Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-12-09
VOL. 7O.-3556. NO. 8.


himself in it and was presently beside her.
DO you expect to find it by shaking your
ball dresses like prestidigitateur ?" he
asked.
But it may have gotten caught in the
folds. you know" she urged
You had the furniture moved you said
/ Did you turn back the edges of the carpet 2"
Turn back the carpet Mr.. Rothely IL
is your wits that are in danger. Do you
suppose the key has been lost supematurally,
that it can get under carpet p
81 thought you didn't. Wen, let US see.
| II'm-h'm. Can you help me little Mon
strous thing Give me those scissors, please.
-h'm-there Mrs. Rothely, what do
you call thisY Here is your key, slipped
between the carpet and the wall and all the
agitation Of your search, with its sweeping
and moving was only calculated to slip it
still further into hiding, | told you the
thing would turn up And he went back
with apparent composure to his sleep but
he did not close his eyes at once, for it was
a tremuous moment to him. A tremulous
moment to his wife; she clasped the key
moment to her heart with as profound an
ejaculation Of thanks as if she had been on
her knees, and then flew to the little safe
and unlocked it and snatched the casket.
Yes, there it was, and there were the jewels
in it, with theirold and exquisite fligree set
ting in gold-work Of tiny shamrock and
thistle.
"Oh, my beautiesl' She exclaimed. How
rlad-how glad am 10 see you sparkling
up at MS again Oh. how precious you are
What should have done II had lost you?"
O. was quite right" said Mr.. Rothely to
himself. " 1t is evident she would not have
ttfth
lures. but not reasonable ones. Yes, should
have been a sad fool" he was thinking, bit
tcrly, "to have riskcd my fortune for a mo-
ment on the suppostion that she could pre-
fer her husbands honor to her baubles ~
and he closed his eyes as he lay there, per-
haps to sleep, perhaps to shut out the sight
OF the woman he loved rejoicing over the de-
ceit he had practiccd upon her.
But what was this All, what? What
were these soft arms round his neck, this
velvet cheek ON his, this sweet voice muir
muring in his ear, this gay, light-hearted
laugh, these sudden tears Wake up
wake up my darlingl" his wife was crying.
Didn't tell you | had such a delightful
plan before | lost the key to the safe
Didn't hear you talking in your sleep, and
saying you were to be ruined for the want
of hundred thousand dollars See here,
my dear husband Here is a hundred thou
sand dollars in this little case, and it is all
I yours. and YOU needn't feel badly about tax
/ ing it, for | always kept the Jewels as if you
lent them, and il they help you in your
+ trouble they will give me more pleasure than
I they ever did beforel"
/ Mr. Rothely sat up in bed, pushing back
| the case, and staring straight before him
/ with wild eyes. "Oh, YOU think | only care
/ for gayety and glitterl' she cried. "You
think it is too great n sacrifice for me to
make. But indeed indeed" and here, with
1 both arms about him. and her face hidden
| in his breast, she broke out in fresh flood
Of sweet glad tears-"I never dared tell
/ you, You never seemed TO want me to tell
| you, but indeed had rather be--if only you
are peascd-Oh, | never was so happy in
my life And you will take them 2"
Was he dreaming? Was he here in his
own bed in his own house awake Oh,
had he periured his soul for this Had he
believed his to be so small in order that she
might destroy him with her greatness Had
he stolen her Jewels that he might receive
from her the free gift of these bits of col
ored glass Must he all his life carry
round with him the shame and memory of a
crime-of a crime, too, that was so useless
He drew away from her, shuddering and
ttcll. ds size SUN Clds lltu HliH nt lolueu MS
arms about her, aud the tears that he was
weeping were different tears from hers
were tears as salt as the salt with which the
desert is sowed
Well, that was years ago. Mr.. Rothely
took the casket his wife had pressed upon
him, and burned it in his office fire, case and
ALL The world has prospered with him
since then, and he has replaced Mrs. Rothe-
ly's emeralds with those which are much
more magnificent than the original But
though now he knows how firmly his wife
believes in him, knows that he need want no
more for sympathy and comfort, yet he feels
that he purchased that knowledge at price
too dear lie cannot bear TO see her jewels
on, for every ray of their light is like nee
die pricking the sore spot in his heart. And
sometimes at night when Mrs. Rothely is in
her happy dreams, and Mr.. Rothely sits lin
gering by his dressing-room fire, the skeleton
that slips into the opposite seat makes him
hide his face before it, and wish he had
never seen the light, and yet it is only the
image Of himself as he has seen himself to be.
---Hdpcr's Magazine.