The Virginia enterprise., 1905-07-14
to write Mrs Taylor ''Of course sent
you the dollar back"

to write Mrs. Taylor. ''Of course sent
you the dollar back"
Again the return mail brought her an
unexpected reply.
Il don't like to bother you so much,"
ran Mrs. Taylor't note, 'tand please don't
imagine that want to excuse my first
carelessness or suggest that you send
me another dollar, but really think
you must be the mistaken one this time.
There was no dollar in the letter when
it reached me-
This declaration of defiance Mrs.
Kingdom treated with the silent con-
tempt she felt it called for. She dis
missed the entire affair from her mind.
and merely resolved to be careful how
she had any money dealings, however
slight, with Mrs. Taylor in the future,
When, a few days later, Mrs. Taylor
called upon her, accompanied by the
minister's wife, Mrs. Brayton, Mrs.
Kingdom could not refrain from telling
the story. She knew, Of course, that
Mrs. Taylor had found or heard from
the money long since, and that Mrs.
Brayton was equally we'll acquainted
with Mrs. Taylor's unhappy reputation
in the matter of carelessness and with
her own almost impeccable record in
this direction. To her surprise, how
ever, Mrs. Brayton looked quietly seri
Gus, but made no comment, while Mrs.
Taylor smiled.
Really and truly, dear Mrs. King
don," she persisted, there was no dol
lar in that letter. Mrs. Brayton was
with me when l opened it, and she
knows"
There certainly was no dollar in the
letter when Mrs. Taylor received it," cor
roborated Mrs. Brayfon, "whatever
there was when Mrs. Kingdom sent it.
If 1 were either or both of you ladies
should complain to the postal authori-
ties at Once.'
"Well-the postman may have stolen
it," said Mrs. Kingdom, highly offended
"but don't believe it. And as to what
ever there was in the letter when sent
it, there was dollar in it, of course, as
I've said all along.
"Why, I remember just as clearly" :"
she continued, while the others kept 81
lence. Il was sitting at my desk, and
my head ached SO badly could hardly
write at all, and"
pardon me-" gently interrupted Mrs.
Taylor, "but didn't you have the head
ache the day you sent the dollar the
first time? I think you told me, when
explaining that had sent it back to you,
that you were just leaving home for
the city, to be gone all day."
Mrs. Kingdom turned pale, gasped, all
but tainted. She knew, even as Mrs.
Taylor spoke, that it was the first day of
which she had been thinking. She had
not written her second note at her desk
at all; she had dashed it off at the library
table, Could it be-
She went down with colors flying
however. She marched over to her desk
with the air of an offended empress
threw up the top with bang, and drew
from one of her we'll ordered pigeon
holes the explanatory note of Mrs
Taylor.
Here is your letter." she said, stern
ly. Now be good enough to open it
Only in that way will you be assured OF
your mistake. I give you my word OF
honor that neither myself nor anyone
else has touched it since the moment il
left my hand.
"You will not find the dollar, how
ever" she smiled, as Mrs. Taylor, with
deprecatOrY look at her cOmpantOnS
took out the letter, "for there is no dol.
lar there
II don't know" faltered Mrs. Tay
lor, half frightened and quite as regret
full as triumphant. There - there
seems to be something inside the note
She unfolded the paper in full sigh1
of Mrs. Kingdom and her other visitor
and there, plain to be seen of all behold
ers, was the dollar bill!
The visitors, more than ever embar
rassed by Mrs. Kingdoms breathless ex.
clamation that there must be witchcraf
in it, hurried away, and, for a wonder
they kept silence about the occurrence
But MIR. Kingdom, extremely amused b.
the excited tale poured into his ears BY
Mrs. Kingdom that evening, was not sc
considerate, and Mrs. Kingdom will bl
long in recovering from the shock o.
knowing that her heretofore irreproaci,
able reputation for exactitude and care
fulness has been seriously impaired. -.
Chicago Record-Herald.