The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-10-10
HORSLEY BROS. & FIGUERS, Publishers

orphans, and kept house together in one
little room of respectable tenement
house.
GIVE always had tea ready before
Rosa got in" said Litly; " tonight she
will have to wait. -
Its odd how we remember little things
sometimes. Perhaps the girls pretty,
puzzled face and graceful motions, as
she ran about looking for the key, i'm
pressed this one on my mind. At all
events we did not find the notched key
tied with pink ribbon, and Lilly went
home without it. told Margaret Ann
about it when I saw her next, and she
inquired very politely of Lilly as to the
end of the affair, when she next saw
her. The key was never found, but
Lilly said she had had two made, so
that such thing could never happen
again. She could keep one and Rosa
the other.
"And, as presume it was lost here,
Won must have the value of it from us,
said Margaret Ann. Its not much,
but its lust" And that 1 thought very
kind of the widow Wood, considering.
Well, time passed on, and one day
was about like the other. Winter went
and summer came. People began to go
TO the country, and trade vas dull.
And Sam told me that he and Lilly were
going to be married soon, God willing.
I had Just left Sam when Margaret
AIMS colored girl stepped across the
street and told me her mistress wanted
to see me.
OF course went over and when 1
got into the back parlor found Marga-
ret Ann wrapped up in a shawl ! her
eyes red with crying.
Anything happened" ?" says l.
eyes" said she, "I'm afraid so. 0
I'm so sorry J"
"Dear me Do mention the fact, ]"
says I.
to do so but, who has chance at the
safe besides you and me p
"Nobody but Lilly Rathbone, " says L.
You are sure ?" says she.
"Why, of course, says 1.
'Ah, well !" saysshe, "perhaps there
is another way out of it. Maybe you We
had occasion to use that money OF mine.
I mean the one thousand dollar bank
note that I put in there in red pocket
book last week.
"No," said I. :'Of course I'd spo-
ken of it. It was your private money.
cts gone, Richard" says she :
You saw me look into the safe to-day?
Eyes, said [.
"WeiI," says she, 90 it was gone then.
I couldn't bring myself to speak OF 1t.
You see a girl like that has so many
temptations going to marry and all.
Richard, promise me you won't have
her arrested, or anything, if it is her.
cit is not!' I cried. Besides, II
was your money. You would be the
prosecutor to any thief.
"Dear me, yes" said she, " and Ill
let her go; but must get it back, and
she must leave the store"
"How can you think so i'll of the girl 2
said /. "Why don't you suspect me
[ am ever so much more OF a doubtful
character than she is. =.
"You are my brother-in-law," sale
Margaret Ann. "Now listen to reason
| Come to the store with me and wei
search. If we don't find it. / shall
charge Lilly with the theft tomorrow
and if she dosen't confess, get search
warrant for her rooms. I'll be yer,
kind, but I can't lose a sum like that.
She cried again. I did really feel tina
she was in great trouble. We went t.
the store again and searched the safe
but the money was all gone. Margare
Ann had the number in her pocket book
IL was easy to identify, and besides th
poor girl was in a suspicious position
and I said if she should prove guilty m
faith in human nature was gone.
"Mine, too" said Margaret Ann.
had come to like her so. And then poo
Sam"
I went home to tea with my sister. IL
law, but we had not much appetite
She promised not to come to the stor
,, until closing hour, and to be very mere
full, and to give the girl every chance
> And so we parted. 1 arose to sa
[ good night, and came around the tab
{ to shake hands with Margaret AM
[ when, being clumsy old batchel0r, NJ
used to woman's fixings, my coat caugl
2 in a little wicker-wOrk sewing -basb
r ON long spider-legs, and oversetit. Ol
e tumbled cotton, buttons and tape, and
1 stooped to pick them up, when amor
t them saw key, a brass door key, Wi
t a nick in it and long piece OF pink II
: hon tied to the handle. 1t was ve1
n little thing, and it made my blood ri
e cold.
d If that was the key Lilly had los
r what was It doing there? l didn't da
e to look at my sister-in-law. And
d walked the floor all night; but my mil
I was made up.
V At Q O'Clock I met that boy and girl
). the store. and told them | should
GONE all the day. In ten minutes mo
{. I stole LiIly's key from under the count
N and went to the house, to her little roc
on the third floor, and entered 1t like
# thief It was very poor, and very ban
> brt yerv neat and clean; and the
was a closet in it, with a few dress
is hanging upon pegs, and a bonnet box
{. a shelf. Into this closet L went. al
.e there / sat down on an old trunk a
40 waited. I heard a queer old clock tic
Is inc in the room. Iheard it count t
As hours. ten, eleven, twelve, and ke
lie saying to myself:
re eff YOU are wicked, suspicious c
u. fool, Richard Wood, Lord forgive yo'
!" But I waited still, and just as 10
black hands pointed at half-past one
;" heard such knock as my sister-ln-l
IS always gave at the Office door.
Is There was another knock, pau
then / heard the key turn in the lc
P and saw the door open and my sister
law come in. She looked about h
e, shut the door, re-locked It and st
across the room. Then, God forgive
woman suppose she was mad W
Us jealousy, she lif ed up the mattress
her neat little bed in the corner,
ed taking a red pocket-book thrust it und
II pulling the quilt well down about
bed afterward.
Us az hardly think you'll marry Sf
he Spencer after all, Miss Lilly" she S
aloud, with a wicked toss of her he
o. "Tve outwitted you"
"Not quite, said I. Margaret A
there are two words to that matter.
- I walked out of the closet and st,
omn ~ with my back to the outer door.
bn knew herself trapped, but her VIC
N tongue had its way still.
% $50 you're in the habit OF com
I'd here! - she said. "Nice young |
y a certainly" :,
"I never came here before, sal
loo and you know it but I've been |
nd all day waiting for you. saw LII
rDa NV, kew in your basket last night, an
lnL began to guess the truth. Bring
,0ool-aE hOoly -