Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-10-31
THE JEWEL CASE.

shall not be gone more than week,
Meta" said Mrs. Darkedale, and of
course feel that | can leave everything
in your charge, without the least anx-
iety."
"Of course you may, Mrs Darkcdalc,"
said Meta, a flush Of gratiied pride man
Ting her cheek.
Zone favor, however, | must ask,
added Mrs. Darkedale, and that is, you
will not receive any company during my
absence"
She looked keenly at Meta Gray.
The girl colored deep scarlet.
suppose you mean the Fenleys,"
said she not without some constraint in
her manners I" | do not expect to see
them while YOU are gone"
Very well" returned Mrs. Darke-
dale; you are good girl, Meta, and
think | may trust you"
Mrs. Darkedale was the relict of an
East India merchant, who had left her
widowed and childless in the world about
two years previous.
Meta Gray was distant relative, who
had come to the Darkedale house, part
ly because her cousins widow had writ
ten her cordial invitation, and partly
because she had nowhere else to go.
She was Il pretty, enthusiastic young
creature, who had somewhat strange
IDEAS of the world, and who rather de-
spised the promising wholesale grocer
whom Mrs. Darkedale had selected as an
eligible match for her, because he was n
Wholesale grocer.
Sugar and raisins are so vulgar"
said Meta, turning up her pretty little
nose.
No more so than stocks and bonds, j"
retorted Mrs. Darkedale,
And, much to the good lady's veXa-
ton, Meta persisted in selecting for her
bosom friend dashing damsel, called
Eudora Fenley, who fitted dresses and
trimmed bonnets in . strictly private
fashion, and had poetical brother who
gave guitar lessons.
Meta Gray was not often obstinate, but
this was one of the few occasions on
which Mrs. Darkedale got, as she herself
phrased it, thoroughly out of patience
with the child
i believe they have bewitched her"
SAID Mrs. Darkedale. However, I'll
say no more about it. Perhaps the
fancy will wear itself out after awhile
and I've always heard that opposition
Is the worst thing in the world to fan n
flame"
So Mrs. Darkedale went away to her
friends sick bed, and left Meta Gray in
possession, with only old Hannah, the
maid, to share the honors.
1t was novel and rather 4 pleasant
responsibility to order the dinner and
decide on the desert and, when that
was settled, Meta went up stairs to tidy
up Mrs. Darkedale's room, stralghten
the guipure lace coverlet, and put away
the various articles that the good lady
had left scattered on chairs, sofa, and
dressing table in her haste of prepare
Gon.
As Meta folded up a cashmere scarf
something dropped with clink on the
floor.
Mrs. Dorkedale's keys " she ex-
claimed, aloud.
1t was true
The little bunch had somehow caught
IN the fringe of the scarf and got jerked
out of the old lady's pocket, and she had
gone off without them.
Meta was still looking at them and
bordering to herself Mrs. Darkedale's
constcrnation at discovering their loss,
when there came a soft tap at the door,
and Miss Eudora Fenley rHstled III,
bringing with her a general impression
Of sparkling bugles and fiuttering rib
oons, and decided odor of patchouli.
Eudora p exclaimed the girl
How you did start y said Eudora,
9th an affected little giggle. . No,
didn't ring. Hannah was cleaning the