Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1900-05-02
66 81 HAVE made discovery.
john" said Mrs. Mansfield

&C 81 HAVE made discovery,
Iohn.' said Mrs. Mansfeld lsfs1 d !.
looking up from her knitting.
John Mansfield, retired merchant,
alderman and Mayor of Pimperne.
looked up from his paper
"A discovery, my DEAR" he said, as
snming his best magisterial manner
Pray what is the nature of this re-
markable occurrence"
II find that Miss Ansom has a photo
graph of yourself, which she treasures
in secret
What do YOU mean, my dear?" ex-
claimed Mr.. Mansfield.
This morning" explained Mrs
Mansfield, Il entered Miss Ansom $
room and found her absorbed in the
contemplation of some object which
she held. She had evidently not heard
my knock, but the noise of my entrance
startled her, and, as she hastily hid
something in drawer, a photograph
fell to the floor. She snatched it up
flung it into the drawer, and closed it,
but not before | had recognized it as
your photograph ! pretended not TO
have noticed the photo, preferring to
have an explanation from you"
Mr.. Mansfield was the picture of
helpless amazement.
/ Miss Ansom, it must lie explained
was bright and charming young lady,
whom Mrs. Mansfield had recently en-
. gagged. as a companion 4.sa
[ Il am quite at IA loss to explain the
affair." said Mr.. Mansfield, in tones
quite unlike' those Of the Mayor of
. .Pimperne. Possibly it was given to
her by mutual friend"
Then why should she make mys-
terry of it, and gloat over it in pri-
yate" demanded Mrs. Mansfield
grimly.
My DEAR" said Mr.. Mansfield. with
return of dignity, Il do not under
stand you! If | mistake not it was
something she hid in the drawer she
'gloated over, not the photograph
Il am not sure which it was" said
Mrs. Mansfield, with strained calm
ness.
Now that the first shock Of amaze
ment was over, Mr. Mansfield's pom
,posity returned rapidly.
"Ah, very possible, my dear Miss
Ansom, whom + have every reason to.
think is a young lady of good discern
ment and sound Judgment, has found
something in my public life which she
has been good enough to admire Miss
Ansom has had every opportunity of
studying my work for the past three
months, and also the genral course of
municipal life in what, 1 think, may be
regarded as a noble borough. What
more natural, then, that this young
lady, seeing the portrait of a gentle
man, clad in the robes and insignia of
the office of chief magistrate of this
borough. displayed in the photograph
er's window, and, recognizing In that
gentleman myself. should purchase
that Photograph
Mrs. Mansfield listened with immov-
able features. aa
"A very good explanation" she COM
mented "if it had been one of your
official photographs. But the one in
Miss Ansoms possession Is one of
those you had taken about two years
ago, before you We're elected mayor.
We ordered only Il few of them, l re-
member, and l thought we had dis
posed of them all. The question is
how did Miss Ansom obtain one? | dia
not give 1t to her."
{ ''Then l can only say that you must
be mistaken, my dear" said Mr.. Mans
field, with asperity. 'On your own
confession you only saw it for an in
stant. How can you be certain that it
was photograph of myself?"
'If you think my eyes deceive me,
perhaps you Will believe your ownl
The photo Is still in the drawer; Miss
Ansom has had no opportunity of re-
moving it, for sent her on an errand,
1t Is in the first drawer of her dressing
table. IL you wish to satisfy your curl
osity."
Mrs. Mansfield, do you think that |
am going to steal into lady's room
and pry into her private affairsY' cried
the magistrate, rising. You forget
yourself, madam"
Mr.. Mansfield went upstairs In high
dudgeon to make some alterations in
his dress preparatory to going out.
| He was forced to acknowledge him
self quite at loss to account for that
photo being in Miss Ansom's posses
sion, which admission was. rather ex-
traordlnary on his part. =
He prided himself .on his keen sight,
his strict impafnality, and his firmness
ln discharging his ',magfsterial duties
But an exhibition of these qualities
vas not confined to the bench. OF the