Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-06-17
NOBODY WAS SUSPECTED

-.
"She seemed such a lovely girl, you
know. To be sure, she left the next
day, and she had every opportunity,
and young woman of that age,
probably looking forward to marriage
and home of her own-naturally it
would be temptation to take any
thing of the sort. They are beautiful
knives, you know, Richard. I paid
$25 a dozen at wholesale, and it was
great reduction, too"
Suspect her? | should say mott"
Wilbur answered as he swung into his
overcoat. I'D as soon accuse our
Freddie. Why, she's lady-and look
at the care she's been taking of
Katharine the last two weeks"
II know, and, as 1 say, l don't sus-
pect her in the least. However, the
fact that she seemed 50 ladylike or
that she has taken good care of Kath-
arine has no bearing on the case, in
my opinion. There is such a thing
my opinion. There is such thing as
kleptomania, suppose you've heard"
But Wilbur was halfway down the
steps and escaped being crushed by
this sarcasm.
'Kathie, darling" said Mrs. Will
bur to her convalescent daughter, 81
want you to look over your jewelry
miss anything. / hate to put such an
idea into your head about an appar-
emily lovely young woman, but the
fact of that pearl-handled, silver
mounted dinner knife having mysteri-
ously disappeared right when l was
doing the work and handling all the
dishes myself is so strange"
Mother! You don't suspect Miss
Darling?" cried her daughter. "The
very thought makes me creepy about
her having been in my room for two
weeks"
Don't be SO extreme, child. Of
course I don't suspect her. She's
probably as honest as you or I, but
the knife disappeared when she left.
that's all, and I've searched every
mock and Granny in the house. I've
even looked in the garbage barrel,
when | knew all the time l couldn't
have thrown it out"
whats that mother?" Fred called
from the next room. '"Think Miss
Darling took it?"
Hush! Of course not. But the fact
remains that you can't be too careful
with strangers in the house. One
never knows. Why, thefts occur at
receptions and luncheons in private
houses when only friends are invited.
Still, it isn't right to cast suspicion
on possibly innocent person, and
you must never mention this to any
one, Fred, remember Very likely she
didn't take it at ALL
my high school class pins miss
ing mother" Katharine reported from
her bedroom.
when did you have it last?"
'T'm not sure but it couldn't have
been long before I was taken ILL.,"
Mrs. Wilbur shook her head grave
ly. Il should be very sorry to believe
she took it. And l really don't see
what she could want with a high
school pin. It's barely possible you
lost it some other way; or it may be
found on some waist Never suspect
any one without good reason
Answering a friend through the
telephone next day Mrs. Wilbur said:
"Yes-as a nurse can recommend
her highly. What? You noticed a
reservation? Well, | don't like to say
any more, especially through the tele-
phone. Somebody might be listening,
and l believe in being careful about
injuring any ones reputation
ooh, it isn't really anything tangi-
BILE, only I used my best knives for
dinner the night before she left. and
the maid was away, so that I took
them out of the case myself, and |
positively know that the whole dozen
was there when I set the table. 1t
isn't case of guessing. If | hadn't
seen the entire dozen that night I
should think Augusta might have lost
one some other time
well, after dinner one was gone.
No, l don't suspect Miss Darling, but
if [ were to do so it wouldn't be so
absurd as it seems at first thought.
She and two other young women live
in fiat together and naturally they
would have use for such things. Going
from house to house, as a nurse does.
mt,
set.
"My feeling is this: l wouldn't
prejudice any one against her for the
world, but when you're thinking of
having her right in your home it does
seem as if I ought to warn you con-
fdentially. Yes, if you can just as
well have some one else [ should feel
easier. If you had her and then
missed anything valuable | couldn't
help holding myself responsible"
Augusta, one of my best dinner
knives disappeared while you were
having your vacation" Mrs Wilbur
Informed her maid, who was giving
the kitchen floor a thorough scrub
bling on the first day of her return. 81
don't know where it went, and | don't
suspect the nurse we had to take care
of Katharine, but"
Look at that!' exclaimed Augusta
as a clatter followed her moving of
the heavy kitchen table.
There on the floor lay the missing
knife-unwashed, just as it had come
from the dining room on the night of