Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1923-11-09
MY LADY'S MONEY
An Episode in the Life
of Young Girl
-By WiAkie Collins

Observation-Disclosures lllIlilltilillhlIllN
last person on whom suspicion could
possibly fall Those words, taken
with the questions he had asked be-
fore he pronounced his opinion,
struck me with a knife. instantly
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 have always felt for
Mr.. Sweetsir, and I distrusted it &C.
cordtngly. 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
large number Of persons, and among
them a bet Of five hundred pounds
lost to Mr.. Hardylaan. 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; saw it In his face
| One moment more, Isabel. I am not
| only certain that Sweetsir took the
| five hundred-pound note out of the
open letter, l am firmly persuaded
that he Is the man who told Lord
Rotherfield of the circumstances un-
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.. Sweetsir
paid his debt He came here, you
may depend on it, to make sure that
he had succeeded in destroying your
prospects. A more depraved villain
at heart than that man never swung
a gallows!"
He checked himself at these words.
The shock of the disclosure, the pas
sion and vehemence with which he
spoke overwhelmed Isabel. She
trembled like frightened child
! While he was still trying to soothe
reassure her a low whining made
itself heard at their feet They
looked down and saw Tommie. Find
ing himself noticed at last he ex-
| pressed his sense of relief by bark.
Something dropped out of his mouth.
AS Moody stopped to pick 1t up, the
dog ran to Isabel and pushed his
head against her feet, as his way
when he expected to have the hand
kerchief thrown over him preparatory
to one of those games at hide-and.
seek which have been already men
toned Isabel put out her hand to
caress him, when she was stopped
by cry from Moody. 1t was his
turn to tremble now. His voice fal-
tered as he said the words, THE dog
has found the pocket-book!"
| He opened the book with shaking
hands. A betting-book was bound up
in it with the customary calendar
He turned to the date Of the day
after the robbery.
| There was the entry: Felix Sweet
sir. Paid $500. Note numbered MS,
7O,564; dated 18th May, 1875"
Moody took from his waistcoat
pocket his own memorandum Of the
! number of the lost bank note. Read
it, Isabel" he said. Il won't trust
my memory"
She read it. The number and date
Of the note entered in the pocket
book exactly corresponded with the
number and date Of the note. that
Lady Lydiard had placed in her let
| ter.
! Moody handed the pocket-book to
Isabel. There is the proof Of your
innocence" he said, thanks to the
! dog. Will you write and tell Mr..
Hardyman what has happened" he
asked, with his head down and his
eyes on the ground
She answered him, with the bright
color suddenly flowing over her face.
you shall write to him." she said,
when the time comes"
She threw her arms round his neck
and hid her face on his bosom. 1.-The
time," she whispered, when l am
your wife"
TLJE ENn