The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1913-10-23

told it's own story as she had thought
1t would: how She had been Obliged
10 put on disguise. and this was the
only way 20 hide her own dress.
With "A sigh. he carefully folded up
the cloth gown, wrapped It in folds OF
tissue paper from the empty hat.box.
and placed II in his suitcase Then
he transferred the hat to its original
box, rang the bell. and ordered the
boy to care for The box and suitcase
until he called for them.
During the afternoon he took oc-
casion TO run into the Judges private
Office about some unimportant detail
OF the business they were transacting.
and as he was leaving he said:
BY the way, Judge, who was your
young woman who gave you such a
fright by her sudden disappearance?
You never told nc her name. Is she
one az my acQuaintances, / wonder?'
On. her name is Mary Weston. -
SAID The J"dSe smiling. II don't ~
hele YOU know her, for she was frd
California, and was visiting here OF
Tor few days. She sailed for EurcLr
the next day"
mat closed the incident, and, So,
Iar as the mystery was concerned.
only a'ded perplexity to it.
Durham purposely remained down.
town merely having clerk telephone
nome Tor him that he had gone out of
the city and would not be home until
late, so they need not walt I'd. He
ala this because he did not wish TO
nave his mother or his sister ask him
any more questions about the missing
hat and coat. Then he took a twenty
mile trolley ride into the suburbs and
back, to make good his word that he
had gone out Of town.
a little after midnight he arrived at
the clubhouse. secured his suitcase
and the hat-boX, and took a cab TO his
nome. He left the vehicle at the cor
lest the sound of it waken his mother
or sister
He let himself silently into the
house with his latch-&ey, and tip
toed up to his room. The light was
burning low He put the hat-box in
the iarthest corner of his closet then
he took out the rain-coat, and, slipping
OH his shoes, went softly down to the
hall closet.
In utter darkness he felt around and
hnally hung the coat on a hook under
another long cloak, then gently re-
leased the hanging loop and let the
garment slip softly down In an incon-
splcuous heap on the floor He stole
upstairs as guiltily as if he had been
naughty boy stealing sugar. When
ne reached his room, he turned up his
light, and, pulling out the hat-box
surveyed it thoughtfully. This was a
problem which he had not yet been
able to solve. How should he dispose
or the hat so that It would be discov-
cred IN such way as to cast no fur
ther suspicion upon the maid?
lie took the hat out and held 1t on
MS hand, looking at it from different
angles and trying to remember lust
how the girl had looked out at him
from under its dropping plumes. Then
with sigh he laid it carefully in its
box again and went to bed.
The morning brought clearer
thought, and when the summons to
breakfast pealed through the hall he
took the box boldly in his hand and
descended to the dining-roo1n. taheref
he presented the hat to his astoIished
sister
I am afraid am the criminal. Corr
nella, he said in his pleasantest nan-l
ner. I'm sorry l can't explain iustI
how this thing got on my closet.shelfl
l must have put it there myself
through some unaccountable mix.uI
It's too bad l couldn't have found
before and 50 saved you lot OF vol
~. But you arc one hat the richer f1
H. for / paid the bill yesterday. Please
accept 1t with my compliments
Cornelia exclaimed with delight owe
the recovered hat.
but how in the world could Il have
got INFO your closet, Tryon2 1t wa
Impossible. 7 left It in my room
inow did, for I spoke to Norah abod
it before left How do you accouhe
for III"
"Oh, ! don't attempt to account feAr
IT, he said, with a gay wave OF n IS
hard. I've been so taken up widf
other things this past week. I mN
nave done almost anything. by W
way Mother, I'm sure you1l be "A
TO hear that Judge Blackwell NJ
made me most generous offer
business relations, and that have "
cidod to accept It,"
Amid the ordinations OF delight
over this bit of news, the hat waa
forgotten for q time. and when the
mother and sister finally reverted to n
and began to discuss how u could
have gotten ON the closes shelf be
broke i'm upon their questions with a
suggestion
II should advise. Mother. that yyi
make q thorough search for your rain.
coat / am sure now that you must
have overlooked it, Such things often
happen. We we're so excited the
morning Cornelia missed the hat that
1 suppose no one looked thoroughly
But that is impossible, Tryon. said
his mother. with dignity "I had that
closet searched most carefully"
Confined Next Week