Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-05-21

was the answer. "And Simpson is too
prominent a man to-
He paused and looked ON the ground
thoughtfully. "To WHAT" his wife
asked.
Come into the back parlor, Mr..
Twopeny said.
They went, and Mr.. Twopeny light
ed his cigar and sat down to smoke, as
his custom was when anything disturb
ed him. Mrs. Twopeny sat down oppo-
site to him.
Now then, to WHAT she repeated.
ITO take the money, " he said in
low tone.
"Well, / don't know, " the wife said.
1.-THE money was there, and it is gone.
You haven't got it, and / haven't got
it, and it didn t vanish without hands.
1T will never do to hint at such a
thing, Bertha, he said. "It is gone
and it's no use fretting over it,.
"Fretting over it. But you'll have
to make it good, won't your"
"Of course. 1t was to pay off a mort
gage, and must do it tomorrow. For
tunately have the money and a little
more.
Mr.. Twopeny paid off the mortgage
the next day, and business went ON as
usual. Years passed and Mrs. Twopeny's
family increased SO that her three boys
and three girls occupied much of her
time. Two of the boys were at college,
and the expenses of the family were
large. The girls were at first rate
schools, and one of them was preparing
for Vassar. Still by close attention to
business Mr. Twopeny was able to earn
enough to get along.
Later on, however, the title guaran-
tee companies came into existence, and
in very short time Mr.. Twopeny's
practice began to fall off. 1t dwindled
away until it scarcely paid Office ex
penses. On the top of this, corpora
ton in which Mr.. Twopeny had invest
ed a very large sum failed, and he lost
it all This was a terrible blow, and it
soon became evident that he would have
to reduce the family expenses. At this
juncture he was taken i'll, and the doc
tor pronounced him the victim Of con-
sumption.
The feelings of the unfortunate hus-
band and father may be imagined, but
not described. In fact, an eminent ply
stefan whom his wife called in gave it
as his opinion that it was his peouniary
troubles that were wearing him away
and not a chronic malady.
Mrs Twopeny now comes forward as
the prominent character in this drama.
She took her husband away to pleasant
spot by the seaside and did all she could
to keep up bis spirits. He yisibly i'm
proved in health, and then Bertha en-
tered upon the task which awaited her
and which size had long expected to I'M
dertake
MY dear husband, " she said as they
sat looking over the placid ocean, "you
must promise me not to be- angry or to
blame me i'll any way"
"Why, my dear, how could ~ he
answered. even if had the DISPOSE
ton haven the strength"
"Now, she said, Il am going to tell |
you the strangest story you ever heard.
You remember the 81, 500 which you
missed nearly 20 years ago."
vi CUuTSG i OUs w uGb dDUub IL.
81 am going to tell you. You went to
the door, you remember, to see your eli
ent Mr.. Simpson, OFF,"
Eyes, | remember it well, and when |
l returned to the parlor the money was
gone,
"Just so. While You were at the door
/ was standing looking out Of the win
I Nd nn oiY,h hot A
front and back parlors rustic. turned |
and saw no one. After the money was
lay awake all that night think /
ing. l remember that while you were
with Mr.. Simpson at the table my
brother Charles came down stairs and |
stood at the parlor door, looking in, and !
that | spoke with him. l saw the money /.
on the table with a white slip around |.
it. Ho saw the money also He left the |
house. AS Mr.. Simpson went down the /
stoop and turned toward the next street [
| followed him with my eyes and saw
my brother Just turning the corner,
though he had left the house some time
before. | didn't think much Of it then,
but did after | went to bed that night, /
/ suspected that he had taken the mon |.
ey; that, seeing it ON the table, he had /.
returned to the rear Of the house by the /
alley and watched in the back parlor for
an opportunity to steal it,
Il rose early the next morning and |
went to his room. l accused him Of the
crime and made him believe / had rec .
ognized him as he entered the room
from the back parlOr. On my promise
not to disclose the fact to you he admit
ted his guilt and restored the money.
You know that soon afterward he
went west. l insisted on that as part Of
the bargain. Then the question arose
in my mind as to how | should return
the money After much deliberation |
determined to keep it and to satisfy my
longing for wealth by specializing with
it. / began Ivy small ventures in stocks.
l was successful every time, and by de-
greos the money accumulated until