The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-01-07
AuicHT
REDHANDED.
BY Josn u. RAFTERY.

II by SouH ~ KAT
H.
i" HEtlegree Of reverential de-
- c0sam which Mrs. Chlorinda
Tii,mons maintained in the
! reSpry was source Of awed
admiratio3o o all who visited it. Rev
Sylvester lrbushnot. her nephew
J would prob bly, have dispensed with
Lmnch Of tn formal ceremony II his
I wishes had seen consulted. for, for all
his asceticisn, almost naughty reserve
and solemn habits. he was q clergyman
Of much g5d sense and even had q
moderate find Of humor. But Mrs
Tlmmons hid an exaggerated sense OF
the sanctified atmosphere Of the cleri
cal presence. took both pains and de
light In fostering the awesome regard
In which she held her nephew. and SC
enforced the lofty code which she had
herself established In the rectory that
1t was q difficult matter to keep ser
wants who appreciated or enjoyed the
limitations upon their liberties and ami
mai spirits.
Laughter. even in the kitchen, yard
Tor outhouses. was. for instance, cause
Sor dismissal. The presence Of male
sisitor, whether brother. cousin. parcel
10y or"Holieeman. was sufficient to In
woke utter Hanishment Of cook Or house
I'll who 20 sinned against rhe pro.
rxeties. The grocer's boy must de-
1xsr his goods and get his orders nj
sea6 range; no man except Rev. Mr..
&6nthnot himself must pass the
ttze3hold bf the back and side en-.
crnnee. Mrs. Timmons permitted No
kn& but her own to fold and arrange
~ Sarme4ts Of her nephew. With
1fHting. almost trembling hands she
sup1 his room. busted his study
1la& sxsan&ed his personal belongings.
1x1aesw4ll understood that none OF
the sefvs1ts should even enter these
sancti6ed precincts.
Linda endsen. a matronly Swede.
Of marve us taciturnity. was now the
only reta er who had managed to sur
vlve for considerable time 60 many
rules anl a regulations. She was q
model hdusekeeper. and seemed to de-
light In .1kork. since she was doing the
.s.sxs-os two for the pay Of one. Mrs..
Timmons regarded her as treasure,
and the absorbed pastor. II he noticed
her at all. must have approved Of her
retiring ways. her ceaseless industry
and her solitary habits.
"Aunt Timmons." said the grave
young clergyman one morning rs he
lssatchsd 4 tSaupt pour his coffee, "for
plne A11fs + i've been annoyed in q
! NY 1au1nr way"
sApS30yed Mr.. Arbuthnot!' she ex-
Galmsa lettlng lump of sugar splasi,
Efxto $he eefs& annoyed? Is 1t some
TING nbea& the house? had hoped
ISlat knn w6s D good week. The mend
IL t&& been--"s
nes 4ltnt. II isn't anything like
INT SIZE net Is. at least feel con.
xiSe pc& That II matters seriously
eatIR = 9Jnpst sure that somebody has
<r afrkIng my pockets"
I ~ G6<ct Of dismay. horror. almost
Ey$tH3eal which few to Aunt Tim.
tsSnx At9&wa sufficient evidence of
thf nonS3spus nature Of the offense
se whispered. forgetting the
I 4H& be reached out his thin. dry
af Ksss&k 1t. "No! 1t Is almost
I'D bsG She has been such per.
1t tlsfya1t-oh! Can 1t be that Linda
'M6Sing. my dear aunt. that you
eoule not be guilty Of such an indis.
cretio-"
"a crime. I should sayw wheezed
Aunt Chlorinda.
I'm afraid 1t must have been, er-
| what that her name is?'
| Aniforthwith. In guarded and con-
siderse tones, the shocked and scan.
dalize olS lady and calm. patient but
mort ignified nephew outlined a sys.
TEN olespionage that must either de.
tect o. prevent any undue investiga.
tion ofhe pastors pockets. He began
to mak a practice Of leaving small
coins irseldom used garments. because
he had otIced that the contents Of his
every-dy clothes were never touched.
One by,ne the baits disappeared. but
neither unit Timmons nor her nephew
were NJ the wiser. Watch as they
might tey could not detect Linda in
any irrealarities, and the only result
was HI Arbuthnot's conscientious
worry a what he termed tempting
the wealy." and Aunt Timmons' nat.
ural hut niustified realization that II
Linda W not the culprit she herself
might bcspen to suspicion. She dis
cussed IL hateful phase Of the mat
ter, and las rewarded and delighted
at Rndis that NO such unworthy
thought al ever entered his judicious
and genecss mind.
| Meanwis. however. he had entered
into a rsorly and very confidential
correspondence with one of the most
estimabl, Yung women Of his flock,
and. feain' that his servant might
pry into tle necessarily sacred con.
tents OF he,s letters, he went secretly
10 the RQlcenan who walked about the
neighbehoot and sought his advice.
"Trya bito' dye-stuff. sir" advised
the poEernn. Put q dash in your
pocketbok o. wherever else you think