El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-27
The Herald's Daily
Short Story

, vate houses were ransacked, silver and
jewelry stolen, and several of the large
! shops were broken into
a fortnight later Liz slipped in the
street. falling over banana Skln' anu
in falling sprained her ankle
a matter of three weeks, said the
doctor bluntly, and the eyes of the
poor girl filled with tears How Woulu
her savings stand such a straln2
Yet one morning as she lay there she
had an unexpected visitor. It was the
little old man, apparently as 1eeoIe tnG
helpless as before. He shook MS nead
to all inquiries that were made, smiled
in the came vague way, and lnlmateo
as he sat down that he had come to
stay. Liz could have cried with vexation
I then, although she was sorry II was
( when good. neighbOrly Mrs BlnnS came
in that she owned she was fair beat"
I I can't turn him away, Mrs. Binns,
seeing as how he trusts me to look al
| ter him-can 1 nOw?' she said; still,
( it does seem a worry.
! Mrs Binns looked at him He was
! smiling feebly.
Look here she said. he can have
7 that little room again, and 1 won
] charge you nothing till you're better.
See?'
! The girl thanked her. and Mrs. BinnS
went off; but a few minutes the
( old man rose, and. needless of what
Z Liz said. made for the door. She could
; DO nothing to hinder him, but when the
closed
"Oh we'll. he'll come back, she said;
and then her eyes fell upon a little
! brown paper parcel beside the sofa
/ on which she sat.
! What's thisT" she said Il wonder
/ il it belongs TO the old man."
( But, picking it IN. she saw her own
/ name inscribed on the inside, and the
/ package bore her address,
/ We'll" she said. evidently it's
meant for me, after all, and tore OF
IL II r,u,
/ box was inside. and this was carefully
tied up with string and sealed in sew
/ eral places
| Dear me-" she said. TT looks as
/ though something OF Importance was
! here, doesn't it2"
! But as she opened the lid and saw
] the contents she uttered a cry. The box
was full of banknotes. carefully fold
/ sd. She took them out and counted
/ them. There was 120 pounds, and be-
a., meath them a folded soap Of paper
| Opening this she read:
| Here are the 20 pounds you wished
/ for, and a little more. Get married as
soon as you can, and be as happy as
/ you deserve.-A well-wisher."
/ Their quiet wedding took place al
! the parish church a short time after
J wards, but it was whilst they were
! away on their honeymoon that the
/ startling denOuement took place. One
/ morning Jim had gone oUl as usual
/ to buy a paper. and Liz was singing &c
/ herself as she lowered about the break
/ fast table when she was startled BY
Jim suddenly breaking in upon her
flOurishing the newspaper
Il say. Liz" he cried, the mystery
! is solved at last"
] What mystery" she cried What
/ ever do you mean. Jim?"
Laying the paper flat on the table
he pointed to the portrait of an ole
J man.
See that?E he cried. Know who
! that is, Liz?'
She stared at it for moment or tive
/ in silence
Lori" She cried. why it's the pool
/ old man."
Poor old man be blowed," cried Jim
That's Dotty Dick. the most clever
! crook in London"
And I thought him a poor old man.
said Liz sadly "Oh, dear. what deceiv
ers men are TO be sure"
Jim laughed.
We're not all alike" he said. 'ant
a very good thing too. II you hadn'
took pity on him. thinking him a poo
old chap. 1 dessay we shouldn't hav
. been married now"
Then I'm glad, Jim. she said; al
the same, Pm sorry he was a thief
He seemed such a nice, quiet. Harmless
sort of an old man"
"Artful old scamp" said Jim.