The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-09-29
man ~,d. obviously: "st,ll there1l b

man aid. obviously: "still there1l be
no harm in taking it."
The first edition Of the evening city
paper reached. FernwOOd 500 after
$3.50. At 4 o'clock, OF thereabout. q boy
left O copy OF the Star at Ktnsley &
Co.'S counting room. Edward Kinsley.
who had been into the factory to give
some Instructions. returned to find Miss
Parker standing in the middle OF the
floor with the paper in her hands.
"Oh, Mr.. Kinsley," she exclaimed.
coming toward him with a radiant face.
you were a true prophet. They've got
1t back. Listen! AT 9:45 this morning
pany's wagons drove vi to the postof-
flee and delivered there a bulky parcel
wrapped in brown paper. This, on be-
ing opened. proved to be h pouch OF
registered mail a was stolen from
the Fernwood trolley mail car last
night. The bag had beer cut open
with a sharp knife, but. strange to re.
late, none of the letters had been re-
moved or tempered with. Apparently
no attempt whatever had been made
to extract the contents of these letters.
n Postmaster Wiggin declares that
not q cent in cash is missing Isn't
that just splendid?"
II congratulate you, he said, but
h noticed there was no surprise in
his tone, nor any trace of qualification
over the signal success OF his prophecy.
Half mechanically he took the paper
she extended and glanced at the item.
Soon, however, his attention wandered
where it instantly became fixed.
by Jove:" he cried, in great excite
ment, ''here's news and no mistake.
The midnight express for New York
was derailed M the three foremost
cars are at the bottom of the river"
ooh. dear!" h interrupted, was
anybody kilIed?"
"Ehi I don't know, IL didn't no.
tice," he replied, quite as If that were
a matter of slight consequences; "but,
Amy, h a accident was a blessing for
us from a most unexpected quarter.
The mail car is buried in the mud and
with it is that package of collateral
New York. Their game is blocked
surely. Something has happened. as
you foretold. Our remittance will get
there tomorrow, before they can pos
sibly make another move, and the pa
tent will come where 1t. belongs-to
u.s."
A fortnight later, when the affairs of
Kinsley & Son had been set upon a
firm basis and their future prosperity
was assured, the junior partner had a
strictly private and confidential inter-
view with Miss Amy Parker. What
he said called forth from her many
bushes, but not a word of disapproval,
yet after he a spoken a weight
seemed still to rest upon his mind.
Amy" he queried hesitatingly, ARE
o sure you low me we'll enough to
be willing to marry. a-criminal?"
"a criminal!" she repeated, appear
Ing more amused than shocked, you
must be Joking"
II only wish I We're" he returned
heavily, but after you have heard
what I have to say you'll see that I'm
not. Two weeks ago., when my father
and I saw that Clarke patent about
to slip from our grasp, we were in a
terrible state of mind. For my part, I
was desperate and ready to go to all
most any length to prevent Swan &
Dana's letter from getting to New York
In time to knock out our chances with
the trustee. What I actually did-with
my poor old daddy's reluctant help
was to commit %felonious assault on the
mail trolley car as it was about to en-
with the pouch of registered mail.
Then, after all, the letter we wanted
wasn't IN the pouch. You see I have
been doing a little detective business,
but I had bungled it in one important
particular. Instead of registering their
special delivery, So hat it had gone for
yard in the other pouch. Thus, as I
say, the crime was needless, and the
only thing hat saved US was the
wrecking of that mail train.' He
paused a moment, then asked anxious
ly. well, dear, what do you think Of
me ow? Oughtn't O to send me to
Jail instead of taking me for a hus-
band?"
She looked up into his face roguish-
ly for a moment, then, putting her arms
shyly around his neck, whispered, with
lips close to his cheek:
81 think you're a dreadfully wicked
old d~esperado, but if you'll promise
never to do so again I'll try to keep
your secret-and l shall certainly keep
you.'