligt- t-mindcIY'
1T will have to be done! must speal
20 him at onre-or stay shall do lttl,
detective business Oh my own GccountY
"Ahl It's getting just like "A Boiseo
ty.nOyel But Buisgoby's amateur de
tettivcs ALWAYS impart their suspicious
and confide each important step that they
intend TO take to the criminal himself
aud ho is always the most uni6cly rersor
in thc book. WHO is the most unlikel,
person in Scarborough"
"hr. Sciot Browne. Write n novel
abou' IL Yourself. Agnes, ana make him
IN villain.
COB no; that is clumsyl ! siuulr