The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1899-07-13
herein my drawer, which MAS found

unuer the safe last night" y
Il don't know anything about
that" replied Partington. "Those
two dollars were given me in change
yesterday. / know that, because
they were the only large coins had
with me. AS for the keys, can tell
You all know about them," and he
repeated the tale he had told at the
club, of how he had found the keys
in his pocket that morning, without
knowing how they got there.
The men listened with incredulous
smiles.
"a very likely tale" said one, as
Partlngton finished.
"Well, he's a bold one, trying to
run that off on u.s." said another.
"A fool could have done better
than that" laughed third.
That story doesn't sound trIe,'
remarked the magistrate.
"Fools!" said Partington to him.
self. I'LL show them whether it is
true or not"
II bind you over to the Court of
General Sessions for fifty thousand
dollars" said the magistrate.
Partington sat down and wrote a
note to his attorneys. In another
hour the bail had been paid and Par
tington was again out on the street.
He looked at his watch and found
it was past ten O'Clock.
"The devil!" he muttered, otis too
late to go and see Jean!'
The next morning Partington was
sitting in his room, smoking. Papers
were piled all over the floor, and a
large stack was on chair near his
rocker.
"Well, James, he remarked to his
servant, "they have some of them
some sense. Here's the Advertiser,
makes fun of the whole business.
That editor is all right. Put down a
years subscription for the Advertis-
er, James,"
The servant did as he was told.
Partington continued his examina-
tion of the papers before him.
Now, here's man with a sarcas-
tic vein. He is no good; let him go.
Well, here's our old friend the Jour-
nal; let's see what he has TO say
about it,
"What, the devil!' he exclaimed
as he folded out the paper, "this
mans a fool; Young Partington,
one of the upper ten of metropolitan
society, caught in the tolls! A great
crime! He robs his friend, Mrs.
Whitson, and boasts of the deed.
Society outraged! Well, that's
pretty, indeed, isn't it, James?" the
young man asked his servant.
Some people will be tools, and 1
guess we will have to teach them
better sense. Two years for the
Journal, James; this fellow promises
to be interesting"
Partington continued reading for
an hour, seeing what the different
papers had to say about his arrest.
All of them had long accounts of it.,
with vague speculations as to the
outcome. Some believed Partington
Innocent, and treated the affair as a
police blunder. But others, and
these were in a large majority,
thought that the criminal had been
caught, and looked upon the robbery
as great society sensation. Some
were audacious in their remarks,
and one journal went SO far as to
suggest Partington as the probable
perpetrator Of other crimes which
had been mystifying the police for
some time. Partington was not at
all worried, but he was angry. He
did not see why the papers should
be so blind as to suppose he really
could have stolen the jewels. They
ought to have known better, he
thought. But the truth was, the
police officers seemed to have made
out a bad case against him. Itseem-
ed that the bunch of keys that he
had found in his pocket the last
morning was the very bunch stolen
from the vault with the jewe,nr ,nrock ct?
how did thns- o0V INV -"
Part1ngton did not know; the n'Ss-
tery seemed greater than ever 10
him. And then, again, those COINS
those two counterfeit dollars whlcn
were IKE tne>aes evidently dropped
under the safe by the U'IIcf' e~-"~
one had given them to him in change
Yesterday; he remembered that out
he could not remember whom.
However. Partipgton was not going
TO worry over it. He knew he was
innocent, and he knew it would all
come out right, so he determined 10
do his best to discover the cuiprl'
and to free himself, and then let
things take their course. He had no
doubt of being able to establish MS
innocence.
Partington arose from his chair,
where he had been thinking over all
this, and asked for his mail. he
look ed eagerly for letter from Miss
Auburn, but found none. he was
disappointed. ;,
"Maybe she has not heard OF II
vet.n he said. 1T will come later.
He started out Of the house, ou
soon returned, as it was sleeting ane
showing in turns; everything wa'
wet and sloppy and extremely dis
agreeable. Partington determined
to STAY at home. In the course OF tn
day some of his friends came in t