The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1904-09-01

she was sorry she had not confessed
the whole truth at once. But it as
| too late now. She had taken the first
| false step, and she could not retract
without disagreeable exposure.
who could have knocked it OF 2"
she said, in answer to her mothers
| last question; land where could it have
blown to? l certainly saw nothing of a
bank-note"
Mrs. Powers searched In vain, and
| at noon she told her husband of the
loss; and they both searched, and Mr..
Powers questioned his daughter-not
with the thought that she had de-
| ceived, but in hopes that some for
gotten incident might occur to her.
But Sarah dared not confess now.
She lacked the courage; and she In ckcd
| the courage because she was yet to
realize how very small evils can grow
to enormous consequences.
Mr.. Powers returned to his store in
thoughtful mood. He knew that his
wife must have lcf; the bank note
under the lamp upon the shelf, and
that 1t had been there the previous
evening. She was not woman liable
to mistake in memory Of such a matter.
The only other person who had been f.
the sitting room that time besides ms
daughter was Robert Veazie. Per-
haps Robert might have seen the note.
On arriving at the store he called his
clerk into the counting-room.
Robert, did you see anything OF a
twenty-dollar bill on the mantel in my
sitting room. last EVENING""
"No, SIR"
"iou saw nothing that looked like
ope:"
The young man hesiiated and color
ed Then with a forced smile
Perhaps Sarah may have see2 It."
mo; have asked her and she knows
nothing about it. She saw nothing of
the kind"
II certainly saw nothing, Sir"
Mr.. Powers was not at all satisfied
with his oDsMer; -1llt. be, would -Rot~
press the matter then. He dismissed
his clerk, and sat down and reflected.
And his reflections We're not pleasant.
That same evening Mr.. Powers called
upon Mr.. Selvidge, the tailor. to col
lect bill for cloth. The tailor was
fortunately in funds and he paid the
bill. With the money he handed out
was twenty dollar bill of the Black
stone National Bank. new and crisp.
exactly such n bill as Mr.. Powers had
given to his wife
He asked Selvidge where he got II.
"Robert VeaZie paid it to me this
forenoon"
For what?"
"For a new coat"
Mr.. Powers went home and showed
the bill to his wife. She declared. in
moment, that it was the bill she had
lost Where had he found it?'
The merchant asked If she could be
silent and discreet for time. And
when she had assured him that she
could. he told her how the bill had
come into his possession.
They were both greatly shocked
They had not believed such thing
possible. If Robert Veaz!e could be q
thief. whom could they trust?
On the following day Mr. Powers
called Robert into the counting-room
again. There was that in his en-
ployer's look and tone that made the
youth remblc.
Mr.. Powers showed him the bank
note, and asked him where ra got it.
us that the bill gave to Mr.. Sci.
vidge?"
1T is."
Robert did not answer readily. He
stopped to think. And when he did
answer his employers searching. sus-
plcious gaze oppressed him.
Mr.. Powers, 7 saw that bank-note
in the drawer with another Just
like it, 1 happened to have twenty
dollars of my own in small bills in nv
pocket. and / made the exchange.
taking the crisp, new bill, and putting
In its place my worn ones. Before the
money was deposited thiak you took
the other one.''
Robert" said the merchant stern
ly. 81 did take bank-note exactly
like tbis-the only one saw with our
money that day--ard / gave it TO my
wife. She placed 1t beneath the large
glass lamp upon the mantel shelf I'm
our sitting room. She did this just be-
fore sitting down to tea, and forgot all
about until the following morning.
and then 1t was gone. On that even
ing only you and Sarah were in the
sitting room. Sarah saw nothing of 1t.
Now what am I to think?"
Are you sure that Sarah knows
nothina"
"She declares positively that she
knows nothing at all about It! trust
you would not have me believe that
my daughter could"
mo. no, no" broke In Robert, quick.
ly. Then he gasped and trembled.
what more have you to say, Rob.
ertf"
"Nothing. sir" ~"~tS:!, J--.t.is