The daily Alaskan., 1911-12-28

each other. though he was very much older. That evening, as hc informed me. was the twentieth anniversary Of his wedding His wife Was long iu her grave. In return for th's confidence | told him that ! had spent an my money and must 60 to work The result was that ! became h.s euaud boy, though h. treatrd me Ike friend.
 This relation continued for months. One day toward the middle cf Deeem- Der he told me a queer tale abou, hay. ing sent money tc some pou. relations on the Maine coast for year and a half They were hls cousins widow and her son and daughter Recently he had received a letter from inc son which led him to believe that none of this money had been received. where upon be had sent a che1k-the other remIttances having been In currency which also seemed to have gone asUay. He showed me the stub marked Celia K. Garland. Nov. 27, 'o7. S-5o"
 | ENNNfN Iihl NNlNaE'I NJ IINN Na..~ ".... ht fact. never expected Co understand any story of his, for hc always omit ted all the essential psrticuigrS-but | agreed 10 go Co Easterly Harbor and see what was the matter. lt was ar ranged that on the next day after my departure he should mail annther letter in pink envelope Of unusual sh11'c and | should watch for lt was ch say nothing Co anybody and conceal the fact that I came from hlm. Rut at the last was to play Santa Claus for this family iu munlfCcut fashion, for which purpose he gave me some checks signed in blank and a letter to bank CT named Manning In Belfast, an old friend Of Garland
 On Saturday, Dec, 14 arrived at Easterly Harbor and found my way to the Garland house. where it was be Heved that [ could secure board. | was. in fact. welcomed with the most charming courtesy.
 And here | received a surprise quite characteristic Of Garland and his CT rauds. TAc household consisted of the mother, whose name was Lucy; cousin of about her own arN, who was called Aunt Kate; the boy, Frank, and the most beautiful blue eyed, golden haired girl who ever existed And she was Celia,
 Surely nobody but Garland would have failed to tell me that he had sent his bcncfactions to the daughter and not the mother and why hc h0d done so.
 It was possible, Of course. that at the time when be began 10 send the money Mrs Garland may have been prosrated by her recent bereavement in which case Celia would have been the natural head Of the family, for Aunt Kate seemed not quite of sound mind. her great afliction tempered by Gods mercy and Ter own lovely na- ture Into gentle. drcamliEe detach ment from the worlds realities.
 It required no detective skill Co dis cover that this family was In very narrow circumstances and that Gar lands remittances had gone astray. waited with great interest, there fore. for the test letter. or. rather for ihe day set for its arrival The truth Is that I had no expectation Of seeing 1t. having made up my mind that the whole series of letters had been stolen in the Rasterly Harbor poStofice.
 But the letter came saw Frank take 1t from the box at the postofice.
 Right at the foot of the steps be met his sister
 Nothing for you. sis, snid he
 This was dire, I had not for an instant dreamed Of theft by a member of the family What should I do2 After some hard thinking | decided to state the facts to Garland in the mild est possible manner. not condemning the boy unheard. but merely asking for authority to question him. X re- ply by mall could not be expected be-