Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-10-01
A SILVER THIEF
BY DOROTHY KNIGHT.
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John Stanley was in l5@ The real
tzation swept over him Ike ibe rgsh
of a mighty wave. But no. II was not
possible. Ii could not be. How eopya
u practical man, nay, hardeneG
cync, as he was, In affairs III thu
heart, be in love with a girl he had
never seen?
And yet, the allure Of that plefsFs--.
the calm. sweet expression Of the vide.
set eyes with just vague suggestion
vi rougishnesS, the smiling mouth, The
But what was the uses lla alQ
iaot even know who or what she Was,
and how could he ind out2 A stFas
picture torn from an old newspaper
What was her plea to fame--~the wa
sons most popular debutante. 4 foot
! ght fayorite, perchance, a bride3 But
no, not that. Her brown eyes lsgrely
they must be brown; they we're very
dark, anyway haunted him. He could
moi sleep.
He lay awake and reviewed the
events of the day. That morning on
arriving in Boston he had met bis old
friend, Norton, who, with hls wife
was going away on trip. Norton
had given him the Keys and 0tferea
him the use of the Norton apartment
for the week he was to be IN town.
So instead of being In dreary hotel
be was sleeping --or trying to sleep-~is
luxurious bed In daIntily furnished
apartment.
He dozed Off. still with the fair fats
before his eyes.
A faint sound reached his cara 40 II
someone We're moving around The
apartment.
A girl was moving quietly across the
room in her stocklnged feet. Her back
was toward the door. She went d.
rectly to the sideboard and opened the
top drawer. An almost imperceptibie
exclamation came from her as she
took out piece after piece OF silver,
examining 1t carefully. She seemed
entirely engrossed by it-fascinaied.
what are you doing here?" John dc.
manded In a stern tone.
She turned like startled doe. OF the
same time srasplng the silver more
firmly. The color fled from her face,
But almost Immediately she gained at
least a semblance of self-control ~
she suld, In a voice that only trembled
slightly: ''What are you doing here7''
But alas for John In proportion ~
the girl had gained her equaDjmity he
had lost his. II was the girl OF hie
dreams, walking and. alas, sleeping,
too, he feared. He knew her the mo-
ment she turned around.
what are you doing here?" she re-
peated. She seemed entirely master o.
the situation, while poor John
wrlthed In the knowledge that the giyI
he loved was thief.
II live here, Of course, and Your
| with rising infection.
For the fraction of second she
looked around helpIessly, as II seeking
way out of her difficulty. and then,
as If accepting the inevitable, she said,
banteringly, as II trying to cain
| time. "rhese do not look like bHcns
elor apartments ,r'
How do you know am bheii.
elor?"
"Oh," sweetly, "a girl can generally
tell" AS she spoke she edged toward
| the Goor.
Anticipating her, John placed bia.
self In the doorway.
ado you know, II that were my ~.
yer, should be almost tempted 10
give 1t to you? But since It belongs
to my friends, Dir. and Mrs. Norton.
whose apartment am occupying for a
few days, ! VIII have to ask you 10
return It."
"Oh," she gasped, and the swift color
dyed her face. "Then you are nOt---a---
a. Embarrassed she paused.
Another thief" finished John. me.
I'm not, but perhaps IL loved antique
silver MS passlonately as you seem to.
and II II were my sole desire to pos.
eess it,"
How do you spell that 'soul7'" shs
Interrupted.
Before he could frame reply her
expression changed from fiippancy 10
seriousness, as she begged: "Bnt you
will not have me arrested, will yO11
You will let me go? will never.
never do such thing again"
Qul, KY she replaced the silver.
stepped DEITY into her tiny pumps,
md before the astonlshed John knew
what was happening she was gone,
Gone. too was his peace OF mind.
tone was his heart. His thoughts
were In riot.
He picked up book carelessly. but
what he saw made him gasp and rub
his eyes 10 see If he were really awake.
II was the girl, and her name WAC
signed. OF all the unexpected things,
II was Nort0n's sister What musf
she think Of him. taking her for q
thief?
Two days later an animated coupls
were enjoying tea, and, incidentally.
each other, In deserted corner Of an
out-ofthe-way tea room.
II think understand everything
now. except what you were doing with