The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-12-01


all close together; and she handed the
four she saw to the man. servant.
Then came very unpleasant surmise:
had any one else been in the room9 In
quiry elected the fact that young girl
who had recently come as under-house-
maid had entered the room very soon
after the young lady had gone down to
dinner. Suspicion pointed disagreeably
toward her as the only person who could
possibly have taken the ring; and yet
the whole family felt very much averse
to charge her with the theft. She was a
pretty and very respectable-looking girl;
but she had only been week Or two in
the house, and nothing was known as to
her antecedents beyond the circumstance
Of her having been well recommended
by her previous mistress. The mother
of the family took the girl aside pri-
vately, and told her that they feared she
had been tempted to steal the jewel,
urging her, if she had done so, to con-
Tess her fault and restore the ring imme-
diately, and her fault would be over.
looked. In an agony of grief and indig-
nation the girl protested her innocence,
begging that detective night be sent
for directly to examine her boxes, q
request in which all the other domestics
concurred.
An officer was brought, and narrow
inspection made but nothing could be
seen of the missing ring. Suspicion
still remained attached to the unfortu-
nate young housemaid, who, it was con-
cluded; might have found means skill
fully to conceal tho ring I; there was no
proof against her, but the cold looks of
the other servants were more than she
could endure so she threw up her stu
alton, and went home with furnished
name and breaking heart.
Several days passed away, and the
young lady was sadly distressed for the
loss of her ring, and vowed over and
over again that she would never again
leave her jewels exposed In such care
less manner she was now also much
vexed about the poor young housemaid,
and blamed herself for having thrown
temptation in her way. 1t 80 happened
the day of the unfortunate occurrence,
the weather having been cold and wet,
and her occupation OBTAINING her good
deal at home but bright pleasant
morning appeared, and she arranged to
go out after breakfast with one of her
sisters. The maid looked out her walk
ing-tbings and the fair tonce donned
her bonnet and sealskin jacket, and then
took up her muf, which had been laid
on the toilet-table beside her. She drew
out her hand again directly, and with it
q pair of kid gloves, and as she put them
down one of them fell rather heavily on
the table.
"What is that?" she exclaimed. TAX
ing up the glove, she felt a small, hard
object inside one of the fingers. A
deep, burning flush dyed cheek and
brow, to be instantly succeeded by a
deathly paleness. Sinking down on q
chair, she covered her face with her
hands, and gasped iaintly ooh, Smith,
Smith L shall never forgive myself !
That poor, innocent girl-she never took
my ring! It is there!" And so it was;
caught in the finger of the kid glove,
which the young lady had carelessly
drawn off on her return from her walk,
and placed in her muff when she went to
the piano, where it had remained I'M
touched ever since.
Pleased as she was at the recovery Of
her valuable tr1nket, her satisfaction was
much alleged by remembering all the
painful circumstances connected with it,
especially the mental suffering of the
poor young maid-servant who had been
so unjustly suspected of having stolen
the ring. She and her mother started
directly for the home of the girls wild
owed mother, and were grieved beyond
measure to learn from her that the poor
creature had been 80 overcome by dis
tress of mind that very serious illness
had resulted, and the doctor considered
her symptoms very unfavorable. The
good news brought by her late mistress
had, fortunately, beneficial effect, in
combination with the greatest kindness
and attention that could possibly be be-
slowed on her; and ere many weeks had
passed she was perfectly restored to
health. The young lady's marriage took
place, and in her new home comfort
able situation was found for the girl,
whose happiness was still further in
creased by the appointment of her mother
as gatekeeper at the pretty lodge belong
ing to fairfield Hall. And so the mat
ter ended TO the satisfaction of every
one concerned; but it might have been
far otherwise, and people should be ex-
ceedingly cautious how they make an
accusation which they have no means of
proving, lest they bring lifelong misery
upon the accused, and perhaps repent
ance, when too late, upon themselves.
A gentleman was one day working in
his garden. A ring was on his finger,
set with a single diamond OF great
price. Suddenly he missed the stone
from its place, and began to examine the
ground very carefully, in hopes of see
ing it sparkling at his feet. He had
been pruning and grading fruit-trees,
and had never left the spot where he
was working, so he knew that some
where within radius of q few yards the
stone must be lying; but, though mi
mute search was made and continued for
several days, and the earth carefully
sifted, no diamond could be found.
The gentleman had almost forgotten
the circumstance of his loss when one
morning, a LONG time afterward, ne was
strolling, cigar in mouth, through the
walks OF his garden. AS he passed
particular spot, he observed that some
thing glittered brightly among the
leaves of q pear-tree on the wall. AS
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