The Monmouth inquirer., 1918-02-21

1
Yet fear when he is taken in his
sins, a widow and perhaps orphans
shall be left. 1 hereby bequeath my
all to the widows and Orphans
Home. with the specific injunction
that the widow and orphans John
Goode may leave be comfortably and
unsparingly protected. To John Goode
himself, not dollar of my property
shall go,'
"A little old safe had been pried
open and an empty canvas money
bag lay in front of it. 1t was easy to
snrmise what had happened to the
old man. You recall the case.
"The detectives took trail week
old, but declared that it was still q
hot one.
Miss Susie still refused to let me
offer our information, which, strange
to relate, had not leaked out.
"'You are hindering justice! You
are in contempt of law! You are an
accessory after the factl' ! told her.
"To-morrow night, if John Goode
has not returned, you may go ahead
she answered. If you wait, yoG may
be glad
THAT night broke faith with Miss
Susie. / had talk with one of the
detectives, and told him what l knsw.
Somehow, he did not seem to jump at
my revelations. They were only minor
details, he seemed to think. His lack
of appreciation angered me. l went
home disgruntled with myself, and
convinced that a detective does nor
care for some one else to tell him how
to handle case. After all, realized.
l had not been able to tell where
Goode had gone or where be had
lived. He had only one hundred and
sixty-five, dollars of our money. He
had thousands of the banks.
"One of the first things had to do
the next morning was to go into Miss
Susies Office, on another matter. | did
not want to go. 1 was never more
ashamed of myself in my life l had
deliberately ignored her wishes. and
accomplished nothing, it .seemed.
q must have locked, imagine, like
John Goode would have felt had he
been entering instead.
"As finished my business with
Miss Susie, she looked me squarely
in the eye and smiled symyat1etical-
ly.
Don't you worry so much over
that Goode affair, she said. 1 am not
worrying. l somehow have a joyous
feeling this morning that the fellow
will be back at work before noon.'
.'As she finished speaking the door
behind me opened. Miss ,Susies face
expanded and contracted and flushed
with the most amazed expressions !
ever beheld en a woman's counten-
ance. Her eyes almost bulged. Before
| could turn she clapped her hands
once, and with cry, half Of joy, half
of unbelief, rose and then sat down
again like one exhausted.
''The next instant john Goode stood
at the desk, almost by my side. His
face was Drowned, and had health
ier glow than when Ne left. l sided
around the desk step or two that l
might look into his eyes. l thought
I could read the bold fellows story.
was not mistaken in certain Of my
expectations.
'As he glanced up at me with
nod Of recognition, as though / en-
barrassed him by NY presence, 1
could, without imagining, see &he hol-
low, uneasy, sleepless look in his
eyes. He only let me see for a
second. He leaned over Miss Susie's
desk. He held a little scrap of paper
in his hand.
miss Susie, you must have been
absert-minded when you gave me-
this. Or was it compliment to what
you believe to be my honor? l found
it wrapped up in the bills you gave
me-
Miss Susie looked at it, and her
face flushed. She glanced quickly
through little file on her desk.
"I must have she said must
have put in by mistake. T. 1t is best
TO keep a little tangible memorandum,
you know, Mr.. Goode, even though it
is not needed. hadn't missed it. !
thought it was here. Why
"She broke off in confusion. In
the confusion she brushed the little
scrap off of her desk with her hand.
picked it up for her, stealing a
glance as l laid it back on the desk.
at was a receipt given by Goode
for the one hundred and sixty-6ve
dollars. Under his signature he had
scribbled hastily:
"'Not more than five a week off. ;
"T was confident it was mistake
Goode was saying, unmindful of Miss
Susie's confusion; but do you know
l could not refrain from hoping that
it was intentional-that you trusted
me that far?'
cat that Miss Susie looked up at
him with a strange light in her eye.
For a second she seemed nonplused.
Then the corners OF her mouth re-
laxed in a soft smile.
"'Out of your own mouth, Mr..
Goode, tell me: do you deserve to be
trusted that far?' she asked.