Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-09-05

thing is they a:n't mine. Now l could
Go very we'll wiz The lot OF them"
This isn't IurAcy," said his friend
r~eprovingly.
'Oh, not the women. I've got n
wife, and she's enough for mo But
I'd like the dresses. And the diamonds.
I'd sell 'em second hand n rio: on
the proceeds. Talking Of sales. come
and find some burgundy cup"
They went away from the ballroom
way. and were going to cross .he hall
when a man stopped them and told
them the way was closed.
Whats the matter? Has there been
an ACCIDENT"
well perhapo 1t might be an acci-
don't, sir. 'Tisn't for me to say"
WHO the devil are you anyway
"a member of the metropolitan po-
lice force. sir: a plain clothes man. at
your service. Stand back. sir! You
can't come down here. The police are
searching the lower part of the house."
My aunt! Has there been a bur-
glary?"
said the policeman shortly. There's
a warrant out against him for embez-
element. But that needn't affect o
gentlemen and ladies up stairs. You
can go on with your dancing"
The two guests looked at one another
and broke into a strained laugh. Then
they Gained their faces again and went
back up the stair.
And l was envying that man a min
ute ago." said one of them. We'll. all
flesh is but ~rass, as the poor beggar
would say himself. Shows how little
you can gauge a mans finances from
seeing what ne spends. I say, bet you
a flyer my wife goes to the trial. She
knows u judge
The music stopped at the end of a
polka. and the gable Of talk burst
promptly out and was carried about all
over the house. But by degrees 1t
hushed. and in its place grew the rustic
of whispers. The scandal microbe trav-
els quicker than his cousin of cholera.
a fe~ were grimly glad. The band
broke out into "Eldorado." and being
the best band In London 1t played so
the very chairs tried to Jig about and
dance of their own accord. But no
leather sole kissed the giistening ar
that moved there were the music play
ers and q latter Of tulle which whirled
about to the gale of the cornet.
Mrs. Theodore Shelf stood like a
oma maZed. She could not change
color, for happily. that was fixed, ac-
cording to the n of the day. but
she stood behind a chair in the drawing
IOOIIl SlIlu STlDpCo Mllu iIcE SlONcu
hands upon the back till muscles arose
in her plump white arms which had
never shown there before. Through the
doorless doorway she saw an unspoken
stream of her guests. cloaked and
shawled. making their way to the head
of the stair. Most kept their looks
studiously before them. and of the few
who cast her n glance. half scared. half
curious, none added the smallest ghost
of n bow
OF all the wondrous crowd. only two
came up to her before they went.
One said. Good night, Mrs. Shelf
The other said. Goodnight, Laura,
I'm very sorry"
Then these followed the rest, and
when ali had gone a white faced ser
want came up and told her what had
happened. The police had been quick
with their reach, but the man they
wanted had been quicker. He had left
the house ten minutes before they or.
rived.
rs that all?"
"That Is all. madam"
Very WE'LL" said Mrs. Shelf. Il
shall not raj you any more tonight.
Lock up. and then you may go to bed"
Then. picking up her fan. she walked
~leisurely out CT the drawing room and
went to her w boudoir.
That Mr.. Theodore Shelf had made
his W exit and brought about his
wife's social downfall most dramati.
cally even the worst hit OF his VIC
with exquisite trouble had traced him
to Paddington station and found that
he had taken 9. first class ticket to
Liverpool, and after using the wires
they had returned to bed with the firm
conviction that their seaport associates
v~N,v 49, -~~---- 49,
street. OF course they could not pos
sibly guess that he n a wire haired
fox TERROR dog had changed their
route to Monmouthshire and had ar
rived In Newport in ample time to go
on board n OF his own steamers
which had just finished coaling there.
The police and the victims said a
good many things when they learned
the simple means by which Mr.. Shelf
had escaped. and they confidently ex.
pected never to see him again in this
world and hoped to miss him in the
next. And consequently all We're con
siderably astonished n not a little
pleased when only two days later Mr..
Shelf re-entered London With all his
freer movements hampered by vulgar
letters.
OF course MI. Shelf could not forsee
that when his steamer was passing
Lundy at a brisk fifteen knots her
steering gear would break down and
Jam jam the rudder SO hard sport that
h would take h ground before re-
versed engines could check her way
And because of this lack Of foresight
he was after some formality though
rcgula. diet, to which he went among
the wailings and curses OF q ruined
multitude. And there requiescat.
AS to Mrs. Shelf. I do not know what
a become OF her; neither do I par
| tlCulAfIY care. RNt tina ndAo ~ ohn
IL keeping on her feet somewhere,
somehow. She IL a clever woman, Mrs,
Theodore Shelf. II expensive.
The good she did in this world dur.
Ing her sway may be summed under
h heads Of encouraging dressmak-