Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-06-17
A Riddle Solved
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nothing except what they earned from
day to day Agnes, who was farsee-
ting girl, would not consent until they
had accumulated enough for a start.
One day, however, she surprised her
lover by telling him she had conclud-
ed to do as he wished and work out
the problem together instead of sepa-
rately, and they were married.
The ceremony had been performed
at her mothers, where they proposed
to remain temporarily, and the couple
went upstairs to their room. Agnes
had happy look on her face, which
she strove in vain to hide. The cause
was soon explained. Going to cup
board, she took out wooden stocking,
bullying with something heavy In the
foot, and swung 1t before her hus-
hands face triumphantly. h
What is it?" asked Leonard.
"a windfall." Turning the stocking
upside down, she poured its contents
gold coins on the table. Leonard
stared at them, while Agnes put her
arms about his neck and gave him a
hug.
"Where did they come from?'
"Agnesw called a querulous voice
from below.
d Poor mother" said the girl, her ex-
pressfve face turning from delight to
sympathy. "She is much depressed at
losing me. I must 60 down and COM
fort her. Meanwhile you may count
our treasure. Coming, mother!" And
she ran downstairs.
her room the money was lying on the
table just as she had left it, but her
husband was nowhere to be seen.
Leonardo" she called. Leonard,
dear Where are your
There was no reply, and, thinking
he was playfully hiding from her, she
searched for him, but her husband was
not to be found. There was back
staircase, by which he might have de-
scended, and she went down, opened
q door at its foot and called. There
was no answer.
Agnes spent the night in an agony Of
dread. She thought she could not en-
dure another such night, but she did,
and many more, Tor her husband did
not return. to her. Slowly she became
more hardened TO her SORROW, but when
four years had passed she had become
no more reconciled to It than the night
her husband had forsaken her. Mean
while the money she had SO toyfully
turned over to him had all been used
in buying comforts for her mother.
One day she received through the
mail an envelope pOstmarked at min
ting town on the Pacific coast. In It
was certificate of deposit In bank
payable to her order for $1,000. Ac-
companying this was bit of faded
yellow paper on which was written In
mans handwriting, though unknown
to her:
Dearest Agnes-Replying to your last
letter saying that you are willing to ao-
cept a stated sum, conserving at the same
time to my expected marriage, / send It
to you with this. After the honeymoon 60
hope in measure to resume my rela-
tons with you. Your loving ~ B.
In vain did Agnes puzzle over these
two singular Enclosures She could faith
ON neither. The money she would not
use; the note she would have consider
ed an Insult had she not believed It was
Intended for some one else. She finally
determined to send both back through
the bank on which the certificate was
drawn. She wrote note calling the
cashiers attention to the mistake, ask
ing him to forward it to the deposttor.
Exactly twelve days from the day
she mailed her note with its Enclosure
there was knock at the door, and,
opening 1t, there stood her husband.
She fell In swoon, and he caught her
In his arms.
When she revived she was lying on
sofa, while Leonard bent over her.
"Oh, sweetheart" he said, ri fear I
have done you great wrong"
why did you leave me?" she moan
ed, throwing her arms about hts neck
as II fearful to lose him again.
Then he told her that when she had
gone down to her mother he had shak-
en- the stocking to make sure that moth
Ing moFe remained tn It, and the note
she had received by mail had fallen
out. Taking It as evidence Of her guilt,
he had fed, resolved never to see her
again. He had gone west and made
money. Wishing that she, notwith-
standing her sin, should share In his
good fortune, he had sent her the ST.
600 AMI to explain the cause Of hts hav-
ing left her had Enclosed the note. Her
reply had come to him through the
bank where he had deposited the mon
ey.
Then Agnes saw through the riddle
and gave him the solution. The money
she had given her husband had come to
her as legacy from an aunt for whom
she had been named. She had heard
strange stories about this aunt in her
youth that were now confirmed by the
letter which had evidently been kept
with the money in the stocking.
"Four years Of misery" said Leon
| ard mournfully, "that might have been
years of happiness gone out Of our
lives through my laundering stupid
ity."