The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-02-20

it didn't hurt me bit-but that W,
man turned around and slapped N
in the face, she was SO hoppin
mad.
"Such actions in respectab
Istore! Yeu depraved brute!" say
Ishe,and marched ont and didn't com
back for a week, for which I Wa
truly thankful.
When she did come she. was a
smiles and amiability; and she talk
ed to Lilly and smiled at Sam, an
she really did come out beautifully
considering. Lilly took a grea
notion to her.
"What a nice pleasant lady Mrs
Wood is, says she as we folded
things up that night; and so prett,
for her sge. I think she is splendid
"Glad to hear it."
Dear me" she said with her heaC
under the counter.
"Sister-in-la you know" said /
sis one of the family; it won't do tc
praise her too much"
! "Oh, wasn't thinking Of what you
were saying" said she. "Pm sur
lprised about my key. I'm sure ]
hung it here. A little brass dool
key with a nick in the handle anc
a piece Of pink ribbon tied to it.
can't think whore it is gone"
Well we both looked everywhere
We unrolled packages and peeped
into boxes, and poked down craks
lin the floor Lilly went worring
about to get locksmith 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 to-
gether in one little room of re.
spectacle tenement house.
ave always had tea ready before
Rosa got il" said Lilly, ''but to night
she will have to wal"
It's odd how We remember little
things sometimes. Perhaps the girls
pretty puzzled face and graceful
motions as she ran about lookin g
for the key, impressed this ono on
my mind. At all events, we did not
find the notehed key, tied with a
pink ribbon, and Lilly went home
without it. l told Margaret Ann
about it when / 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 two
made, so that such a thing could
never happen again. She would
keep one and Rosa the other.
"And, as 1 presume it was lost here,
you must have the value of it from
u.s." said Margaret Ann. "It's not
much but its just And l thought
very kind of the widow Wood, con
sldering.
Well, time passed on, and one day
was about like another. Winter
went and summer came. People be-
gan to go to the country, and trade
was dull. And Sam told me that he
and Lilly were to be married soon
God willing.
I had just left Sam when Marga-
ret AIMS colored girl stepped across
the street and told me her mistress
wanted to see me.
Ofcourse I went over; and when
I got into the back parlor 1 found
Margaret Ann wrapped up in a
shawl, her eyes red with crying.
Anything happened?" says ].
eyes," said she. "Pm afraid SO.
Oh, I'm SO sorry"
"Dear me! do mention the fac" :"
says I.
"Well," says she, 81 can hardly
bear to do so, but who has a chance
at the safe except you and me?"
Nobody but Lilly. Rathboue," l
said.
"Are you sure?" says she.
"Why, of course" says l.
"Ah, WELL" says she, perhaps
there's another way out Of it. May
be you've had occasion to use that
money of mine. 1 mean the one
thousand dollar bank note that / put
there in a red pocket book last
week"
"No," said l. "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 to
day?"
"Yes," said l.
"Wel," says she, sit was gone then
but l couldn't bring myself to speak
of it. You see a girl like that has
so many temptations; and going to
marry and all. Richard, promise me
you won't have her arrested, or any
thing, if it is her"
at is notr' l cried. "Besides, it
was your mouey. You would be
the prosecutor to any theif.''
"Dear me, yes" says she, and 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 L Why don't you sus-
pect me? I am ever so much more
of doubtful character than she is"
"You are my brother in-law," said
Margaret Ann. "Now listen TO rea-
son. Come to the store with me
and we'll search. If We don't find
it, shall charge Lilly with the theft
tomorrow, and if she doesn't con
fess, get a search warrant for her
rooms. Ill be very kind, but l can't
loose a sum like that"
She cried again. l 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 in
her pocketbook. 1t was easy to
identify and besides the poor girl
was in q suspicious position, and ]
said if she should prove guilty my
faith in human nature was gone.
"Mine too" said Margaret Ann,
81 had come to ike her so. And
then poor SAM"
l went home with my sister-in-
law to tea, but we had not much ap-
petite. She promised not to come
to the store until the closing hour,
and to be merciful, and to give the
girl every chance.