Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-05-29
THURMONr FREDERICK COUNTY, Md THURSDAY, MAY 49, 1902
Colonel Bostal. AT least. he and Miss

next to nothing. And next to nothing
must be the vally of anything as Miss
Theodore gives away" he added, with
4 rather forced attempt at jocularity.
Clifford, who was much perturbed
by this incident. on account of the con.
struction hi: two friends We're sure to
put upon it, made haste to turn tho
talk into another channel. He knew
that he had not heard the last Of it.
And he was not surprised to see Otto,
at latcr period of the evening when
the rest were in the garden, draw the
earrings from the place where they
had been put, and examine them care
fully by the light of the lamp.
While Clifford fingered behind for
fev last words with Nell. the othcn
two, having taken their leave, walked
on together
Willie spoEe first. Putting at the
pipe he had just lit, he glanced up at
Otto.
"Well, and what IS your opinion Of
our fair friend now| he asked.
"My opinion is that she IS thief.
and very daring, if not very skill.
ful one. Those earrings were pearls
ami rubies, real ones. very old-fash-
ionCd but worth something.'
And you don't think they may have
been given to her.
"My dear fellow, look at the story.
Is there anything to blush about In
the fact of receiving Il present from
an old man and his old daughter? Yet,
undoubtedly. she did blush. Then
look at the improbablity of The thing.
The Bostals are as poor as church
mice. Would they have such thing
as these earrings? Well, perhaps
they might have. But would they
give them away? The old man might,
infatuated with her prel(y face, but
not the starchy, elderly. young lady
You had better not tell Clifford
what you think
Il don't mean to. But | mean to try
to save him from this ENHANCEMENT;
and In order to carry ont my plan, he
must not suspect that have one. He
won't say much about her, you bet.
he will he afraid of our rallery. And
we shall say no more than he does.
And, of course, il he asks me my
opinion about the earrings, | shall say
they were worthless. See"
Willie nodded. He no longer bore
Clifford malice for cutting him OUT he
was only too thankful that he had been
himself saved from deep tumble into
the same pitfall.
1t was about Il fortnight after the
return to town of the three friends
that there drove up to the Blue Lion,
one bitter evening, a hired doS-cart
from Stroan, in which sat a gentleman
who told the landlord that he was on
the way to CourtstairS, but that he
found the weather too severe. and
should be glad TO put up ut the inn
until the following morning. He waa
a pleasant, talkatiyc young fellow, and
George Claris, who had been growing
rather moody and reserved of late,
thawed under the influence of tho
strangers genial manner, and passed
the evening smoking and talking by
the fire in the little bar-parlor. Only
once in the course of the evening did
he catch sight of Nell
She was passing through the passage
on her way upstairs, and she appeared
at the door of the room for an instant
only n UiVn a n hnp ttnpln
AS she stood there, the young man
took occasion to mention that he must
try to push on tomorrow, as lc was
carrying property of some value for q
tirm in whose employment he was,
which was expected by another firm to
whom he was commissioned.
And he noticed that, rs he said this,
the girls bright color left her checks.
"Why don't you push on tonight
then" she said, brusqucly, advancing
a step into the room and fixing her
eyes earnestly upon him. "Thc wealth.
or may be worse tomorrow. and if
YOU are afraid Of little wind vou
should have gone by rail- and not by
road"
The young man rose politely, aud
looked at her curiously ls she spoke.
But before he had had time to utter a
v ord in answer, her uEclc dismissed
her from the room with a by no means
gentle reminder that ii was 10 busi-
ness of hers.
The visitor. in spite of the import
ance Of his commission. seemed to he
in no great hurry to push OH with his
journey; for on the following day, as
the wind was still cold. and the sky
still gloomy, he remained at the Blue
Lion.
George Claris had Il shrewd s,ls-
picion that it was the blue eyes of his
pretty niece which made the stranger
so dilatory, and he took care that the
girl should be invisible throughout the
whole of the day. AS he had expected.
the young man grew evidently uneasy.
and presently found occasion to ask
If the young lady had left the house.
"No," answered George, shortly, "she
is In the house right enough but you
won't see no more of her. My niece
is a lady, sir, for all she is my niece,
and she don't ave nothin' to do with
my business"
The young man, rather TO the land
lords surprise, appeared entirely sat
isfied with this explanation.
Indeed, he had every reason to be so,
for he was a friend OF Otto Cony-
beare's, whom that young gentleman
had sent down to do little amateur
detective work in the supposed interest
of Clifford King, but without, Of