Connecticut western news., 1899-01-12
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12.

Well, don t know" the wife said. "The money was there, and it is gone. You haven't got it, and I haven't got it, and it didn't vanish without hands.
 ''It will never do to hint at such 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 you?"
 "Of course. It was to pay off mort gage, and l must do it tomorrow. For tunately have the money and little more. :"
 MT. 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 MT. 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 MT. Twopeny's practice began to fall off. It dwindled away until it scarcely paid office ex. penses. On the top of this, corpora tion in which MT. Twopeny had invest ed very large sum failed, and he lost it all. This was 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 phy- sician whom his wife called in gave it as his opinion that it was his peeuniary troubles that were wearing him away and not chronic malady.
 Mrs. Twopeny now comes forward as the prominent character ill this drama. She took her husband away to pleasant spot by the Seaside and did all she could to keep up his spirits. He yisibly i'm proved in health, and then Bertha en- tered upon the task which awaited her and which she had long expected to un- dertake.
 
 sat looking over the placid ocean, lyon must promise me not to be angry or to blame me in any way"
 "Why, my dear, how could I?'' he answered. Even if I had the disposi- tion I haven't the strength"
 "Now," she said, "I am going to tell you the strangest story you ever heard. You remember the $2, 500 which you missed nearly 20 years ago?"
 "Of course do. What about it?''
 "I am going to tell you. You went to the door, you remember, to see your eli ent, Mir. Simpson, off?"
 "Yes, l remember it we'll, and when I returned to the parlor the money was gone.
 "Just so. While you were at the door I was standing looking out of the win dow. 1 heard the curtain between the front and back parlors rustic. I turned and saw no one. After the money was missing lay awake all that night think ing. l remember that while you were with MT. Simpson at the table my brother Charles came down stairs and stood at the parlor door, looking in, and that I spoke with him. I saw the money on the table with white slip around it. He saw the money also. He left the house. As MT. Simpson went down the stoop and turned toward the next street I followed him with my eyes and saw my brother just turning the corner, though he had left the house some time before. I didn't think much of it then, but did after went to bed that night. I 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 ill the back parlor for an opportunity to steal it.
 "I rose early the next morning and went to his room. I accused him of the crime and made him believe l 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. I insisted on that as part of the bargain. Then the question arose in my mind as to how I should return the money. After much deliberation determined to keep it and to satisfy my longing for wealth by speculating with it. I began by small ventures in stocks. was successful every time, and by de- grees the money accumulated until"-
 "Oh, until you made big specula- tion and failed! !'' her husband exclaim- cd.
 "No, my dear, though I did make some pretty big ventures for a woman, yet never failed, and at this moment am worth over $200, 0O0."
 "W hatl You, Bertha?"
 "Yes-I, your wife. It was your money I used, and all that Lave made is yours also. Will you fc<give mel"
 Forgive Eoup'- A. Beckwith in Brooklyn Citiza-.