The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-08-24

VII uclll VII tCetl' ouuDCN MI
garct. sfWhat IN unhappy woman
i ana, to be sure! There never was
such injustice done to any one. I'd
lieyer die than steal-I would indeed
I'D liever die. Mrs. Bonnycastle
you don't believe it of me?"
believe that you would be dis
honest? No, indeed, Maggie said.
Mrs. Bonnycastle; and as the door
closed behind her humble friend, she
turned a,questionipg and indignant
facoupon quiet Mrs. Cameron,
SMyJear, said;the lady ssit dowhs
l beg Of you. Don't Be distressed.
Let mo taiq YOUR hat and shawl, i
but ifcan't be helped.
;5oll " iisss illiIlg , : liAli haJit was
Il viii now do SO, Yeslefday rshould
say that it was pilferingj now l must
tell llyouit was theft
!'YoI might as well accuse me as.
Margaret" !" cried Mrs. Bounycastle.
Listen, if you please, to my ox-
PLANTATION before you blame me, said
Mrs, Cameron. "From the first day
of Margaret's arrival have missed
little articles; now an old cuff, now
another, now linen collar Il tidy
from a chair, an old necktie, buttons,
odds and ends, you know; nothing
ing valuable, Ny women servants
have all been with me for years. /
took poor mammals household, you
know The men never come up
stairs. These losses never occurred
before. | made up my mind after
while that Margoret was at the bot
tom of it all; but, at first, l was real
ly not sure but that she in her neat
ness had tucked them out of sight.
"At last lost lace collar worth
fifteen dollars. l gave thorough
search and made inquiry. 1t was
not to be found. A month later u
very valuable lace barbe vanished.
l spoke little suspiciously to Mar
garot about this, and she showed no
discomposure. could not accuse
her; but on Monday my pearl brace
let disappeared under circumstances
that leave no doubt in my mind of
Margarcts guilt.
eve hold family worship every
morning, you know. All the ser
wants, being Of our own religi2n, are
pF5Sei.s aFgafet, Holding d diil6f-
ent faith, does not present herself.
1t was at this time the bracelet dis
appeared. laid it upon my cush-
ion before ran down to breakfast
When l went into my room again it
was gone. Margaret was the only
person in the upper part of the house
besides her grandmother"
"Somo stranger has stolenit. Any
sneak thief, any tramp, might do it,
but Margaret never would" said
Mrs. Bonnycastle. "My DEAR" said
Mrs. Cameron, before | took any ac-
tive measures, l called on Mrs Coul-
ter, with whom Margaret lived just
as she does with me-Grannie and
all-before she came here, and | ask
ed her plainly why she did not keep
her. At first she refused to tell.
Then | told her my suspicious. 1t
will surprise you to hear that she
then confessed tohaving lost sOmany
things, that she also lost her faith in
Margaret. So there is policeman
down stairs, and Margaret's trunks
are to be searched and, unless she
makes confession, shall not let her
off so easily, for she is the worst hyp-
ocrito | ever met"
"I won't listen any longer, cried
Mrs Bonnycastle. I'd trust Margar-
ct with untold gold. One of your
dear old servants has done it, ofcourse,
and you suspect the stranger. I'll
go to Margaret"
Suddenly she stopped. A wall
rang through the houso-an awful
cry, Mrs. Cameron caught Mrs,
Bonnycastlc by the arm.
People only scream that way over
the dead" she said What is it,
Where is it?
They rushed to the door, In the
hall they met the servants. the po-
liccmon also hurried up stairs. The
cry had come from the housekceper's
room, and thithcr they all made their
way. 1t was Margarct's voice that