Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1907-04-18
By Special
Messenger.
b. wARING MITCHELL.
Copy right, 1906, By Homer sprague.

ON that certain Tuesday moving,
when Colonel Graves got ready 20 start
for the city fivi., its county place. he
said to his daughter Winnie:
ut is possible that may want those
Mexican bonds this afternoon, and here
is the key OF tile safe. If have 20 have
them. will send you note by spe-
cial messenger"
The colonel was something Of a law.
yer. Spectator and broker. and Miss
Winnie wos his nineteen-year-olu
daughter. She acted rs his amanucnsis
nj home and was pretty familiar with
his business transactions The bonds
spoken of had face value of S2o,O0o,
but of late had been rather wabbly
in the market and had caused the colo
mel considerable anxiety. At L ociock
that afternoon he wanted the bonds
and telephbned his daughter To that
effect, saying that he would send
messenger. Instead OF sending a boy
from the regular service be stepped
into the office of Jones next door and
said:
Jones, ] want q trusty fellow TO run
out to my house and bring me back
some bonds. Haven't | noticed younf,
man around here?
Yes. He's Il nephew of mine. He's
out now but write a line and I'll send
him when he returns. He ought TO go
out to East Park and back in an hour"
The colonel wrote line TO Miss Win
ME to deliver the bonds to bearer and
then went out on THE street on bust
ness. Fifteen minutes later Jones
nephew was making for the Grand
Central station as fast as the express
in the subway would carry him.
Jones hadn't given the young mans
biography, but it may be stated that
his name was Vincent Gray. his age
twenty-five, and he was in the Office
of his uncle to learn the devious ways
ot Wall street before setting up in bust
ness for himself on the comfortable
fortune left him by deceased aunt.
For young man who expected to
come in contact with bulls and bears
and o5her animals, young Gray was
very trrtstful of human nature. For in
stance, while his train was speeding
along underneath the streets and he
was hanging to a strap thinking of
things financial young man with am
billions leaned against him and picked
his pocket without exciting the least
suspicion.
The light fingered youth found there
only n cardcaSe and the letter To Miss
Winnie, but they were sufficient to
bring about several unlocked for re-
suits. He passed into another car and
opened and read the letter. and he saw
the golden opportunity he had been
long looking for In the cardcaSe
were two or three dollar bills The
thief had right to infer that his vie
tim had no more money about him.
He likewise had n right to infer that
young Gray could not produce the
wherewithal to buy ticket FOR East
Park. The fare was only 20 cents, but
without 1t man is as badly off as if
the sum We're So.
There was a train ready to leave
The thief bought his ticket and got
aboard. Vincent Gray stood at the
ticket window and fused and fumbled
| and was left. His cardcase and mon
ey We're gone. and when he found that
the letter had also taken wings he re-
allied that he was in trouble He
hadn't even a nickel to get back to the
office. He hadn't the wherewithal to
telephone to his uncle Jones in New
street, and after wasting fifteen min
utes trying TO figure out the problem
he made haste to Il pawnshop, where
he put down his watch for S..
The next train to East Park was ten
minutes late in starting and the same
in reaching the Park, so there We're in
all fifty minutes lost. The young man
had not suspected that he was the vic
tim of a pckpocket, but supposed he
had lost his property in the jam While
boarding the ear. He had been told
that telephone message would pre-
cedc him, and he had remembered the
address. Therefore he did not worry
SO much over the loss of the letter. 1t
was only when he came face to face
with Winnie Graves and stated his err
rand and saw her look Of surprise and
diStrust that he realized the situation.
why, sir" she replied, those bonds
We're delivered TO a messenger more
than half an hour ago
Put | was sent for them and was
delayed"
IF you We're sent for them, you
must have line from my father
II had line but unfortunately l
lost it, together with my money Ny
name is Vincent Gray, ana | am ia the
office of Ezra Jones, in the same build
ing with your father am afraid that
some rascal found the lost letter and
has taken advantage of it,"
And l am afraid that another ras-
cal Is trying to do the same thing"
exclaimed Miss Winnic's Aunt Ruth
who was at the head of the house and
who had entered the library just in
time to hear the younG mans words.
But, madam, you surely can't think
that T.
Il can think what please. sir. Can
you imagine We were idotc enough to
give up those bonds without a written
order from Colonel Graves"
But whoever presented that order