Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-10-11
CHAPTER v.
The Spirit Writing.

m HE robber walked up to the hol
low log where the money lay
hidden and stood for a mo-
ment looking out over the river val
ley. Then he sat down so close tc
the $4,000 that if it had been a snake
it might have crawled out and bitter
him. Peggy quickly saw that his
coming to that particular spot was
just an accident. He didn't have
any idea that his treasure was
buried there.
Pulling tablet of paper from one
pocket and fountain pen from an
other, the robber began writing. He
got only two words written when
he paused and gazed thoughtfully
out into the distance. Peggy now got
her first good look at him. and she
was surprised to find that he wasn't
at all a disappearing sort of fell
low. He was young man and his
face wasn't vicious, just weak. Now
it was dark with gloom and worry.
Evidently he wasn't bit happy
over having taken the $4,000.
Peggy was curious to see what he
had written. Perhaps it was some
guilty plan to steal more money. 1t
so, she might be able to prevent the
theft. Creeping up quietly, she
looked over his shoulder. The words
on the tablet gave her queer
shock. They were not at all what
she expected.
Dearest mother" she read. That
was all.
No wonder he couldn't find any
thing else to say. No wonder his
eyes travelled wistfully far, far
away. In his mind must be guilty
thoughts of his crime-thoughts he
wouldn't care to send to Dearest
mother" That's why he could write
no more.
But why had he disgraced that
mother? Why had he stolen from
Uncle Sam? Only an enemy or a
traitor would do that.
Impulsively Peggy leaned for
ward and took the tablet from the
robbers knee. He never noticed its
going. Using pencil she found in
the pocket of her dress Peggy
scrubbed a question under the
words Dearest mother"
boy, why did you do it? Aren't
you ashamed of yourself?"
She gently placed the tablet back
on his knee.
For some time the robber con-
tinued to stare far away, but fin
ally, with a sigh, he returned to his
letter.
Dearest mother" he muttered.
Then he saw what Peggy had writ
ten. With a shrek he jumped to
his feet. Around, and around he
looked with a wild glare in his eyes.
"Who wrote that?" he cried.
WAS it a ghost? Is it spirit writ
ing? Or is it my guilty con-
science? -. 49,.
"Why did I do it? I don't know. ,,
I saw all that. money there. |
thought how easy it would be to
take it. But l didn't know how
hard it would be afterwards. ] |
didn't know what an awful price
would have to pay in regret, in de-
spair,. in worry, in shame! I'm a
thief! A thief. It's horriblel I
| can't bear itp
The robber sank back upon the
og, burying his face in his hands.
Peggy was intensely sorry for him.
But he deserved what he was get
ting, and even more. A second |
lime she took the tablet. /
ITO steal Liberty Bond money is
reason. You are robbing our boys
n the trenches" she wrote.
And she showed the tablet back
INTO the hands of the robber, he
Jumped up so suddenly that he
the pencil from her hand
md it flew toward Blue Jay, an in
crested spectator not far away.
Blue Jay picked it up in his bill.
The robber read the second mes
age with eyes that nearly popped
,ut of his head. Then he looked
,p and saw Blue Jay with the PEN
"Its bird-the bird that sneezed