The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1853-07-15
CHAPTER II.

MARY, come here; 1 want TO see you
alone moment;" and Mrs. Alley entered
her dressing room, followed by her handsome
innocent looking chambermaid.
"Mary, have lost my emerald bracelet"
she said firmly, when she had seated herself.
"lwan. 10 know ii you remember seeing it!'
Mary turned pale; as she was extremely
,imid, and the thought that she might be
even suspected, frightened her exceedingly.
When she answ ered, her voice trem5ied.
"Indeed ma'am don think I've seen it at
all"
But Mary" and the tone grew sterner,
elena writes that the last time she saw it, il
was in this room, OIL last "Wednesday week.
That night lett you here alone. am posi-.
tive that one but yourself has since been
in. l missed it on that very night-teli me
j. you have taken it-6nd it-return it to me
and will forgive you"
"Oh Mrs. Alley, indeed don't know
anything about it, exclaimed tine girl begin
ing to writ 9 her hands with a look of terrur.
i nerer was thief--my mother will TIL you
thdt. sh' brought me up to the Sunday
school sndg Oh things. I'D sooner spill my
hearts blood than take it,"
"Huso, Mary protestations will do no
good; your looks are guilty. The braceIe
could'nt have gone without hands-reasct
mo ent. The bsatn girls give way some
times to temp, ati5kJ said a,first you
didn't tafnt you had seen it,"
40 now indeed Sremem5er. II seems as
ii MISS Lena had il" repeated the girl trem.
bling SO she could hardly stand upright. IL
d. Think believe saw i on her arm; yes,
am sure Mss Lena must have taken it to
wear to the party"
"Thlt is he coolest impu ience have
heard yet" exclaimed Mrs. Atley, her lips
quivering with passion; 81 might have for
given you had you been candid and told me
the trnth. But the charge you make against
my daughter-the soul Of candor itself-pla-
ces you entirely out Of reach of my sylnpa-
thy. am astonished! COMPOUNDED at your
duplicity, no less than convinced by your
manner. No honest girl would blush and
stammer, and then turn pale-or turn her
guilt upon another. shall dismiss you if
you do not restore the bracelet. heard you
speak Of it, I saw you look at it that evening,
but the thought never entered my mind that
you would steal. II do not get the bracelet
soon very soon, shall write to George Har-
mon, and do you think he will merry you
when he learns lou have been suspected .
thief, You may take till Tomorrow to res
tore me my property-you know | do as
cay"
With cheek as white as any corpse, and
wild light in her glazed eyes, Mary tottered
from the room, felt her way along the entry
(for darkness seemed to have fallen upon her,
up the stair, into her own chamber. There
falling heudong on the floor, she laid in ST.
lent, bitter agony. Her sp'r it was almost
i broken. Where now were all her happy
dreams! Dashed, like a temple by some
strong wind-their ruins choked up her heart
The long sunny road was darkened. The
little cottage with its honeysuckef, it's ga.
den, its fruit trees, struck by pitless lightning
The priest and the alter, the manly form Of he
William, with his honest dark eyes-shu
from her guleless thought by 'he cloud o
doubt--of horrid accusation. Visions Of of
6cers, and jails, and witnesses, and disgrace
foated before her.
For long time she laid there: but a
length, slowly rising, her brain beating will
a dull. heavy throb, she clssped her hand
and broke into the widest grief.
"rll neuer go home-it'Il Kill mother! Th'
children shall never think they had THE
for sister; and as for WiIiiam-God he'll
me we were going to be married SO soon--
and was so happy; but can't meet his ey'
now--l can't be his wife now; can't prov
arything-iwas in the dressing room; | d
ask Miss Lena what did the pretty thing COS
and when she said five hundred dollars, | d
say oh, how nice it uld be to have al
that money -, Fm ruined-Pm r. ined
Mother did leave nome for this!"
Away, in the dark night, has that poo
girl goEe-the burden Of suspicion crushing
her life out. On, on she hurri g. she s.
fearful of the dark-she who had nursed
hundred idle lit le superstitions Of ghosts. an
fairies. Nightwiih its cloudy arms, welcom
her now, and covers her innocent sham
from he sight Of even inanmste things b.
, the way-sde.