Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-11
A PICTURE PUZZLE.

will help, considerable in laying hands On
him. and when he's found we'll soon find
his pals
OF course, I told all I knew about Joe.
I felt positive he would come back, per
haps In a few minutes, to explain every
thing. Besides, there was Boyle too Why
should he take Bogie? The policeman sug-
gested that perhaps the dawg foIlerd him
and he had taken 1t along with him to pre-
vent being traced by it's means"
At length. all this questioning being over.
the household settled down into a sort Of
strange calm. 1t seemed to us days since
we had said Goodnight" and sought Our
rooms on that night, and yet 1t was only
twenty-four hours ago; in that short time
how much had taken place! On going over
all the plate, &C., We missed many more
! tn. ngs; and Mrs. Wilson, whose faith in
Joe's honesty never wavered, began to
think the poor boy might have been fright
ened at having slept through the robbery;
and as he was SO proud of having the plate
| used every day in his charge, when he dis
covered 1t had been stolen he might have
feared we should blame him SO much for 1t
that he had run away home to his people
in his fright, meaning to ask his father
or his adored Dick to return to me and
plead for him. I thought, too, this was
possible for l knew how terribly he would
reproach himself for letting anything in
his care be stolen. / therefore made up
my mind to telegraph to- his father at once;
but not to alarm him. 1 said:
us Joe with you? Have reason to think
he has gone home. Answer back"
The answer came some hours after, for
in those small villages communication was
difficult. The reply ran thus:
1--WE have not seen Joe; If he comes to-
night will write at once. Hoping there Is
nothing wrong
So that surniise was a mistake. for Joe
had money and would go by train if he
went home, and be there in two hours.
All the household sat up nearly all that
night. or rested uncomfortably on sofas and
armchairs; we felt too unsettled to go to
bed, though worn out with suspense, and
the previous excitement and fright. OFF,
Gals and detectives came and went during
the evening, and looked about for traces Of
the robbers. and before night a description
of the stolen things. and a most minute one
Of Joe, were posted outside the police sta
lions and all around London for miles. A
reward Of twenty pounds was offered for
Joe. and my heart ached to know there was
hue and cry after him like common
thief
what would the old parents think? and
how would Dick feel?-Dick whose good
counsels and careful training had made
joe what I knew he was in spite Of every
suspicion.
The next day I still felt sure he would
come. and went down into the room where
he used to Sleep and saw Mrs. Wilson had
put all in order, and fresh blankets and
sheets were on the little bed, all ready for
him. So many things put me in mind OF
the loving. gentle disposition. A little dow-
er vase / valued very much had been
broken by Boyle romping with one Of my
nieces. and knocking It down. It was
broken in more than twenty pieces, and
after had patiently tried to mend It my
self, and my nieces, with still greater pa
thence. had had their turn at it, we had
given 1t up as bad job and thought 1t had
long ago gone on to the dust heap.
There were some shelves on the wall OF
Joe's room where his treasures were kept
and on one Of these shelves. covered with an
old white handkerchief, was a little tray
containing the vase, a bottle of cement and