Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-10-02

4 SIralEnC LOT tnlS mousse, anu Cla1lOTS 10
see the woman who robbed him. SO
we brought him with us tonight to
confront her She wouldn't give us
the chance till we got the warrant"
"She doesn't seem to mean to give
| you chance now," observed Clifford.
Hemming affected to think that her
capture was only matter of minutes.
as he kept to his post, watching the
front Of the house. while the other
men searched thepremises at the back.
But he hardly looked SO confident as
might have been expected from his
words.
Indeed. he had cause for uneasiness.
1t was he who had first conceived sus.
picions of Miss Theodore, and 1t had
taken all the ingenuity of which he
was master to get together enough evil
dence against her to Justify him in
asking for a warrant. The sight OF an
old scar on one of her little hands on
the occasion of one of his visits to
Shingle End, had suggested to him
that she might have been the woman
whose hand he had burned with the
fuse at the inn.
But it had been long time before
he could make out casc-not, indeed,
until he had thought of using the now
half-witted- George Claris, whom he
had got out of the hands OF simple
Nell under promise, which had been
faithfully kept. that he should be well
taken care Of and that he should re-
turn to her very shortly. Even then
| the difficulties in the way of the police
had been great. At first Claris was
sulen and taciturn. No questions
would obtain from him a clear answer
| as to the events of the night which had
! turned his brain. 1t was not until that
very afternoon that he had accused
Miss Bostal by name of the thcfts, ana
this furnished the police with enough
| data for further proceedings.
clifford listened In dumb bewildcr-
ment.
What can she have done it for? Is
she mad?" asked he, presently
Hemmirs shrugged his shoulders.
Doesn't look much like madness to
have shot the man who was going to
inform against her, said he, dryly.
Good gracious! Then You think
she--'
1t was hardly conceivable to nm
even yet that the prim. rigorous niue
| old maid, who had been SO much
shocked at his walking along country
road on Sunday in Il light suit, could
have been guilty of the systematic
crimes now laid to her charge. In the
silence which followed his words one
OF the two Stroan policemen came up.
"Shes got away said he, in low
voice. We've hunted all over the
place. There's no way by which she
could have got back into the house
How could she have got far with
that short start of you!' asked Hem
ming, incredulously.
IL don't know, but she's done 1t.
I'm going to search the house SO you
keep your eyes OPEN
The front door had been left open
by the Colonel, whom the sergeant
found in the dining-room, sitting with
head bent over the dying embcrs OF the
fire. 1nc man felt sorry for him and
spoke in a subdued voice.
beg pardon, sir but l shall have TO
search the house again"
The old man acquiesccd by nod,
and the officer withdrew. From the
ground floor to the first floor, from the
first floor to the attics, he hunted in
every corner. Hardly in vain. For
although he did not find Miss Bostal
he found evidence enough of her pre-
datory habits to convince any jury OF
her guilt of the minor crime Of theft
at least
| Under the boards Of the attics, sewn
up in the mattress Of the lady's own
bed, hidden away in holes in the dig
used chimneys, the officer found
hoard as varied as it was interesting.
Money, in notes ana silver and gold:
ieWelry, of little value for the most
part and apparently taken new from
shops; half dozen mems watches.
penci-cases,' purses, pieces OF STUFF.
scraps of lace, cardcases, silver spoons
and forks. These were part only OF
what he found.
Covered with the dust of years most
Of them were; the gold and silver tar
nished and discolored with age an'l
damp. On the whole fine collection,
and amounting in value to some hun
dreds of pounds
Nothing less than a sheet was Of any
use to hold the collection, and even
when the sergeant made his way
down the stairs with huge bundle on
his back he felt by no means certain
that there was not more behind.
A bent figure stood in front Of him
at the opening of the dining-room
door.
"Am under arrest, too?" asked the
Colonel, in tranquil tones.
"No, sir. But we've got to watch
the house."
"And what have you got thcre?"
The policeman, by the dim light OF
the lamp in the passage, displayed his
find in silence. In silence, also, the
Colonel looked, and Immediately with
drew into the room. The sergeant left
the house and met Clifford on the lit
tie path leading to the gate. He
ierked his head back In the direction
of the house.
"Sorry for the old gentleman" said
he, in low voice. "It's about broke
him up, has this. He's moping there.
hll by himself"
To be Continued.
IA