The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-03-04

eve had caught the glitter oi lile SILVER
/ the moment he entered the room
nevertheless, ne expressed great inter
est. Mrs. Bixby put one hand on her
/ land holding the lamp up in range
with the plate, read in tones Of much
I solemnity, David Bixby, aged sixty
( five, died June 18th, 1862"
/ She sighed heavily as she lowered
/ the lamp, and silence fell in the room,
which was broken by the Detective
/ inquired in subdUed voice if she had
/ his picture. Mrs. BiXby referred him
/ to the daguerreOtypes on the table
He looked them over very quietly,
while she, standing by his shoulder,
/ told him thenames. Coming 10 4 very
elaborateIy-dressed representation CT
/ Mrs. Bixby herself, he observed that
/ she wore gold beads. ''That was
/ pretty fashion," said ne. 81 aways
fike to see them. Ny mother wore gold
/ beads"
Mrs. Bixby put down the lamp and
turned to the cupboard. She opened
/ a small pastebOard box and brought
/ to the Detective two long strings of
/ the shining yellow beads. He took
! them in his hands and looked at them
/ half sadly. He saw in that sad glance
( that they were eighteen carats fine
''They remind me very forcibly of my
mother and the days of my YOUTH y
said he. His eyes were humid and
I his voice very sOrrOwful as he replac-
/ ed the beads in Mrs. BiXby's hands.
He dropped his face into his hands,
probably TO reflect on his mother and
the days of his youth; but peeped
through his fingers to see where Mrs.
Bixby put the beads.
Mrs. BiXby thOughtfully waited a
/ few moments for the Detective to re-
gain his composure, and then led the
way to the Kitchen. He entertained
| her through out the evening with an
ecdotes of his professional life. She
would make an excellent detective, he
said. There were a number of wO-
men in the department TO which he
belonged. 1t needed person of great
penetration. Mrs. BiXby took the
compliment quietly. She felt that her
experience in battling with the world
and selfish human nature, during her
widOwhOOd had given her deep in
sight into character.
Just before retiring the Detective
took out his watch to wind it up, and
was very much surprised OH finding
that he has lost the key
"YOu haven't key you could lend
me, with which to wind up my
watch" asked he.
Mrs. BiXby brought out an heavy
old fashioned watch with key OH the
black cord chain. The Detective used
the key, and then asked TO be direct
ed to his room. On being showed the
door he politely bade Mrs. BiXby good
night, and expressed hope that she
would sleep well.
Mrs. BiXby fastened the back door
and went to bed with a stronger sense
of security than she had before felt
since Bixby dear had finished his
earthly course. The last thing she
thought of before falling off into de-
liciOus sleep was that she would get
hash and huckleberry pie for the De-
tective's breakfast.
Mrs. BiXby was in the habit of
waking up punctually at six O'Clock.
At about that time the next morning
she opened her eyes, and closed them
sleepily. In few minutes she open
ed them again, and observed that her
upper bureau drawer was partly open,
and the key in the lock.
She opened them wide at that, saw
that the trunk that held her silver
was pulled out from beneath the
bed, and Openl BiXby's best woolen
stockings, and all their contents, were
gone!
She sprang from bed, and pulled
open the bureau drawer. Her purse
was not there. A pile of handker-
chiefs, that had been in the corner OPP
pOsite the purse was not there; va
Iise that had stood beside the bureau,
was not there.
She gave little scream, and went
out into the kitchen. The back door
was open, and a strange cat had walk
ed in and was smelling about the pam
try.
The parlor door was ajar. The
wreath of immOrtelles lay on the floor,
and the table commemorative of the
lamented BiXby had been torn from
its place. His watch was gone from
the cupboard, and the pasteboard box,
with the string of gold beads, the gold
hoops which Mrs. BiXby sometimes
wore in her ears, and the brooch with
lock of Bixby's hair in it. The tank
ard also was gone and the silver can
dlesticks, and the butter-knife, and
all the spoons and forks.
Mrs. BiXby swung on wrapper and
went upstairs to arouse the Detective.
His chamber door was open, and the
Detective also was-gone!
A bureau stood in that room, and
most of the drawers were out upon
the floor, their contents in great con-
fusion. Mrs. BiXby saw at glance
that three fine shirts, that had been
Bixby's, and mink muff and collar,
that were Sister Sarah's had been ta-
ken. The closet door was open, but,
Bixby's best broadcloth and Mrs. Blk
by's new black silk were not on the
hooks.
The Detectives badge was pinned
| in a CONSPICUOUS place on the cham
Der door. Mrs. BiXby seized the badge
and hurled it from the chamber WIN
dow in trice, but made no eXclama-
ton. She went down and opened the
| front door, no one was to be seen,
nothing to be heard. Mrs. BiXby said
nothing. 1t was too fell a blow. She
shrank down in a little heap on the
step-stones; and when at 8 O'Clock
| the fish-man came around, she shook
her head. She wanted neither "fresh
cod, halibut, mackerel, or salmon"
The fish-man left her on the steps in
the same attitude of despair that he
found her, and thus also must we
leave her. But if any one going uptO
this land flowing with milk and ma
pie moIasses, would like to give her
consolation, they shall be introduced
by her biOgrapher, with pleasure.