The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-01-15
MYSTERY OF
THE STOLEN GOLD
Thief Exposed BY the Ac-
cused's Sweetheart.

iJUel 6ApVSeu w ut0 Nv
cused's Sweetheart.
Phil Boutelle and l worked for assay
ers. Phil was a r%edheaded, freckled,
generally homely fellow, attentive to
business and despite his unprepossess-
ing appearance very attractive to wom-
en-. This l accounted for by his smooth
tongue. s
There came a leakage in the gold
dust passing through our hands, and l
was suspected of being the thief. Up
to this time Florence March and l had
been getting :on admirably, but, now
one day l heard Boutelle pay her. one
of his sickening compliments, and
from that time she seemed to- be COM
pletely under his influence. Then I
heard that Boutelle had given evil
dence against me. -. r
The leakage in the dust vas very
small. but, it was constant. SO! sthatain
course of time it must be very large.
The thief had some method of carrying
it away in fnfinitesimal quantities. but
with great regularity. | vas called into
a, private office mi evening. after stop
ping work and. searched. The other
clerks We're put through a similar proc
ess, but nothing was found on any of
us. was put under special surveil-
lance. md it was not long before l dis.
covered that a new man who had come
into the assaying room and who ap-
peared to have taken a desperate fancy
to me was watching me. He was a de-
tective employed to gain my confidence.
Florence March gave me to under
stand that she did not believe l was
guilty. but instead Of resuming her for
mer relations with me she accepted
more and more Phil Boutelle's atten-
TORS. l charged her with her perfidy.
which, though it panied her. made no
difference in her treatment of my rival
and cuser.
But one day the tables were turned.
i missed Boutelle from his work and
upon inquiring learned that he had
been arrested the night before. During
the morning I was called into the office
of my employers, and an apology was
made to me for the spying that had
been done on my movements.
."You have discovered the thief?" l
asked. -.
Yes" :
ITO a certainty?"
YES.
How was the discovery accomplish.
F.! ed??'
THAT is Il secret"
returned to my work and that after
noon passed Florence March on the
street. Now that ! was vindicated and
the man she had taken up with in my
| stead was known to be the guilty par
ty l felt that l could show her my
opinion of her conduct with a, better
grace than before. I walked by her
without looking at her. =
Boutelle pleaded guilty. 50 there was
no evidence brought forth to show how
his iniquity had been discovered. This
was only disappointing to me. One
day soon after he had disappeared
from the world. while l was In the
private Office of my employers. l asked
IL l would ever know how the cuIprit
had been discovered.
"Why do you wish to know"
Because a girl whom I respected de-
serted me for him. though he accused
me Of the crime Of which he was him
self guilty. l am curious to know. more
on her account"
"Do you refer to Miss March?"
II do"
After q few words whispered be-
tween them one of the partners said:
Miss March discovered Boutelle's
rascality."
I was thunderstruck. How did she
do it," | asked.
For that you must go to her"
| hurried to Florence. She came
down to see me, maintaining q reserve.
II am told you discovered the thief"
said. would you mind telling me
how you accomplished it,"
II suspected him from the moment l.
heard he accused you. Besides. be was
too broad with his compliments. 1t
seemed to me they intended to
cover some object"
"You mean that?"
"Certainly."
And why did you desert me for
him?!"
ITO rescue you from the position you
occupied"
"And how did you do that?"
aE .fr - a-g->-0AA~~A hNNk
failed"
"Well?'
II can't tell you any more. You will
blame me-"
no" I said. now knowing that she
had saved me. II will not blame you.
1 now believe in you thoroughly"
"Weil I permitted him to become %
intimate that one evening he sat 80
near as to put his head just above my
shoulder. When ! went to my room I
saw something sparkle on my dress.
brushed Il into q china cup. and It
provedsto be gold dust. ISgave the In
Il forrno<ann q dofocfivo waa mt nm HIM..