The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1923-11-16
MYLADY'S MONEY
An Episode in the Life
of Young Girl
BY Wikkie Collins


n fore he pronounced his opinion,
d struck me with a knife l instantly
s suspected Lady Lydiard's nephew.
Wait! From that time to this | have
said nothing of my suspicion to any
living soul. | knew in my own heart
; that it took it's rise in the inveterate
dislike that l have always felt for
Mr. Sweetsir, and | distrusted it ac-
cordingly. But / went back to Sharon,
for all that, and put the case into
his hands. His investigations in
formed me that Mr.. Sweetsir owed
debts of honor Gas gentlemen called
them), incurred through lost bets, to
a large number of persons, and among
them a bet of five hundred pounds
lost to Mr.. Hardyman Further in
quiries showed that Mr. Hardyman
had taken the lead in declaring that
he would post Mr.. Sweetsir as de-
faulter, and have him turned out of
his clubs, and turned out of the bet
ting ring. Ruin stared him in the
face if he failed to pay his debt
to Mr.. Hardyman on the last day left |
to him-the day after the note was
lost On that very morning Lady
Lydiard, speaking to me of her
nephew's visit to her, said, If | had
given him an opportunity of speak
ing, Felix would have borrowed
money of me; l saw it in his face
One moment more, Isabel I am not
only certain that Sweetsir took the
five UNDERGROUND note out of the
open letter, l am firmly persuaded !,
that he is the man who told Lord ,
Rotherfield of the circumstances I'M ,
der which you left Lady Lydiard's
house. Your marriage to Mr.. Hardy
man might have put you in position
to detect the theft. You, not /, might !,
in that case have discovered from
your husband that the stolen note :
was the note with which Mr. SweetsirI :
paid his debt. He came here, you r
may depend on it, to make sure that :,
he had succeeded in destroying your :,
A more depraved villain
at heart than that man never swung
| gallOws!"
He checked himself at these words. -
The shock of the disclosure, the pas -
ion and yehemence with which he g.
poke overwhelmed Isabel She -
rembled like a frightened child. -
While he was still trying to soothe =
eassure her a low whining made 49,
Lself heard at their feet. They -
ooked down and saw Tommie Find
lg himself noticed at last he ex-
ressed his sense of relief by bark. -
omething dropped out of his mouth O.,
8 Moody stopped to pick it up, the -.
og ran to Isabel and pushed his -
cad against her feet as his way o-
- 20 oApoo'ou ~ nave 'ne manu- sic
erchief thrown over him preparatory ~
one of those games at hide-and- M,
eek which have been already men -,
oned Isabel put out her hand to 80,
lress him, when she was stopped 49,
2 cry from Moody. 1t was his ~
IN to tremble now. His voice fall 49,
red as he said the words, 1.-The dog 49,
IS found the pocket-bookI" -
He opened the book with shaking go,
nds. A betting-book was bound up -,
it with the customary calendar 49,
49, 49, ~ '''e - 'Ae uay had
sOi thO lOOUOly
There was the entry: Felix Sweet -
:. Paid E500. Note numbered Ms,
564; dated 18th May 1875"
49, = 0u" day
mber of the lost bank note. Read ~
Isabel" he said. 81 won't trust We "N'
memory" ~
She read 1t. The number and date orr,
the note entered in the pocket ni+o
TX exactly correspondent with the cove
nber and date of the note that
iy Lydiard had placed in her let -,
ming
Ioody handed the pocket-book to sC
BEL There is the proof of your Deo,
he said, thanks to the Con-
Will you write and tell Mr. otr,,,
'dyman what has happened?" he n1an
ed, with his head down and his ST.
5 on the ground. 81 =
be answered him, with the bright to bl
r suddenly flowing over her face.
You shall write to him." she said Fo
en- the time comes. maxi
lie threw her arms round his neck birth
hid her face on his BOSOM "The make
)" she whispered, when l am meas
wife, sions
THE END child
M,