The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-08-29
A DOUBLE DEAL.


door with those extremely pretty vases,
Mrs. Christy felt that they were the
very things that she wanted in her
spare bedroom, and SO, instead of say
ing "Nol" when he politely requested
her to see if she had any "old clothes
to change for some splendid vases, she
allowed him to come in and sit down
while she went up stairs to rummage
and came down with some old garments
of her husbands and shawl of her
own, which certainly she never should
wear again, unless it was at night, for
it was fashion which went out before
she was married.
1t came to her mind that she was
foolish to leave a stranger alone so long,
but the old man was sitting quietly
where she had left him, and looked so
much like a benevolent old patriarch
that she was ashamed of remembering
that the spoons were in the pantry and
the pantry unlocked. However, he was
quite worldly enough to drive hard
bargain, and to the coat, vest and shawl
she had to add gown that might very
well have been worn often again.
However, it was not ready money,
and she felt that the vases-good imita-
tions of very costly ones-were lovely
She carried them into the spare room,
and they made the mantelpiece quite a
different thing. Returning to the din
ing room, however, shock awaited
her. Her husbands S overcoat, which h,
h,l loft of hnroa that 6nU ha-
cause it was unusually warm, was gone
from its peg on the hall rack, and,
opening the pantry door, she saw that
| the spoons were gone with it. They
were only plated, but no one likes tc
lose anything in that way. Besides. she
felt greatly to blame for it.
The old man had been gone a long
while, and, though she sent messen
ger for police officer, he gave no hope
of catching the thief or of getting the
things back.
"Was there nothing else gone2' th'
man asked.
Mrs. Christy looked about her ant
discovered one thing more-a forged g.
note. She had it given to her by SOM
one a year before, and she found tha
it wf.s worthless and had writer
across the back, ''This is counter
felt" and added her name, and some
how she kept it in her workbasket.
The old man had spied it with hi
glistening black eyes and had helpe
himself to it.
cat all events, he can't pass it,
laughed Mrs. Christy. 81 feel littl
consoled when remember how provok
ed he will be.
"He'n pass it somehow, said th
policeman as he walked away, promls
ing to report the case
But Mrs. Christy, when she remen
bered that the overcoat that had bee
, stolen was worth eS and the plate
spoons at least e2, found it necessar
2 to go to her own room and have goo
, cry. 1t was not so much the value c
the lost articles as the feeling that
was her fault, and that her husban
might possibly so far forget himself
to tell her So At all events, she woul
lose a little of that fine character fC
good sense with which, to her gre;
satisfaction, he had endowed her.
The day did not pass very pleasan
ly. Callers came, and she could not he
telling her story, but it was joke
the best intentioned among them, al
as the dinner hour approached she fe
very much indeed like running away.
However of course, she was oblige
to stay Her daughters were paying
E, visit to some cousin, and there was
one else to preside at table Beside
she could only have put off the evil N
ment She went up stairs and got O
= some spoons she kept in reserve al
waited for the impending moment. s.
hoped that her husband would, at leaS
be in good humor, and not-as VIII
things went wrong with him-a lit
cross.
d Mr. Christy, however, returned tn
II evening in high good humor. Moreovt
he had an overcoat upon his arm. Cou
it be that he had come back for it, aft
~, all, and the theft had been limited
We the spoons and the counterfeit ba
Us u note?
II thought you went without 20
as coat. she said, with a little rejoicei
| leap Ol buc ltcdII, dS Sllt ScClilCo w iONN
nize the garment by its form and coll
But Mr. Christy laughed:
$50 l did" he said, $50 | did. \
- this is a new coat. l bought it for "
II liam. My son William is as tall a
:, am and nearly as stout. and this
me snugly-snugly | came across it
a queer way. 1t is quite a bargain. Y
600 it looks entirely new
all Eyes, it certainly does, " said M
Ckristy. land exactly like yours, t
at dear Aren't you jesting2'