The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1904-07-08
Under SuCpicion
tOriginal.l

To-day at noon | went to the cloak
room to get my handkerchief, which l
had left by mistake and found the
large inside pocket of my cloak filed
with laces."
Good gracious! What did you dOF"
II didn't do anything, knew that |
was In dangerous position and want
ed to take the right course. went
back to my counter to think it over
and concluded during the afternoon to
tuke the things to the Office and state
the case, but when went back to the
cloakroom the laces were gone"
Taken out by some one who put
them thereW
Il don't know. They may have been
taken by one of the store detectives"
What are you going to do about it2"
Nothing If they were taken away
by the thief there's no need to say
unything: If by a detective, he will ell
ther accuse me at once or watch me-"
Elizabeth Childers was the daughter
of Archibald Chllders. who had lived
rich and died poor. Her mother taught
music, and Bessie sold fancy articles
In the dry goods store of Banning &
Co. The next day Bertram Banning,
son of the head Of the firm, walked
past her counter, looking at her with
an expression that might mean any
thing, but surely meant something
Bessie naturally ascribed II to the fact
that she was suspected thief. That
night she renewed her plant to her
mother, and the two were In an agony
Of distress. expecting that an arrest
would soon follow
But the arrest did not follow, and
the mother and daughter agreed that
the firm was waiting further evidence
of her guilt. Mr.. Bertram Banning
whenever he passed Bessle's counter
gave her the same interested glance.
She made every effort to appear COM
posed and she succeeded admirably.
Then one day Mr.. Banning stopped at
her counter and had little chat with
her. She had no doubt that he was
intending to draw from her some evil
dence to crlminate her, but he con-
fined himself to very ordinary topics
that could not possibly bear on the
subject of stolen goods. A few days
later he spoke to her again, this time
intimating that he had made the dis
covery that she was the daughter Of
the once wealthy banker, Archibald
ChilderS.
That he had been making inquiries
about her was apparent, though his
detectives had doubtless gathered the
information. The poor girl was in
dreadful suspense. She wished that
it might end even If by her arrest.
Bertram Banning was evidently man
aging the case, and she wondered that
so affable a young man with so much
wealth at his command or in prospect
did not leave such unpleasant matters
to some one else.
One day Bessie was notified that she
was promoted to a higher position at
very largely increased salary. The
first flash of pleasure in this advance
was dashed by the suspicion that 1t
was intended to get her where she
could be the more easily entrapped.
She talked the matter over with her
mother and they agreed that possibly
the thief of the laces was at the bot
tom Of it all. At any rate, influences
were at work to get positive evidence.
To find stolen goods on her clothing
might not be sufficient. She must be
cnurht In the act. AS she did not In
tend to steal anything she had no fear
of being caught, but she did fear be-
ing made to stand in the place OF
thief Her suspicious were confirmed
when she found that she was placed
in charge of Il stock of goods kept IN
n room by themselves and where she
would be great deal OF the time
alone. That there was peephole
through which she would be watched
she did not doubt.
The day of her entry on her new uu,
ties Bertram Banning came in and
congratulated her on her advance es.
necially AS she would not have to sell
the goods, only to be responsible TOT
them. She received him in her usual
constrained manner, and the more In
tcrested he appeared in her welrare
the more confirmed she became tha'
he was trying to decoy her of her
guard.
Weeks went by, and as there was nc
denouement of the plot Bessie conclud'
ed that some one had been foiled.
One day Bertram Banning came into
her room with an expression OH his
face that convinced her the bomb was
about to explode. He did not at once
explode 1t. He beat about the busl
with embarrassment Finally, bracing
himself for an effort, he said:
"Miss Childers, have something
ooh, DON'T" cried Bessie, covering
her face with her hands.
You know. then. You have looked
beyond
''Oh, Mr.. Banning, that you should"-
She could not go on.
"Apd why not2 Is there anything
dlshOnorable in"-
NO.. not dishonOrablc, but If yor
only knew how unjust"
"UnjustT
eyes. ! am absolutely innocent"
as it innocent to steal'--
81 did not"
"AIiss Childers, you are thief of th'
worst kind True, you have stolen al
article of little value, only my poo
heart"
Bessie Childers looked Mt him as on
awakened from a dream.
"Your heartF
"Yes. What did you suppose
~ thought you meant the laces."
Then 1t came out that the real THE
hoa hoon oo,ghf lono aoo hut II wa