Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1872-12-27

even for single moment, my faith in her
guiltlessness
The facts were these Mrs. Halsey had
gone TO jewellers to whom she was UNI
known, and had asked for key to her
watch. Seeing she looked respectable"
the jeweller had, whilst fitting the keys,
begged her to examine tray Of rings. At
this juncture came in woman poorly dress.
ed, presumably a confederate, who requested
TO be shown a cheap eight-day clock, and
then said something in low vsice to Mrs.
Halsey, who answered her. The joweller,
not liking the appearance Of the second GUS
toner, put down the watch-keys he was
holding, and at once lifted down the eight
day clock, keeping his eyes sharply 6xed on
the woman as he did so. She Redeemed,
made some excuse about the clock being too
large, and, without waiting to be shown an
other, hastily left the shop. Then the jew
eller said TO Mrs. Halsey, al think we're
we'll rid Of her, ma'am she seemed up to no
good" To which Mrs. Halsey replied, III
saw no harm in her." or words to that effect
The jeweller was surprised, but added moth
ing. Mrs. Halsey paid for her watch-key
and went out. Then the jeweller, on in
specting his ring-tray, perceived that three
valuable diamond rings had been distracted.
He ran after Mara, overlook her, gave her
in charge to policeman, and had her led
back to his shop where the pocket Of Der
dress was searched, aud the three rings
found in it. .-a.
This is what the inspector said and the
policeman who had arrested Mara--not the
one who had called to tell us Of her arrest
described the finding Of the rings, "just at
the top of the pocket lying on the handker-
chief" According TO him--a policeman Of
the emphatically speculative and dull sort
it was proof conclusive Of his prisoners guilt
that, though she had shown herself "cool and
brazen enough" when first taxed with the
theft, she no sooner saw the rings drawn
from her pocket than she clasped her hands
in frenzy, and implored the jewellor not to
proceed against her. She said she would
buy the rings and give him money besides.
She behaved like mad thing, and ended by
throwing herself on her knees and crying
that she was innocent and that she had not
put the rings there, and that, if he prosecu-
ted her, he would never forgive himself for
the calamities he had caused. The jeweller
answered this by asking her whether she
knew the other woman who had come into
the shop. AT FIRST she refused to reply but
on being pressed, and told that If she made a
clean breast of it she might perhaps be for
given, she acknowledged that she did know
the woman, but could say nothing about her
BY couldn't" she clearly meant wouldn't
so the jeweller said it was plain they were
confederates, and had her locked up.
The inspector inquired whether the lady
was sister of mine. On my negative ges'
ture, he remarked dryly that cases Of this
sort were frequent, though so few of them
were made public. 1t was kleptomauia
Some ladies could not resist the temptation
of jewelry. They were not thieves in other
respects; but they STOLE like magpies, because
Of the glitter, and did not appear to under
stand the wrong of it until they got into
trouble of this sort
AT this moment Halsey returned. He
was wan, and looked as if he had aged ter
years in two hours but he was collected
This is some horrible mistake" h. said
drawing me aside. II thought at first Ma
ra might have taken up the rings to examine
them, and put them in her pocket without
thinking of what she was doing. She ha!
not been quite herself Of late. You recol
lect that absent, nervous look that fell oil
her about the time of our marriage 1t dis
appeared afterwards but, now l call it t
mind, her manner during the past fortnigh
has been something like what it was then
and people in absent moods, you know, will
do the strangest things. But Mara has nj
recollection Of having touched the jewelry
and she cannot conjecture how the ring
came into her pocket This might be &C
counted for, however, by her commotion o
mind after that inhuman BRIDESMAIDS con
duct. Go aud see the fellow, will you?
could not trust myself to speak calmly Il
him. Tell him that every thing will b
made right We will buy the rings, if h
likes. Explain that Mara is in delicat
health, critically delicate, and bring hin
back with you at once, to withdraw tn
charge. | shall, of course, wait by Mar
till you return. will try to get her t
sleep"
set off at once for the jewellers, VIII
was one Mowleson, b ,much-respected man
as the inspector told me. My view of al
! this frightful business was Halsey's. wa
convinced that Mara had unconsciousy tax
en- up the rings aud droppsb them into he
pocket in one of her abslAc.ed moments
So the woman who had entered the shop an
spoken to her, was sure she was simply
beggar, and that her suspicious looks, he
seeming acquaintanceship with Mara, and tn
Other suggestions about her, we're 80 man
phantoms of the policeman's and the jewell
| er's brains. The streets were carpeted wit
a December frost as | walked and though
was nine, and | had not eaten since midday
l did not feel hunger. l was for gettin
, the matter concluded out of hand. that Mar
might return to her home aud her child