The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-02-15


/ AIDS eyes wander for an instant to my
/ ring, and that meant that he didn't be
i7ve me. 1 must tell You that we've
/ made a treaty, as he calls it. When ne
/ asks me anything 10y tine sign of tie
sing I'm to answer the exact TRUTH"
Goodness. how dill De happen 10
/ make such a request a thutE"
ia iib1rd about SD m.uv little
things. You see. / love him SO mu'h
that I can't help saying what ! y,tuE
will please him"
Mrs. Lockwood laughed with great
4 enjoyment ana then suddenly became
/ serious
This matter of the Hardy letter is
| different business" said She. Il gups:
you'd better tell him the truth
But 1 did. auntie," Edith protested
| Il haven't seen any such letter"
In our dealings with the stcrupr
| sex" responded Mrs. Lockwood. we
must always remember that the truth
| is not necessarily Il statement of the
facts; it is something that the man will
| believe. This philosophy should he
taught i'll every girls school; it is more
important than cookery to the Amer
| lean home. But to return to our text
| I'm of the opinion that Donald has rpa-
son to believe that Nat Hardy has sent
| you letter. If he goes over to see Mr..
Hardy frequently he may have seen
| the letter on that gentleman's desk"
You don't mean to imply that Don
aid would
Read it? OF course not unless
| through some accident. But one secs a
name on an envelope at single
glance"
IF Donald saw letter for me in Nj
Iardy'S Office why didn't be tell me SO
straight outE" said Edith IFS not
like him to make a mystery of such At
thing"
lie had u mans curiosity to know
whether You would admit receiving
the letter, The circumstance is obi
| enough to arouse his interest. Why
should Nat Hardy be writing to YOU:
I'm sure | can't guess, and I'd very
much like TO find out
"Of course / asked him why he sup
| posed that | might get such commmj-
cation" responded Edith and he said
| that he fanced that Mr.. Hardy might
have something to tell me. His man
ner was as if he thought | should ho
| pleased. as if there were some surprise
in store for me. l was so puzzled th0:
l didn't care to ask any more quc2-
| tons"
I'VE must know more about this,
said Mrs. Lockwood. with decision
Tact ana telephone ought to help
us
You are going to ask Mr., Hardy:
I'm afraid Donald wouldn't like that"
Donald will never know anything
about it, my dear" answered Mrs
| Lockwood
She was absent from the room about
ten minutes, and when she returned hcr
| face disclosed the self complacency Of
! justified pride.
Il have the whole affair at my fin
| gers ends" said she. DO YOU remem-
Der that little photograph of yourself
| taken at the interesting ace of thre"
! years. You were greatly grioved l'y
its loss. I heard YOU tell Donald of the
ineXplicable mystery Of its disappear
| ance."
We'll. wAa! could 7 say? Douali
wanted To see il. arI | couldn't tell him
| that | suspected Mr.. Hardy OF stealing
| it. That would have made him angry.
Your suspicious, my dear. were en-
| ,.oI, Il J
Mr.. Hardy has the picture, and Don
aid saw it in his apartments on Mon
| day evening"
Edith gave little cry Of surprise
| and alarm.
"Auntie, YOU don't suppose that Don
aid thought l had given Nh Hardy
that picture and had told Il falSphool
about it,"
BE tranquil, my child Donald
knows the truth or as much as is good
for him. Seeing the picture there ana
having heard your story, he was nat
urally in difficult position, from
which he eEtricated himself handsome
| ly. He merely mentioned to Mr.. Hardy
that you valued the picture highly be
| cause the memorandum upon the back
Of the card was in your mothers hand
and happened to be the only bit of
writing thar remained to you. where
upon Nat Hardy had remarkable iEI-
! pulse to do right. Quite miracle, a.
| it seems 20 me. He confessed that he
| had thoughtlcssly filched the picture
| because it was so quaint and pretty
| and said that he would send it back TO
you with a humble apology Immediate
! ly. While Donald was looking over
some legal papers Nat wrote a letter
| to you, and he mailed it next morning"
And it's lost, and the picture with
it, exclaimed Edith. "Oh, I'm 50 sor-
ryw
fortunately our friend decided not
to trust the picture to the mails. He
merely wrote to tell you that it was
safe; that he regretted his misdeed and
that he would return it by messenger"
Edith sank back in her chair, doubly
relieved in mind.
THANK goodness, there's nothing here
| that | must hide from Donald"
Mrs. Lockwood smiled with an air of
almost infinite wisdom mingled with
pity.
MI. Hardy's letter has not come"