Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1867-05-04

could now distinctly swear to. l called
upon Mary to explain this strange cir
cumstance. I eagerly demanded to
know how she had become possessed of
them But, alas all in vain. She
was dreadfully agitated, and was only
relieved from fit of fainting by co.
pious food of tears which came to her
relief She is now down stairs, in
charge of a policeman. [ wished, if
possible, to avoid the pain of sending
her, whom | have known for so many
years, to prison and therefore l wrote
to ask you to call on me, and, if posi-
Bile, assist me in discovering the par
ticulars of this distressing affair."
HAS she had any followers-male or
female?'
None
Has she ever absented herself from
the house p
Never
do your family know what has
passed p
NO; they are all at Kilrush, with
the exception of my eldest son, who as
sists me in business and he went last
evening to Waterford, and will not re-
turn till four o'clock. So, strange to
say, not soul is aware of the discovery
| have made
Call in the girl-let us examine her
together
The poor culprit came in, more dead
than alive. When she saw Vokes she
covered her face with her hands and
burst into flood of tears. For several
moments she was so convulsed that
even the stern magistrate hesitated to
address her. At length, after causing
her to be placed on chair, and having
swallowed glass of water, she tecame
calm, when he thus spoke:
MARY Toovey, l am summoned here
to interrogate you relative to a robbery,
which has taken place in this house !;
and as part of the money, marked for
the purpose of detection, was found upon
you, | have every reason to believe that
you are guilty
4 am ! indeed I am l am a
wretched girl, SIR cried the prisoner,
throwing herself on her knees before
him.
'And yet, rcligiously and we'll brought
inn can scarcely believe that you
could have acted SO base, so pngrateful
a part as thus to rob your employers.
| would rather have suspected any one
in the house than you
ooh, Sir. indeed, Sir, it was l. l
am wicked, bad girl, and 1 confess
the crime
'Are you sure that no one instigated
you-no one advised you to commit
this robbery?'
mo, Sir-no one 1t was all my
own doing
'And still I think it is my duty to
inquire further. l will, if possible, dis
cover your accomplices.'
L have none-I have none. I alone
am to blame
The worthy merchant now chimed
in: Mary, am told by Michael, the
groom, that he saw you two nights ago
talking to strange man in the garden
Its false-it's false =
Have you mentioned this to any
one? asked Vokes of L D.
'To no one.'
Fokes again turned to the girl
Are you still determined to admit your
guilt p
She had now recovered her calmness,
and answered, firmly, Il am =
do you know the consequences !? Do
you know that, it found guilty, you will
receive fearful punishment !?
Il do
And still, to save yourself, you will
not betrly your accomplices p
Il have none. l alone am guilty.
confess it
Take her away, sergeant. must
inquire further into this natter and
trembling far less, seemingly relieved
at having thus unburdened her con-
science-the wretched girl was led
away.
When she was gonethe Major turned
round and addressed his friend.
IF you do not insist en- it, will not
commit this girl till tomorrow. In
the mean time we may discover her ac-
completes. It's very strange-very
But, by George l can't believe Mary
to be guilty.
But her own admission-the money
found on her?'
'All true; such proof should be con-
vincing; but still 1 am not satisfied.
Do me favor. Come you, and your
son, to dine with me to-day at six
clock, and we'll talk it over; but
mind, don't mention the circumstance
to single soul on earth-not even to
your own son. Don't write it to your
family; and if any one asks you for
Mary, say she has gone to Adare to see
her friends. Pray do this and you
will oblige me-
Certainly you make a strange re-
quest but I'll strictly attend to your
directions, and be at your house, with |
my son George, at six. Perhaps it will
be better; for my wife and daughter,
and even George, who is generally very
distant and naughty, is very partial to
this girl. can assure you, Major, we
have treated her rather as our child
than our servant, which makes her con-
duct the more detestable.'