The Chums of Scranton High | Page 7

world, and each one of
which has a peculiar value for me far, far beyond its pecuniary worth.
"To my surprise and dismay I found that there were only eleven, when
there should have been twelve. I keep them there on a table so as to
show them to some of my kind lady friends, for I am particularly proud
of my collection, and Sarah had only that morning brightened them all
superbly until they glistened.
"So I called her up and asked her if she could remember counting the
spoons at the time she cleaned them. She assured me solemnly that the
entire twelve were in the open case when she placed them on the table
at my orders.

"It remained a puzzle to me for a whole week. I believed, of course,
that Sarah must have unconsciously mislaid a spoon, which would be
found sooner or later. At the same time I remembered the visit of that
lad, who had never been in my house before, and how he might have
glanced into the drawing-room through accident, and seeing my
souvenir spoons, been tempted to purloin one. But every time that
terrible thought flashed into my mind I indignantly refused to harbor it,
I love all boys so much.
"Then again today he came with more work turned in by Mrs.
Ackerman, who had for some reason of her own selected him as her
messenger. I actually forgot all my ugly suspicions in the charm of his
manly conversation, until some time after he had gone, again, at my
suggestion, letting himself out. I hurried into the drawing-room, and
with trembling fingers proceeded to count my spoons. There were but
ten of them left in the open box. Another had strangely vanished!"
Hugh almost gasped, he was so tremendously interested in this thrilling
recital.
"You are certain you did not make any mistake, Mrs. Pangborn?" he
asked, for want of something better to say.
"Please step into the other room and count them for yourself, Hugh,"
she quickly told him. "You can use the connecting door if you wish,
instead of passing around by way of the hall."
Hugh came back a minute later. His face was very grave.
"It is just as you told me, ma'am," he remarked, softly, at the same time
shaking his head, as though he could not bring himself to believe it was
as bad as the old lady suspected; that there must be some other and
reasonable explanation for the vanishing of the spoons; surely Owen
Dugdale could not be guilty of such a base theft!
"What can I believe, Hugh?" she almost wailed. "I do not walk in my
sleep, and that colored girl is as honest as your own mother, I feel
positive. Please tell me you will try and find out the answer to this

distressing puzzle."
"I can easily promise you that I will at least do my level best to learn
where your property went, Mrs. Pangborn; and if possible recover it for
you," he hastened to assure her.
"Thank you very much, my son. As soon as I saw you I seemed to feel
an inspiration that Providence had sent you to me in my distress. For it
would break my heart if I were compelled to have that poor, weak boy
arrested, and charged with so grievous a breach of the law. You being a
boy may be able to have a certain amount of influence over him. You
may even induce him to own up to his act, and send me back my
precious spoons. The ones taken by some accident are the very ones I
value most."
"While I give you my promise willingly enough, ma'am," Hugh went
on to say deliberately, "I want to add that I can't believe it possible
Owen Dugdale could be so small and mean as to yield to an impulse,
and take anything that belonged to another."
"That is splendid of you, Hugh!" she cried, her black eyes sparkling
with genuine admiration. "I love a boy who has faith in his fellows, and
thinks the best of them, no matter how circumstantial evidence may
seem to blacken their characters. And my son, if only you can find an
explanation of this puzzle that will exonerate your young companion, I
shall be very happy indeed. A great load will have been removed from
my poor old heart. I would rather lose the entire twelve spoons than
learn that Owen Dugdale were guilty."
"Then you will not say a word of this to any one," he continued,
"particularly Chief Wambold, who everybody knows has a great itching
to shine as a wonderful sleuth, but makes himself only ridiculous
whenever he tries to unearth any uncommon happening?"
"I gladly give you my