Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-09-25
turned around and slapped me in the face,

Wnen she ala come Snc was all smiles
and amiability; and she talked to Lilly
and smiled at Sam, and she really did
come out beautifully, considering. Lilly
took great notion to her.
What nice, pleasant lady Mrs. Wood
is" she said, as we were folding things
up that night; land so pretty for her age.
think she is splendid"
"Glad to hear it."
Dear mel" she said, with her head
under the counter
"Sister- in law, you know" said I zone
of the family; it won't do to praise her too
much"
"Oh, wasn't thinking of what you
were saying" said She Jpn surprised
about my key I'm sure I hung it here.
A little brass door key, with nick in the
handle and piece of pink ribbon tied to
it. l can't think where it is gone"
Well, We both looked everywhere. We
unrolled packages and peeped into boxes,
and poked down cracks in the floor.
Lilly kept worrying about getting lock
smith to fit another before she could get
in, and said that Rosa was always tired.
Rosa was her sister The two were
orphans, and kept house together in one
little room of a respectable tenement
house.
"I've always had tea ready before Rosa
got in" said Lilly; "but to night she will
have to wait"
It's odd how we remember little things
sometimes. Perhaps the girls pretty,
puzzled face and graceful motions as she
ran about looking for the key, impressed
this one on my mind. At all events we
did not find the notched key tied with a
pink ribbon, and Lilly went home without
it. | told Margaret Ann about it when l
saw her next, and she inquired very po-
litely of Lily 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 happer again. She could keep one
and Rosa the other.
"And, as | presume it was lost here
you must have the value of it from us"
said Margaret Ann. ats not much, but
it's just" And that / 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 was dull. And Sam
told me that he and Lilly were going to
be married soon--God willing.
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 got
into the back parlor | found Margaret
Ann wrapped up in shawl, her eyes red
with crying
Anything happened?" says I.
Eyes" says she, "Im afraid so. Oh,
Pm SO sorry!''
"Dear me! Do mention the fact, :"
says |.
"Well," says she, 81 can hardly bear to
do SO; but-who had chance at the sale
besides you and me?''
Nobody but Lilly Rathbone," says l..
"You are sure?" says she.
"Why, of course" says |.
"Ah, wellw says she, perhaps there is
another way out Of it. Maybe you've had
occasion to use that money of mine.
mean the thousand dollar bank note that
1 put in there in a red pocket-book last
week"
"No," said 1. "Of course I'd spoken of
it. 1t was your private money"
"It's gone, Richard" says she. "You
saw me look into the safe today"
Eyes" said |.
"Well," says she, ait was gone then.
couldn't bring myself to speak of it. You
see a girl like that has so many tempta-
tons; going to marry and all. Richard
promise me you won't have her arrested,
or anything, if it is her."
at is notr' | cried. Besides it was
your money You would be the prosecu-
tor to any thief"
"Dear me, yes" says she, land I'll let
her go; but must get it back, and she
must leave the store"
"How can you think so i'll of the girl ?''
said |. "Why don't you suspect me.
am ever so much more of doubtful char
| acter than she is"
"You are my brother-i n-law," said Mar
garet Ann "Now listen to reason. Come
to the store with me and We'll search. II
| we don't find it shall charge Lilly with
the theft tomorrow, and if she don't con.
fess, get search warrant for her rooms
I'll be very kind, but l can't lose sum
| like that"
She cried again / did really feel that
| she was in great trouble. We went to the
| store again and searched the safe, but the
| money was all gone. Margaret Ann had
| the number i'm her pocketbOOk. 1t was
easy to identify, and besides, the poor
| girl was in a suspicious position, and i
said if she should prove guilty, my faith
| in human nature was gone.
"Mine, too," said Margaret Ann. lhad
come to like her so. And then poor
Sam"
went home to tea with my sister-in-
law, but we had not much appetite. She
promised not to come to the store until
the closing hour, and to be very merciful,
and to give the girl every chance.
And so we parted. / arose to say good
night, and came around the table To shake
hands with Margaret Ann, when, being a
clumsy old bachelor, moi used to womens
fix;ngs, my coat caught in little wicker,
| work sewing basket, on long spider legs,
| and overset it. Out tumbled cotton, but
tons and tape, and stopped down to pick
them up, when among them | saw key,
| a brass door-key, with nick in it and
long piece of pink ribbon tied to the han
die 1t was a very little thing, and it
made my blood run cold.
If that was the key Lilly had lost, what
was it doing theres didn't dare to look
at nv sister-in-Iaw. And / walked the
floor all night; but by morning my MIND
was made up.
All rine O'Clock / met that boy and girl
| at n n store and told them / should be