The Little River news., 1916-07-19
DhMkGINa EvIIlENcE:
By LESLtE CONN FER.
l.;

One by one the mcn in the bank re turned from their vacations with tai, s>f prowess and skill which varied ac- cording to age and circumstances from Mir. Witherspooh, the president, to johnny Doubleday who ran errands.
 Barrymore was last But not least, ? thought Nirgin'a Dale with amuse- iuGat
 Dick departed to the Canadian woods, and returned, as Virginia had predicted, with a story of tNo wonder full bucks and a moose. The heads were at taXidermists and when they were ready the moose was to hang in t.ie bank.
 ih due time the head arrived It really Was wonderful, With antIers like tne boughs of an old oak
 Virginia stopped her work 8 minute to watch the' hanging. Dick turned at something in the girls expression made Dick flush. After that she was doubly sure she vas right, for Dick had all the appearance of guilt.
 few weeks later, she went into a hardware store to buy pair of seis- 5ors. AS she entered, the window dis play held her, for as a background for lot of firearms, cartridges and hunting knives, were hung the heads of all kinds Of animals.
 That is a fine collection of ami inals,' she said to the salesman.
 The old man scratched his head. "Yes-'tis. MT. Mooney's been a heap O years collectin' them things. An it was a dern sight finer before he soli the moose. 1 didn't want him to do it.
 Could you-do you know who bought it?"
 After a rummage in the safe Yes, here 'tis. November twenty ninth. One hundred and seyenty-fye dollars Rich ard D. Barrymore
 The next day Virginia went to shop in a city sixty miles away. She board ed an interurban car to return in the afternoon when sine saw Dick Barry more just ahead. The only vacant seat was right behind him and she took N. Dick occupied a seat alone and Virginia knew that the buckled Dag beside him contained twenty thou sand dollars.
 By twos and threes alons the read, tae car was dischargins it8 ra2sea- gers. Dick slept.
 Hardly anyone was left but them selves. Virginia discovered that even the conductor had disappeared some. @.lere up front. If were dishoNe=t, could easilE appropriate tAat hes ali set eff at the next stop
 Then q little iiap of mischief pe~c1ea 0u g curl just over her ear. Do il anyway" he whispered "&n3 give 1'ia scare And another imD move her arm over the seat Gal c:oscd her fncers around d. han3le of the has. shaEia@. sha i'f.al it ever the bacll and Hhaa the 6ar stopped at TraosGaIo Eire.a in ..-t of with Dicks satchcl and t1vats ta5a- sand dollars
 Early the roXt day she eat out for the bank, arriving before ny er JAe men. She locked the ba& fa Ter o#a closet and waited But, to her rugGloX- ity, there was no comm0tion.
 Virginia felt that she must be los ing her mind But, determined to ca:, " her point she took the bag home aSaiD that night
 The bell rang at eight and she fair. ly gasped with relief when Dick Ra.- rymore came in
 Good evening, Miss Dale. I've come, if you don't mind, for my bag
 She started.
 T was only pretending sleep. There vas a rumor was to he robbed. There v'asn't anything in the 3ag but a few stouas.9
 Dick became very serious and look cd at nor oddly. Are you sure you meant to be honest"
 Why, Mir Bar4ymore,'
 ''Well--I have no way of knowing .
 But surely you know nc better than that t-oh, %SU must Know am honest
 But you don't think I am9"
 She flushed and looked away quick ly. q never thought you'd steal, mo-. But I just had an idea that-oh, that old moose head had worried me so. You just bought it, so there,"
 T killed that moose with my own hands"
 She looked her scorn.
 lie laughed You poor little soul, It was mean revenge of mine to tor ment you so. Why, dear, l love the very ground you walk on. Virginia, can you ever forgive me enough to care for me just a little?'
 'Per-perhaps! If you promise not to play any more jokes Copyright. 1916, by the Mcclure Newspa-
 per Syndicate4
 Et4 Nok EJax..