Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-07-11

served, ard Potter, bet1eei the bivalvcs
s;rtined his ears for the ring OF the door
iell that Would Announce the arrival OF
Barnes. But the course came and de-
parted and there was no sign OF the old
man. The soup followed. and the dis
tyacted host scalded his mouth in \ bung-
ling attempt at trying to talk, to listen
for a sound at the front door and 20 eat
At the same time. Presently his aSitated
manner was noticed. and the members be-
gan to banter him on his melancholy APP
pearance. Hazard and Winchel, We're
especially boisterous because they believed
his uneasiness was due 10 his doub; about
the success of the surprise he was to give
the members.
The roast came or. and still there was
no sign of the chief Inspector of customs.
Potter began to rcgrct that he had gone
to Barnes. He evenly felt that he could
have Il sense of relief ii he were assured
that the opals We're hopelessly lost. The
punch and the cigarets We're served and
Barnes was as far away as ever. A settled
detection came over Potter and he sat
there, a veritable deaths head ut the
feast. Winchcll and Hazard were the life
Of the company. They exchanged remi-
niscences, told stories and kept the table
in Il roar. Presently Hazard walked over
TO Potter and whispered.
See here, old man. it's about time to
l SpI AIS yOuI Prise Will tIc OpiiS, liscIC y
such Il thing as straining curiosity to the
breaking point. Don't wait too long"
The host gro~aned-actually and really
groaned-and looked at the speaker with
the air of a man who has lost everything
in the world. Hazard. taking the groan
and the look for mimicry, burst into a roar
of laughter and declared Potter to be the
funniest fellow he had ever met. The host
merely leaned back In his chair with a
| look of sad raoippa tlnp on his face. That
made the members scream all the louder.
Potter looked at his watch. 1t was 9
o'clock. He concluded definitely that
Barnes had failed him. The door of the
kitchen opened and the colored walters
filed in with the dessert. That indeed was
the last straw to break the back of pa
t.ence. TIL dinner over and the members
deprived of the much Wanted souvenirs.
Potter was hot with anger and mortifca-
ton. Why had he dabbled with opals at
all? Why had be gone 10 the chief IN
spector of customs? No answer came to
the unspoken queries, and he gazed down,
the table and mechanically watched the
walters as they brushed off the cloth into
the little crumb pans before placing the
sweets before the guests.
The caterer. Augustine Smith. pale. and
frigid, and correct, as a head waiter should
lently directed his men with his COM
manding eyes. They moved about the
room with noiseless steps and In another
moment an ice cream glace had been
placed before each member of the club.
The candied covering, ball shaped, was in
w parts, pressed together so as to hold
the cream in place. Potter took a spoon,
and, idly pressing it in the %crevice. pushed
the thing apart. The shell separated and
half Of 1t fell on either side, ard there on
the plate. in all OF it's solitary glory, lay a
beautiful opal. The other guests. noting
the action of the host. quickly followed
his example. and almost in the twinkling
of an eye the electric lights were reflect
ing the iridescent rays of thirteen dazzling
opals. There were shouts Of approval,
followed by hearty hand clapping on the
part of the delighted members. They had
been deprived of their ice cream, but they
had a genuine surprise in it's place.
Potter seemed stunned He looked up
and saw the smooth shaven face of the
caterer winter than ever. He looked be-
You'd him, and there in the doorway stood
the chief inspector of customs, smiling
and tanked on either side by Clancy and
Forward. Nothing would do but hat
Barnes and his friends should meet and
receive the congratulations OF the mem
bers. Would the chief and his right and
left bowers have a glass of wine? The
two bowers accepted with grace and po-
/ iltcIicSS. ! ne Ciu Lldl, DelIS uDStelllIOuS,
declined the wine. but took in lieu thereof
a smoking hot cup of coffee.
After the confusion had subsidized Barnes
asked Potter to come to the library for a
moment. The caterer was there ahead of
them, with Il face as white as chalk. The
old mar opened the conversation.
There's no use in p%rolonging the agony
of trying to make Il mystery of this thing"
he said, looking at the caterer while he
l smoke MIR Potter Won are entitled 10
the whole story. 1t is short. This man.
Augustine Smith, in a moment of deplor-
able weakness. stole your opals.'
"Augustin Smith, our caterer. stole the
opals?" repeated the astonished host.
The culprit lung his head in shame.
Barnes briefly told the story of his in
v~est.gation. He recalled the misadven-
lures that had befallen Harmer. the GUS
toms examiner: George West, the con-
fidential clerk, and Mary Martin, the SER
vant girl.
Il felt morally CERTAIN he continued,
that the caterer was the culprit and when
1 found half a dozen little bits of tissue
paper. such as jewelers. and lapidaries use
to wrap around gems, on the back stair
way leading from the library down into
the kitchen and thence into the dining
room, l was convinced. He had gone up
the back way to the library to look for
something in decorating the table and saw
the box on the desk. Some develish curl
csity impelled him to open the case. and
when he saw these brilliant stones he sue
cumbed to temptation-he became a thief.
Mrs. Potter thought he did not go to the
second story at all. chat is because she
was in the reception hall in the front of
the house. He assures me this Is the first
time ne has ever stolen. and l believe him.
When the question of returning the opals
was discussed he suggested the idea Of
placing them in the shells intended for ice
cream. 1 agreed, and took the liberty to
assure him that there would be no prose-
cutiOn. Now you have the whole story.
II his penitence does not recommend him
to you mercy I am satisfied that his in
genuity will appeal to your love Of the