Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1907-04-05
The Minister'S Wife
By MRS. HENRY WOOD

| through MS speetacles. Then, turning his
severe face to Charles, he spoke in tone
that ought to have annihilated him.
Do you give this to me to use, sir?"
Charles advanced quickly, looked and
stood COMPOUNDED with vexation. On the
blotting pad, white and clean, for the
top sheet must have been taken off, was
fancy drawing in pen and ink, bold, clear
and well done, of half dozen bJllet girls
In very airy costumes. The color few
to Charles face; he knew what the
bishop was. What on earth, would he
judge, must be his private pastimes, If
he could adorn his professional desk with
such sketches, and set a bishop down to
regale his eyes with them?
Charles tore off the sheet in a heat
Il assure you, my lord, on my word of
honor, that l know not how those-those
things came there. Some one must have
been here last night unknown to me, and
taken the liberty to leave a remembrance
behind him."
ALLOW me to recommend you to burn
it, sir" said the scandalized divine.
Eyes, but l will first of all endeavor
TO identify the offender" was Charles
answer.
Up rose the bishop, his head erect.
Charles attended him downstairs, but his
lordship did not shake hands with him.
Back tore Charley, two stairs at a time.
Joe's mother, who lived near at hand,
and came in to attend to the work at
stated times, was then removing the break
fast things.
''Were you here last night while Joe
was out, Mrs. Tuff?"
Eyes, sir. had some cleaning"
"Who came in?" interrupted Charles.
Nobody came, sir; not a single SOUL"
"WhO has been into this room this
morningr continued Charles.
"Only me, sir, to put it to rights"
did you do this, then?" asked Mr..
Baumgarten, pushing the sheet of blot
ting paper under her eyes.
!" cried Mrs. Turf, who was a
sharp-faced little woman in a neat stuff
gown and white cap. "You must be iok-
ing, sir. When l saw it there in busting,
thought what odd-looking ladies they
was. And 1 put the writing paper upon
'em to cover 'em up a bit"
Charles reflected. Joe wouldn't do
it?" he remarked.
Joel" said Mrs. Turf in astonish-
ment. why, sir, Joe would not dare do
such thing as that He couldn't, either.
Joe haven't no talent that way. When
he was little one, I'd give him a pencil
and piece of paper and tell him to draw
the cat, but It would come out more like
pump"
THAT just brings US round to my ar
gument, that some one else has been In
the ROOM" said Charles. "Now 1 want
to find out who that Is"
ttTk he. l.. A.
time yesterday, sir"
''The last thing, before dinner yester-
day evening, after Mr. Clay left, wrote
a note at the table and used this blot
ting pad" returned Mr.. Baumgarten
'and left 1t as 1 used it, much marked
with ink. Did Mr.. Clay come In last
night for any purpose%
''No, sir. And If he had, he'd not
have left them disrespectful things behind
him."
That was true enough. But Mr.. Clay
joint clerk to Charles and another young
barrister, might have let some one in who
had so amused himself; some lawyers
clerk with hasty brief, who possessed
more skill than discretion. However, the
woman persisted that no person whatever
had entered, and Charles Baumgarten
thought it a mystery which seemed, for
the moment, incapable Of solution.
Sitting down to his desk, he began to
look over some papers. A few minutes
later, and Charles had occasion to open
one Of the deep drawers on either side
the desk. He took his bunch of keys
from his pocket and fitted one into the
lock. But 1t would not open. The lock
had evidently been tempered with-and
he had left It in perfect condition the
previous evening. Mrs. Tuf was called
In again.
"Will you believe now that some one
has been at mischief in the room2" de-
manded her master. ''They have been at
the drawers; / cannot unlock them"
She stood, somewhat incredulous; and
Mr.. Baumgarten, taking another key, tried
the opposite drawer. 1t opened readily,
but he gazed at 1t as If transhxed. Look
here !" he sharply uttered.
The woman advanced and stood behind
his chair. 1t was full of papers and
parchments, all In a mass of inextricable
confusion.
"Now, listen, Mrs. Turf. Yesterday
evening, after had written the note l
spoke of, before l sealed it, opened this
| drawer 10 put q parchment IN at InAL
time 1t was in perfect order, and locked
It and left 1t so. There is some mystery
in all this"
Mrs. Turf could dispute facts no long
err; she had to give in to the evidence of
her own eyes. "Sir," she said, what a
good thing 1t is that was here last
night instead Of young Joe. We might
have accused him of doing It for mis-
chief"
II don't know that it is a good thing"
significantly retorted her master. 1.-THE
fact must be that you dropped asleep last
night and let some one get in"
The woman was indignant at the insin-
uation. "Sir," returned she, ard rather
you accused me of doing it myself than
say that. don't think as much as sat
down last night, for thought It a good
opportunity to clean out the cupboards (;
and that's what l was doing the whole
evening. Some rogue must have got In
last night through your leaving the key
in the passage door.
Through what, do you say7" asked
I her master.
''The latch key, sir. You left It In the
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