The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-06-16

The Missing Spoons.

"Why, Madge Foster, what can he
the matter ~ asked her mother, look
ing up from her sewing.
Madge swallowed and gasped.
Grandmother Maxwelis spoons,
she said they're gone"
"Gone Grandmother Maxwells s
spoons " repeated Mrs. Foster, as if
she couldn't quite understand.
eyes, gone" put in Nat, who had
come in looking almost as frightened
IA Mndge.
why, who would have touched
them ~ asked Mrs. Foster, rising
from her chair.
"Better ask who took James butter
bowl last Tuesday night, and who
stole the cake from the china closet,
and what has become of the last
volume of "Uncle Toms Cabin" and
my best skates, and Madge's gold
stick pin, and Charles :, best coat It"
and Nat paused for. want of breath.
81 tell you there's something awfully
mysterious about this ~ he continued,
n moment later.
But grandmother's spoons !? :"
questioned Mrs. Foster, trying to he
| calm.
| "Why. it was this way." explained
| Madge, who was now calm enough to
talk /; Jane was getting the supper
table ready, and she thought she'd
put ON the best silver because the
minister was to he here. So she went
to the closet to get grandmother's
| spoons-and they were gone. There
wasn't sign of 'em anywhere,
although we looked all over the closet.
They were in that little, old, red plush
case on the third shelf behind the big
blue bowl. No one knew they were
there but Jane. The box was open
and the spoons were gone. And Jane
says she is sure she has found tracks
on the floor"
Tracks, repeated Nat. in an
odd, scared voice; 81 saw 'em my
self"
Mrs. Foster followed the twins out
into the kitchen and made n careful
search on her own account. But the
spoons were gone.
| There were six of GRANDMOTHER
Maxwell's spoons, and they were kept
bound up in little bundle tied with
faded red tape. They were very thin
and old-fashioned, but every member
of the Foster family from Father
Foster down held them in great reyer-
ence because they had been in the
family for more than hundred years.
When Grandmother Maxwell died she
had left them to her three grand
children, two each to Madge and Nat,
the twins, and two to Charlie, their
elder brother. For this reason they
were priced more highley than any
other single possession of the Max
well family. Jane, who had been a
servant in the Foster family ever since
the twins were born, was as proud of
the spoons as any Of the others and
took as much care of them as if they
had been her own.
Charlie had left his book in the
library and had followed the others
out into the kitchen. He was down
on his hands and knees examining the
tracks on the pantry floor.
"They don't look to me Just like a
mans tracks," he said ; they're
hardly big enough in fact, / don't
believe they're tracks at ALL
"What are they, then 2" faxed Ned.
hotly, "who do You s'pose is doing all
this stealing ?"
~ don't know" said Charlie, "but
I've got theory"
"Charlie always has got theories, -
put ia Madge, mischievously 81
guess he gets 'em out of books"
"Well, don't dream of travelling
over all creation," replied Charlie,
winking.
But Nat was interested he had q
good deal of confidence in his elder
brother. Besides this, the mystery
rs to what became of all the missing
things was beginning to grow serious.
Nearly every night something disap.
peared from the building, and there
was not the slightest clew as to wha,
became of it. Even Father Foster
was worried, and for several evenings
he had remained up late and had taken
particular care to lock every window
and bolt every door. But in the face
of it all GRANDMOTHER Maxweli's
spoons had disappeared.
"Yes," Charlie was saying, "I've
been cogitating, and I'll tell you Whit
l think. That old cellar has some.
thing to do with this stealing.
Madge started and looked over her
shoulder, started even in broad day.
light. Charlie had said these words
very slowly and distinctly, and it was
some moments before any one spoke.
"But nobody can get into that eel
lar. If II burglar tried it | guess il
would be the last of him."
''I'm not so sure of that, responded
Charlie. Yesterday / went down
cellar with lamp and there in tn.
sand"
"In the sand," repeated Madge
breathlessly, leaning forward Will
parted lips.