Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-08-22

MRS. ROTHELY's EMERALDS,
EY HARRIET PRESCOTT sPOFFoRD.
LcoNTrNUED FROM YESTERDAY. |


cried MIR. Rothely, absently, she too much
excited to remember that he had done
nothing of the kind either.
81 think | shall have to call in the DO
lice ~ she cried. 81 shall not be able to
sleep one moment. tonight. I shall be
thinking | see masked faces, and hear felt
shoes, and be on the watch for burglars
and everything terrible !" and the tears
were choking her.
ooh, no my love, shall be here" said
MIR. Rothely, reassuringly.
'Oh, l know. You, of course" said
Mrs. Rothely, dashing off her tears. "But
that won't hinder them. Why, they blow
chloloform through key-holes and smother
you with pillows, and if you scream they
shoot. Mrs. Ever has Just been telling
me how she lay still and held her hand
over Mr.. Ewer's mouth, and saw the men
going through his pockets, without daring
to breathe
"Mrs. Ever! thought she gave an
alarm.
"Oh, yes, finally, when they went to
the drawer where she keeps her diamonds,
you know. Oh dear, dear me if could
only find that key l shall vex myself into
a fever. l am all tired out, and have
been SO afraid you would say it was care
less"
Careless, my love? Not in the least.
And as for the key, never mind it. 1t will
turn up; that's a way things have.
According TO the total depravity of in
animate things" said Mrs. Rothely
laughing as easily as she cried. There's
Lawrence making eyes at me outside the
door. Come in What is it, Lawrence /?
Have you found the key? What q jewel
an honest servant is!
Maybe this ull be the kay, num- said
Lawrence, with shuttle.
THAT rusty thing! Oh dear, no! 1t is
a title ornamental brass key that is lost;"
and she tossed the rusty tool upon the fire.
WAS there ever anything SO vexatious as
to nave all your expectations reused just
to be destroyed"
There's no occasion for fretting, my
darling said Mr.. Rothely. II will have
the men up here to open the safe by force,
take it away, and put another in. That
will outhank the thieves" He felt, and
was conscious that he looked, like nothing
but thief himself.
eyes, and we may all be killed in our
beds, tonight. Well, we must seize the
moment as it flies, l suppose; which
means that you must make haste and dress
for dinner, and get what pleasure we may
out Of the day, if we are to have another.
| expect that superb Count Pescovitch, the
Pole, You remember, to dinner (now don't
make mistake and take him for Rus
sian, or-you know the old saying-you'll
catch Tartar), and the Du Barris and
Van Vleets, that's all. I'm sure it's
blessing sent especially to divert my mind,
though dare say they'll talk Of nothing
but burglary and murder after l tell them
about the key"
Don't tell them them"
"Well, Ideclare, Mr.. Rothely l should
think it was something to hide! When
Providence makes subject for converse
ton to hand, to decline it Why. of course
| shall tell them, and ask their advice.
Oh, it's too bad! had such delightful
plan, and such surprise for you too.
But perhaps Fate was wiser than l." said
Mrs. Rothely, singing, and lifting her
eyebrows, as if she rather doubted the
position.
my DEAR" said Mr.. Rothely, "don't
alarm yourself any further. If it will be
comfort to you, promised to sit up in
the hall with a couple of loaded revolvers,
all night" And then he laughed and
went upstairs.
"How good he is p said Mrs. Rothely.
Never to whisper word about his own
great troubles because he saw mine. He
doesn't know what l heard him saying.
Oh, there never was such husband!"
For two or three mornings after that
having neglected to send up the men who
could remove the safe-the first thing
that saluted Mr.. Rothely's eyes as he
opened them was his wife, with her pretty
lace cap askew, and shawl dragging
from her sholders, reflected in two or
three long mirrors, and going over the
room in renewed search, while she
talked vigorously to himself. "It is get
ting to be worse than Blue-beard's kew
she was signing. II shan't wait another
day before calling in the police. If any
of the servants took it, and are biding
their time for raid on the safe, we are
only assisting at the cutting OF our own
throats bv this delay" And Mr.. Rothely,
muttering something about his turning up
all right, would dispose himself for anoth-
er snooze, but not a sweet one, we may
surmise; for, somehow or other, light
hearted as Mr.. Rothely ought to have been
in relation to his business. he did not in
those two or three days, find it possible to
smile, and Mrs. Rothely could not but OBJ
serve his depression. and derive fresh
trouble from it.
1t might have been on the third or
fourth of these mornings that, as Mr.
Rothely opened his eyes. he saw his pref
ty wife prowling about the rooms as on the
previous days.
''Still on the lookout ?" he said. "Well
you will lose your wits. Here let me see ~
And he seized his dressing-gown, wrapped
himself in it, and was presently beside
her. do you expect to find ID by shaking
your ball-dresses like prestidigitateur ?"
he asked.
But it may have COTTON caught In the
folds. you know" she urged.
You had the furniture moved, you
said. Did you turn back the edges of the
carpet?"
Turn back the carpet Mr.. Rothely. It
is your wits that are in danger. DO yon
suppose the key has been lost supernatn.
rally, that it can get under carpet'"
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