Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1923-10-19
MYLADY'S MONEY
An Episode in the Life
of Young Girl
BY Wilkie Collins

Observation-Disclosures
Mr.. Hardyman has passed the stolen
note, you know as we'll as l do that
he has passed it innocently. Instead
of wasting time and money in try
ing to trace stranger, why not
tell Mr.. Hardyman what has hap
pened, and ask him to give us the
number of the note? You can't think
of everything, l know, but it does
seem strange that this idea didn't
occur to you before you went to
France"
"Mr. Moody" said Old Sharon, Il
shall have to cut your acquaintance.
You are a man without faith; l don't
like you. AS if l hadn't thought of
Hardyman weeks since!" he ex-
claimed, contemptuously. care you
really soft enough to suppose that
gentleman in his position would
talk about his money affairs to me-?
You know mighty little of him if
you do. A fortnight since I sent
one of my men (most respectfully
dressed) to hang about his farm, and
see what information he could pick
up. My man became painfully &C
quainted with the toe of boot. 1t
was thick, sir; and it was Hardy
MANS"
81 will run the risk of the boot"
Moody replied, in his quiet way.
'And put the question to Hardy
MANI"
eyes" N
Every good" said Sharon. IF you
get your answer from his tongue
instead of his boot, the case is at
an end-unless / have made COM
plete mess of it. Look here, Moody!
If you want to do me a good turn,
tell the lawyer that the guinea opin-
ion was the right one. Let him know
that he was the fool, not you, when
he buttoned up his pockets and re-
fused to trust me. And, / say!"
pursued Old Sharon, relapsing into
his customary impudence, you're in
love, you know, invite me to the
wedding. I'll make sacrifice: I'll
brush my hair and wash my face
in honor Of the occasion"
Returning to his lodgings, Moody
found two love letters waiting on
the table. One of them bore the
South Morden postmark. He opened
that letter first
1t was written by Miss Pink. The
first lines contained an urgent en-
treaty to keep the circumstances con-
nected with the loss of the five hun
bred pounds the strictest secret from
every one in general, and from Har-
dyman in particular. The reasons
assigned for making the strange re-
quest were next expressed in these
terms: "My niece Isabel is, l am
happy to inform you, engaged to be
married to Mr.. Hardyman. If the
slightest hint reached him of her hav-
ing been associated, no matter how
cruelty and unjustly, with sus
picion Of theft, the marriage would
Do UIoh0u Ou, anu Lu0 I0SulI " u6I
self and to everybody connected with
her would be disgrace for the rest OF
our lives"
On the blank space at the foot OF
the page a few words were added
Isabel's writing: Whatever changes
there may be in my life, your place
in my heart is one that no other per
son can fill; it is the place of my
dearest friend. Pray write and tel
me that you are not distressed anG
not angry. My one anxiety is thai
you should remember what I have
always told you about the state Of
my own feelings. My one wish is
that you will still let me love you
and value you as 1 might have loved
and valued a brother"
The letter dropped from Moody's
hand Not a word, not even sigh
passed his lips In fearless silence
he submitted to the pang that wrune
HMM fearless silence he contem
plated the wreck of his life.