Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-01-09

august - was Thinkers sixth birthday
md hcr father celebrated II by giving
. picnic. The weather was perfect.
and so We're the arrangements. A pic
ME ioes not appeal very much TO the
people of the type ~l" ~inhaplted sell
view house. but Nj. Meredith would
take no denial, and III" Nlillds We're "i
the most luxurious description. the
vines beyond criticism ana the spot
! chosen no. far distant. every one or
| the guests consented IL sc to 1t.
1t was certainly me best managed
,,icnic | ever was al. Even Mrs. Mathie
| herself was present. she left the COOK
at home in charge of The house. ana
the other came Win us IN
order to wait. There was only one
little thing to ma, our pleasure. Just
rs we were about To sit down to the
meal. little Tinker. lifting about like
| an excited butterfly. fell INTO q pohu.
! and was drawn out unhurt. but covered
with green slime.
There WIS nothing 10 be done but
tn send her home with her nurse 10
! have her things changed. n so the
two were packed off. with injunctions
to return as quickly as possible. They
could not, however, be back IN less
than an hour, and indeed. 1t was near
III two hours before they turned ny
again.
1 was very much pleased with Ethel
ON that day. She was very quiet and
reserved in manner, and seemed 10
have very little to say 70 Mr.. Mere
dyth. She was apparently coming I"
her senses, n the news OF Mr..
M%credyth's intended departure on the
following afternoon increased my sat
isfaction. Very probably she had re-
fused him.
1t was such an exquisite day That
not even the most rheumatic among
us thought of going home until dusk.
ard even then, when the soft sum
mer twilight came on. we were half
| reluctant to move. So it was nearly
. before we finally reached home. and
no one was inclined to dress for the
evening meal.
1t was the next morning when
Ethel came TO me. very pale ana aSl-
tated, to that her diamond
necklace was gone. Her jewel case
had been emptied and only Il few
;ritling trinkets left. ] hurr1edly ex-
aminad my possessions. Every vaiuaDle
l !aI with ms was gone. and also
what money l happened TO have by
me. But Ethel and | were not the
only victims.
We had hardly reported our loss to
Mrs. Mathie than one after another of
our fellow guests discovered that ne
or she had been robbed. In fact, no
one had escaped. Mrs. Mathie's safe
had becn forced, and, not only her wv
Naluables. but those which her board
ers had intrusted to her for safety.
were gone. Thinkers nurse flew OWL
stairs to say that when packing up she
found the boxe had been rified. Mr..
Meredith was a considerable loser. and.
of course. postponed his departure till
after tho police had been sent for.
The cook. who had been left in
charge, admitted that she had left the
house directly after the picnic party
had started, and had spent the day
with her sweetheart. a man whose ac-
%quaintance she had made on her Sun
day out three weeks ago. This man.
the police opined. was one of the gang
who had robbed the house. and 1T
must be their business to trace him.
MIR. Meredyth's servant declared that
when she returned to the house to
change the child's clothes she had seen
no one, and noticed nothing unusual
about the place.
AS Mr.. Meredith was anxious to go
back to london. he obtained the sane
ton of the police to cave that after
noon by the train previously fixed on;
of course. he ray his address to Mrs.
Mathie, and promised to return at once
if requested. So he departed directly
after tea. much lamented by the la
dies. Tinker made an effective exit
laden with sweets and toys from every
one in the house. But she chung long
est to Ethel. and sobbed as she hung
round her neck.
Pretty. pretty Miss Ethel she
cried. tinker v you"
They were gone and Ethel and l were
alone in our private sitting room, Ethel
f trying to write a letter. which. from the
extreme difficulty she seemed to f1nd
in beginning. l suspected was t.
, Harry. / was doing nothing. and was
glad to hear a knock at thed door. which
might mean a letter. 1t meant. how
, ever. Il visitor. and Harry walked into
the room, and took Ethel in his arm:
r with the decision II promptftude
which characterize him in emergen'
cies. There We're no
; Ethel only nestled up to him. and said
"Oh, Harry"
After some minutes. Harry fOunt
time to shake hands with me.
, ..Vhat train did you come by"
3 asked.
, .The $3.50
Then you must ave seen Mr.. Mere
dyth just going off" remarked. HI
was to take the 6:10."
/, Yes! and so he did in company will
a detective. You've had a robbery her.
l hear?"
We nodded assent.
We'll" he went OH, your friend Mer
edyth. as he called himself here, wa
( the thief. AS soon as I got your lette
! and read your description OF the man
: I remembered hearing of a robber!
committed by a man very like that
and he also had a little girl n nurs
with him in the hotel where the thief
took place. 1t was Lawrence that tOl,
me-you know Lawrence. Ethel-an'
, he happened to be stopping with us
so I asked him about 1t. He describes
. his man. and the child-she had mad
4 love to his mother. n so introduce
= the man-and I wired to the police
Lawrence and ! came up town at ono
= n,A m hor., and hnd tho N0oo os,ro N
, nabbing our friend just as he was max
n ing his escape
" ooh. Harry exclaimed Ethel: a
a he seemed so charming! And that mic,
4 respectable nurse?"
n THAT nice respectable nurse Is hi
...sf. Alo.x !. SlO,a -aoll.. -