Year: 1879

Ter own father; and, therefore. sus-
picion could alone, and with any de-
gree Of nationality. fall upon the two
cousins But here, again. the ques-
tion arose, what could be the motive
of either of those prosperous men to
commit . burglary? while on the
other hand, they both knew that the
farmer, having been robbed many
years before. always kept loaded fire.
arms in the house.


| But there were the boot marks and
the button, and upon these the old
constable based bis investigation.
An hour after be had left the farm.
be returned to it, bringing with him
pair of boots and . waist-coa:. The
latter had David Thomas's name
written on it, one of the fancy but
tons was missing. and that found on
the farm window-fedge perfectly
agreed with those on the waist-cost.


As to the boots, they fitted the i'm
pressions in the garden ground near
the window to . hairs bredth, and
they also fitted other marks on side
bed in . garden in front of the farm,
where David had gone on the previ-
ous day in order to pick up young
blackbird, which hsd fluttered under
the lsurels on bis first flight from some
neighboring nest.


When the police constable told all
these things to the farmer, neither
knew Ruth was listening. Poor
child, she had recognized the button
in Q moment. 1t was one Of the set
she herself had given David.
But she never for q moment be-
lieved him guilty. There was some
mystery, and beyond that she would
not 20. She neither tainted nor lost
her presence of mind. She knew it
was no time for sentiment. Her con-
science told her she must be up and
doing.


"Let us 60 to him." she heard her
father say. Perhaps he has done it
for q joke, Summers. We will sup.
pose be did it in fun; and if be gives
Us the notes back, no harm will be
done. Lat us 60 to him"
Summers nodded; and after putting
the waist-coat and boots in a cup
board the two men started for the
cousins farm.


There was no time to be lost-that
Ruth knew. She went to the cup
board, took out the accusing articles
of clothing, and pondered.


Now this certsin-that in habits Of
watchfulness Of small things women
are more accurate than men.


In one moment Ruth Hartley
thought, as she examined the waist
coat:


"If :he button was torn off when
the thief was climbing in at the win
dow, how did it happen that it came
from almost under the collar of the
waist coat ?"


She examined the thread that had
fastened the button to the cloth, and
she found that it had not loosened,
but that the different stitches had all
been broken through, 80 that great
force must have been used. 1t had
NOS dropped o6. it bad been torn
away, and yet the wsist-coat showed
no sign of having been injured.


Then she went out and compared
the footprints in the front and back
garden.


She saw that the distance between
the footsteps in the front garden was
greater than that between the marks
in the ground at the back of the
house, while the prints farthest apart
were deepest.


So she reached this conclusion:


There is no doubt that the same
boots made the marks in the ground
in both the front and back garden,
bat they must have been worn by
different persons. He who made the
marks 10 the back ground" Chose sf.
fected by the burglary "being the
lighter man. so the less depression of
the ground; and the shorter man,
hence the shorter distance between
the footsteps in the back ground"


In . moment she knew she had o
clue-his cousin Josiah, who was
both lighter in weight and shorter
than David.


In mere second she was morally
convinced that Josiah Thomas had
torn the button from the waist-coat
In question, to clench the accusation
of the boot marks.


But what could be his motive /?
He was evidently attached to his
relative, and while nothing was SO
to be gained by the act of treach-
cry, much was to be lost, while
bis own name would be involved in
shame.


How could she accuse him? He
WAS equslly respected with the other
cousin, and it was against the elder
the condemnatory proofs were to be
found.


His motive-what could be bis mo.
tive?


Again, how bring bis guilt home by
signs as palpable ss those which me-
nsced the other


1t is astonishing no ~ Q woman will
banker after the hidden when it ef-
fects her happiness. She could only
breathe easily when she stood at the
open window, by means Of which
entrance to the house had been ef-
fected.


There was in the window, q box Of
mignonette-her plsnting-and which
she had made the more pretty by
tipping. between the springs Of
sweet scented flowers, with q layer
Of yellow powdered bog tori, much
used in that district az fuel.


Then, 10 . moment, she found
more condemnatory proofs against
the youngest cousin than had. 30 far.
been brought against the elder.


There was the mark Of Q resting
open hand upon the yielding layer Of
powdered turf-s left hand, and Of
which the third finger was absent.
There were in the distinct indented
impressions Of The thumb. index, and
long second finger, and then there
vas . space between that finger and
the little one.


She knew Josish Thomas had lost
The third finger in oueation- down To