Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1909-07-15
ndownef efesonCou Thursday

on such an important errand. Young
man, sit down here until we find out the
truth Of this matter"
The girl went to the telephone and the
young man sat down with visions OF po-
licemen and prison bars passing before
his eyes. The aunt took seat directly
in front of him and stared at him in a cold
cruel way-a way that gave him to un-
derstand that she would let no guilty man
escape. After three or four minutes
Winnie returned to the room TO say:
That's always the way. Central tells
me that the line into the city is crossed or
something and ii may be an hour or more
before they find out the trouble and rem
edy."
Then shall go back and tell your
father the situation" said Mr.. Gray.
"Some sharper has the bonds and the po-
lice should be notified at once"
"You will sit right here until that tele-
phone wire is in working order!" an
nounced Aunt Ruth. There are men
about the place, and we have dogs and
guns, and if you try to run away it will be
the worse for you. Winnie, notify the
coachman that we have a suspicious char
acter in the house"
"She needn't do anything OF the sort.
will sit here until you have solved the
mystery. am TO blame for losing the
letter, but if the bonds are not recovered
it will not be my fault"
"Fle doesn't look like suspicious per-
son." whispered Winnie to her auni, but
in tones loud enough so that he caught
the words and turned red again.
"He may not to you, who can't tell a
robber from a church deacon. But he
does to me and there he shall stay until
we know all about it. You sit down in
the hall and wait for the telephone and
I'll keep him under my eyes"
Aunt Ruth leaned back in her chair,
folded her arms, compressed her lips and
fastened her eyes on Mr.. Gray, and had
he been a buncoe man of 10 years stand
ing he must have been disconnected. AS
it was he coughed and bluShed and
hitched around and crossed and recroSSed
his legs. When the aunt broke the silence
il was to impart no cheerful information.
What she said was;
at makes you squirm to realize that
you've reached the end OF your rope at
last, but you'll Squirm more still when the
Judge pronounces sentence. While pity
your poor mother, | hope you'll get at
least 10 years"
Mr.. Gray made no reply. He couldn't
find words. About every 10 minutes for
the next hour he received brief vigor-
GUS lecture until he was almost worked
up to the point where he thought OF jump
ing through a a window and taking his
chances, when a mans step was heard.
There was an: ooh, papa!" from Miss
Winnie in the hall, and Colonel Graves
Stalked in to eXclaim:
"Whot in the devil is the matter here?'
"There he sitSp' replied Aunt Ruth, Jas
she pointed to the culprit.
II took about 10 minutes to unrayel
thingS-that is to establish Vincent Gray's
identity, by this time the telephone was
working, and, fortunately Mr.. Jones was
in his office. 1t took five minutes more
to discover that Winnie had given the
false messenger Honduras instead OF Mex
ican bonds and that the colonel was SIM
ply relieved OF some waste paper.
When it came to apologies and inviting
Mr.. Gray to forgive and forget and stay
to dinner, perhaps afull quarterof an hour
was consumed, but it is not on record
that Mr.. Gray regarded the time as thrown
away.
Now when the colonel smiles and
throws out hints at his prospective SON.
in-Iaw Miss Winnie bushes and protests
Aunt Ruth assumes one of her sweetest
looks and says:
81 don't say shall leave when he be-
comes one of the family, but do say that
| shall lock up my jewelry when 60 to
bed and lock and bolt the door.