Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1898-05-04

the day continued to transact business
during the evening at his home. The
house was an old fashioned one, with a
back piazza and an alley at one side,
leading from the front to the yard IN
the rear. The front and back parlors
were originally separated by folding
doors, but dainty curtaiA, tastefully
| festooned, had been substituted for the
| doors
One evening in August client called
| to pay Erastus So, 500 on a real estate
transaction, and, as the back parlor was
| dark and the front parlor sufficiently
! lighted by the setting sun for the work,
Erastus and his client seated themselves
at table therein, while Mrs. Twopeny
sat near the window. Though she was
| chiefly occupied in watching the pass
| ersby and the children at play in the
street, yet she could not help hearing
what passed between the two men at
| the table. Presently her brother Charles
came down stairs and glanced in at the
door. His sister arose and spoke to him,
and both at the same time looked to-
ward the table on which could be seen a
small parcel of greenbacks, with a thin
slip of white paper around them.
| Charles Quilted the house and soon
afterward Mrs. pwopeny arose and stood
between the window and the lace cur
| tain, looking out. In a few minutes the
men at the table arose and Mr.. Twopeny
| accompanied his client to the door. I'm
mediately afterward Mrs Twopeny
heard slight noise and turning saw tho
curtains between the front and back par
lors moving She thought nothing of it
at the time, fancying that it was the re-
suit of draft occasioned by her hus-
band closing the front door.
The house was only few steps from
the cross street, and as the client came
down the stoop and turned toward the
corner Mrs. Twopeny followed him with
her eyes. To her surprise she saw her
brother just turning the corner and
wondered what could have delayed
| him. While still at the window mus
ing, she was startled by her husband
enchanting;
"Wby, Bertha, what can have be-
come of the money l left on the table?''
"Become Of it?" she replied. "Why
it must be there, of course, if you left
it there
"Well, can't find it" her husband
! said. 81 left it right here in front OF
these papers. They are all right, but
the money is gone"
"Ch, that is absurd" she said
"Iight the gas and then you will fine
} it, no doubt. -
While she pulled down the blinds
Erastus lighted the gas, and then botl
set to work to look for the missing
notes. They were not on the table, no.
could they be found anywhere about the
room Or in the hallway
| - Look in all your pockets, said thu
wife. "You may have Inadvertently
put the money into one of them.
"No, no. was the reply. "I'vt
searched every one of them already
It's gone. No doubt about it. Blu
where?'
"There' no one in the house but our
selves, the wife said. 81 allowed tn
cook and Nancy to 90 out immediatel.
r after supper. Brother Charles went on
while you were at the table with you
| SIiCDls anu tIClO ISL SNOh "a OtAp LII VII
house to blame for it. -
Then they made another search, bu
it was as vain as the others. And ther'
each of them stood, looking this WAY
and that, as one will do when one lose
anything and fondly hopes to discover
1t in some unexpected spot.
"You re sure your client paid you?
Mrs, Twopeny said.
"Oh, yes, and gave him a receipt,
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.
"To take the money" he said in a
low tone,
"WeIl, don't know, the wife said.
"The money was there and it is gone.
You haven't got it, and 1 haven't got
it, and it didn't vanish without hands. !"
cit will never do to hint at such a
thing, Bertha, he said. "It is gone
and it's no use fretting over it,
Erecting over it. But you'll have
to make it good, won't you?'
"Of course. 1t was to pay off mort
gage, and must do it tomorrow. For
tunately l have the money and 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 a very short time Mr.. Twopeny's