The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-09-22
THE THIEF
8y PAUL J. FAy
,SScSccScccScSScScScecceeo,..
"IIere are ne letters readr

Aiuin ever a.
ture. Mr.. Whitman was succos'.',
knew it. Moreover, at forty. bsIi
younger than most men at ,I,.
The door opened and a b..s
young man of about seyen,.-
tered.
Hello, dad" he greeted ~.
let me have twenty-five dollars, :
of the fellows in our class ara 90
have theater party tonight
"liichard'-a slight frown
his fathers face-"hOw do vO
age 10 spend SO much monsv
Your allowance is plentiful for an
| pleasures and YOU must mako !,
Mr.. Whitman, since the death =
boys mother fifteen Years beto,s
been too inGulgent TO him. Rp,
ly he had begun to think that "A.
limited amount Of money Was w..
him harm.
"All right, father" Richard s.s
rather ruefully. If l can't hsv,
suppose l can't. I'll try to mai. !
money l have do me. Are Won =.
| home nOw?"
F"Yes. l guess l will"
a little over an hour Later y
Whitman answered the phm. :.
heard his bOOkkeeper excited, :
him to come to the Office.
When he reached there he fOun !.
man with nerves unstrung.
THE safe" he gasped. 1T has \.
robbed. When l went 10 put avn, I
books tonight found the cashbm a,
and empty. Was there much IN M
About $4,000. Whether | ss =
money back or not the person N.
stole it will go to prison"
In half an hour a detective wa
the office.
"Who knows the combination a 4.
safe?" he asked.
The owner replied: "Mr. HOlrs|
my bookkeeper; Miss Edwards n
stenOgrapher, and myself"
well, then" said the sleuth n
must be one Of the three who took 81
money, as the safe was not 0bened n
force. OF course you would not NJ
yourself. Do you suspect Mr.. Holnsy
II do not. He has been in this bus
ness as long as /. | would trust N
as firmly as / would my own SON.
well, then" the detective eour,
ued, do you suspect Miss Edwardxy
Mr.. Whitman thought a minu.'
yes / do. This afternoon Mr.. Holm
and l left the Office. Miss Edvsri
was alone. When we came back },
face was very red and she seems
nervous. During the rest of the d
she would jump at the least ncis
Didn't you notice it?' he asked d
bOOkkeeper.
Yes, | did," the old man agreed
The detective thanked them a
withdrew.
In a remarkably short time the cs
of the People VS.. Catherine Edwar
was brought to court. The prosecute
attorney was friend Of Mr.. Whitms
The girl would say nothing. She "
convicted on circumstantial eyiden
and sentenced to prison.
As time passed, Mr.. Whitman becal
more and more irritable. His conte
ed look disappeared. His business
gan to suffer.
One night, he was sitting In his 70
smoking. when suddenly he drop
his cigar and sprang to his feet.
through the smoke he saw the bars
a prison and back of them the v
face Of Catherine Edwards.
II wonder wonderful, she ST
from me. But did she?"
For the first time q doubt came
his mind of GATHERINGS guilt A /
time he stood thus, thinking
thinking.
At five o'clock Mr.. Whitman was
the train speeding back TO town.
eight o'clock he was at the home
the prosecuting attorney. And
three o'clock that afternoon the
men were i'm the executive mansion
the state capital.
AS a result, a few days later, @
crime Edwards stood outside the ?
on. pardoned by the governor.
Mr.. Whitman met her In his car
took her to his home. Although
objected, he led her in the house,
the drawing room.
Catherine" he said In a low VI
that broke at times. IL have done
the greatest injustice n man can do
other. / have had you arrested 10
crime you did not commit. do
know who did 1t. / do not care.
will you forgive me? l want you to
come my WIFE"
Mr.. Whitman started and Cat
ines face Redeemed as the door ope
and Richard came slowly tow
them.
Father" he said, IL must tell J
1 know Miss Edwards won't. IL s.
that money. / never thought shed
suspected and when she was, va
well, too cOwardly to confess"
why didn't you tell when you W
arrested?" Mr.. Whitman asked
girl.
Because" she answered quiet
"he was your son, Roland, and-snt
loved you"
Copyright. 1917. by the Mcclure News