Connecticut western news., 1899-03-09
A DOUBLE DEAL.

IT 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 "Nor' 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 a fashion which went out before she was married
 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 a hard bargain, and to the coat, vest and shawl she had to add a gown that might very we'll 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 different thing Returning to the din ing room, however. a shock awaited her. Her husbands s overcoat, which he had unwisely left at home that day. be cause it was unusually warm, was gone from it's peg on the hall rack. and. opening the pantry door. she saw that the spoons were gone with it. They wcto only plated. but no one likes to 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 gonef" the man asked
 Mrs Christy looked about her and discovered one thing more-a forged el note. She had it given to her by some one year before, and che found that it was worthless and had written across the back, 'sThis is counter feit." and added her name. and some how she kept it in her workbasket.
 The old man had spied it with his glistening black eyes and had helped himself to it.
 ''At all events. he can't pass it. laughed Mrs. Christy. "I feel little eonscled when remember how provok- cd he will be. |"
 Hell pass it somehow" said the policeman as he walked away, promis- ing to report the case
 But Mrs Christy, when she remem- bered that the overcoat that had been stolen was worth e8 and the plated spoons at least @. found it necessary to go to her own room and have a good cry. It was not so much the value of the lost articles as the feeling that it was her fault, and that her husband might possibly so far forget himself as to tell her SO At all events, she would lose a little of that fine character for good sense with which. to her great satisfaction. he had endowed her.
 4nc udy uiu HUI pass very picdSdhs- ly. Callers came. and she could not help telling her story, but it was joke to the best intentioned among them. and as the dinner hour approached she felt very much indeed like running away.
 However. of course. she was obliged to stay. Her daughters were paying visit to some cousin. and there was no one else to preside at table. Besides. she could only have put off the evil mo ment She went up stairs and got out some spoons she kept in reserve and waited for the impending moment She hoped that her husband would, at least. be in good humor. and not-as when things went wrong with nina little TOSS
 MT. Christy, however. returned that evening in high good humor. Moreover, he had an overcoat upon his arm. Could it be that he had come back for it. after all and the theft had been limited to