The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-07-09
RISING SUM- CECIL COUNTY, FRIDAY, JULY 3, 1897.

Very agitated, he went rapidly to his
room, and found the purse missing. In
an instant he was out in the great Of
flee, where he said in Il loud tone:
"Gentlemen, disgraceful robbery
has Just been committed in my room.
Let no one leave the office on pain of in
plant dismissal"
Everybody except one we know sat
dumfounded. Mr. Cardew went on:
"A detective and two of his men are
waiting below to make a thorough
search of every body in these offices.
have to apologize to you. one and all.
for submitting to such process, but it
is inevitable. II anyone objects, he must
resign his position in our employment"
No. No one objected. Messrs. Cardew
& Co.'S employees were too well off to
risk losing their comfortable situa-
tions, and they would rather have been
searched every day and night than have
resigned the same. Mr.. Cardew, finding
all going smoothly, summoned the de-
tectives. and, one by one. each employe
was taken into the partners room and
thoroughly searched.
The inquiry proved useless; but the
detective did not give in.
with your leave" he said, turning to
Mr.. Cardew, well have a look at the
overcoats now."
Mr.. Cardew led the way. Five min
utes later he returned, looking very
stern. The purse was in his hand and
one of the detectives was carrying an
overcoat. Mayhem grinned with joy.
His triumph over his rival was at hand
at last. But he changed color, and "a
sick feeling rushed to his heart. when
Mr.. Cardew tapped him on the shoulder
and said:
Come into my room at once"
Wondering and amazed, he obeyed.
followed by the detective.
"Mayhew," said the partner, sternly,
sis this your coat?"
"Yes, sir; that is my coat"
DO you know that this purse has
just been found in that very overcoat? ?
My boy, won't be hard on you, but you
had better confess"
Mayhew was too thunderstricken to
speak. He could only stand and stare
at Mr.. Cardew as though he had gone
mad.
Come said the latter, putting his
hand on his shoulder, you are very
young, and perhaps If give you one
chance you will turn over a new leaf.
You can go, but never let me see your
face again."
Still wondering, still amazed, the
wretched youth skunk from the room.
and no one at that establishment ever
saw him more.
How had it occurred that the purse
deposited by Mahew in Jack Langley's
pocket had found it's way into the pock-
ct of the plotter himself? 1t happenedi in
the most simple and yet in the most
wonderful manner. Jack Langley's
overcoat pocket contained large rent
at the base, and when Mayhem had in
serted the purse, he had, of course, not
known of this, otherwise he might
have remembered the ominous fact that
his own coat with the pocket wide
open was underneath. By some strange
cause, perhaps by the passing of some
one in the cloakroom, who stumbled up
against the coats, or by heavy wagon
going in the street and shaking the
floor, the weighty purse had fallen
from the coat above into the pocket of
the coat beneath. SO that Mayhew's
coat, which occupied the latter position.
received it. And that is why Jack Lang
ley was not disgraced. and why he who
would have disgraced him was punished
himself.-Tit-Bits.