, 1905-03-29

peWllderment came over his features;
then he commenced excitedly to
scratch inside, using both hands to
teal out the masses of crumpled paper
which seemed its sole contents. Final
~ coming to a folded note which lay
upon the bottom and hastily scanning
1t, he reised a pair of wild, haggard
eyes to his daughter.
"Pye been robbed!" he gasped.
Robbed, paw cried Mabel in con-
sternation. How"
THAT man Story bunkoed me- He
suffered in his excitement. Hang
him.
Nothing could have brought home
his calamity to Mabel like this. That
he, the senior elder in Mount Sinai
church, should break forth into pro-
family betokened a cataclysm in ma
ture which she was powerless to meet.
Just then, however, she heard the
grind of wheels upon the gravelly
road without. There's Jim, paw" she
cried. He'll help you" Rushing to
the door, she threw it open, and a mo-
ment later Dehus strobe into the room.
AS he beheld old Simon's expression
he halted in amazement.
"For the lands sake, Mr.. Unger!' he
gasped. What on earth's the matter?"
Simon, utterly frenzied by his loss,
was unable to answer. 1t was Mabel
who gave the desired information.
paws been robbed she said.
The sheriff was all interest now. The
merriment had faded from his gray
eyes,. They had become as cool and
steady as steel. He saw that there
was work ahead for him tonight.
"Robbed?" he said. "Whatd they git?'
The matter of fact official tones in a
measure brought the old man to him
self. "What'd they git?" he shrieked.
'What'd they git?' Then impressive
ly and laying full stress upon each
separate word, Observation-Disclosures
lars!'
Good gracious!' calculated Dehus.
"Who lone it? Tell me the whole sto-
ry an be quick"
at was that cousin of George Sto-
rvs. hang him!' commenced the vic
tim. In his close attention Dehus
failed to remark the unaccustomed ex-
pletive. HE told me It he wanted to
look at a farm, an as he was pressed
fur time l consented. l guess it's a
Judgment on me fur breakin' the Sab
bath" he interpolated sadly.
Eyes, yes. Go on" urged his listener.
well, l seen he was pretty green
leastways l thought he was-so l asst
him seven thousan' for that sixty acre
piece along the crick It gifts overfiowed
every spring. l could see that lie waS
a-jumpin' at the price, but to be smart
he tried to ding me down to sixty-ive
HUNDRED. While he was standin' there
in the road dickerin' along comes a
lightnin' rod agent. l never put eyes
on him t l know of before, but he
seemed to know me all right. Don't
fool your time away with that there
Teller, Mr.. Unger,' he says. L don't be-
lieve he's got no seven thousan',' says
he.
"Well sir, that made the first teller
jest hoppin' mad. What call have you
got to be miXin' in this furY' he asts.
Then the two of EN- got to arguin' an
a-spattin' roun' there until purity soon
Story got so riled he pulled a big wad
o. bills out of his pocket an COM
menced a-countin' 'em over. While he
was dom it l KEEP tally, an l observed
that the seven thousan' he claimed
was in the roll was short jest one 500
bill. l didn't say nothin', though.
when he was certain It he was
r;nI,+ b0 xryopf I'm RI thn H0htninF rod
agent, who he hadn't let see the count
In, an he says kind O. brash-like, I'll
jest bet you It I've got sever thousan'
In this wad.'
1.-THE lightnin' rod man he weakened,
but bout that time l was gittin' inter
ested myself. L amt NJ gamblin' man,
Mr.. Story l says, but if you want to
make that offer good I'll bet you seven
thousan'.'
care you crazy, man7' says Story.
You seen me count it.
81 don't care says l. I'd jest as
lief give seven thousan' to you as to
the next man.
"Well, the lightnin' rod man he took
me aside, an he begged me not to do
it, an Story he said it wasn't sports
manlike to bet on a sure thing an t
he didn't want to rob me, but l knowed
what I'd seen, IN finally 1 prevailed"
"Old foolp' seemed to be breathed
upon the circumambient air in the
tones of Mr.. Dehus, but II Simon heard
1t he gave no sign.
81 had $4,000 here in the house l was
--I-.I4:-y - Janoo;t fnnanrror an I