Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-05-13

it in my jewel box, though l remem.
bered perfectly having placed it there
the night before; nor was it on the
dressing-tureau. Had it been stolen
My loss troubled me greatly, and
yet determined not to speak of ii
until I had made q more thorough
search. After all my memory might
be treacherous, and had simply mis-.
laid it. One often falls into errors Of
that sort.
Bessie was in the drawing room,
singing duet with Jack, when I came
down stairs. She turned her head al
the sound of my step behind her, Civ
ing me keen, searching glance as if tc
allay some lurking doubt in her own
mind.
Apparently she was satisfied with..the
result of her scrutiny, for she drew
quick breath of relief and took up the
chorus of the gay little chanson she
was singing.
l leaned over her shoulder, and
watched the pretty, slender hands that
slipped over the keys SO gracefully.
The glitter of a magnificent diamond
ring on one of her taper fingers instant
ly caught my eye. gave start of
recognition. Jack saw it.
eyes, it is my ring Margaret" he
said, answering the quick uplifting Of
my eyes. elbow much handsomer it
looks than it did when I wore it.
Bessie stopped playing, an appealing
smile curling her full red lips.
emf. Thurstane has loaned it to me
Until to- morrow" said she, with charm
ing frankness. 4 asked him for it. I
admire it so much that l had a great
desire 10 wear it. tsuppose you will
say it was not proper thing to do,
but there was no great harm in it, was
theres"
l looked utterly dumbfounded; or at
least, that is they way felt. Was she
50 unsophisticated as she pretended, or
was her artlessness the perfection of
arts 1t was a difficult question to
answer, but l had my convictions, and
they were strengthened by a remark
Jack made to me later IN the evening.
"Your cousin sings gay little French
chansons, Margaret, be said, following
me to the veranda, where I stood
gravely studying the stars, Pretty well
for an Illinois country girl, isn't it,
Then he went his way, leaving me
to ponder upon his mystical words; and
ponder l did, until they had burned
themselves into my very brain.
But the riddle was nearer a solution
than imagined.
Bessie and l went upstairs at later
hour than usual that night. l noticed
an inde6nable change in the girl when
we were alone together. The sweet
ness left her face just as if she had
suddenly dropped mask. She looked
sullen and insolent, and after lingering
long enough to take hurried survey
of my apartment, as if she were making
secret inventory of what was in it,
she passed on to her own room.
Her singular demeanor made me
nervous; it would be impossible to tell
why. did not feel like sleeping after
she left me, and SO, eAtinguishing my
lamp, I lay down upon the bed without
undressing.
Some hours wore on. At last l
heard plaintive cry, like whippoor-
Wills directly underneath my window.
But something told me no bird had
uttered it. Was it a signal! Breath
lessly I waited.
Not long. A door creaked softly
Bessie's door. Did see a dark
shadow fit noiselessly out upon the
landing, or was it imagination stole
sof tly out of bed. My door was Ger
tainly ajar.
Filed with the most horrible mis-
givings, l ran to the window and
looked out. There was no moon, but
the stars shone brightly in the purple
arch above, and by their glow l saw
three or four spectral-looking figures
steal over a bare bit of lawn and
stealthily approach the house.
A moments delay and then d sash
went up softly. should not have
heard it all if my senses had not been
preternaturally sharpened,
For fe W awful seconds afterward
struggled with a deadly inclination
to faint; then strength and courage
came back again.
Scarcely knowing what I did,
caught up the lamp, lighted it, and
rushed out upon the landing, shrieking
at the top Of my voice:
"Thieves robbers! help!"
A species of madness seemed to
possess me. The dark figures / had
seen had,I was sure, entered the dining
room, where; in convenient closet,
the family plate was kept in q small