The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-01-04
THE LOST KEY.

at the words, and he drew away the hand
which had been care+sing his wife's pref.
~ hair.
"is that p0rte-munnaie lost again? 2"
"Now Philip" said the little woman,
with ward Df pretty pcnitepcc in the
iengtbeneo monosyllable, "don', scold!
Upon my word, it's the first time I've
minlaid it tbis whole morning"
st is too provoking, Jane" said the
hpsDahd, pnslfne bdelr the books or ehe
tnbie before tIiin with n tnogenens deno.
ting intense irritation. "Wilf you never
break yourself of this careless habit, my
lOve7"
Jane was silent, looking down like q
child who had been chidden.
"You don't know what an annoyance
these hectllcsf habits are to ,nethodical
man like myself, dear" he added, in IL
gentler tone, rs the coral lip began to
tremble and the eye to suffusc. "Do try
to be more thonghtfui, for my sake!
Here is your lost treasure" he added,
quietly drawing tiny case Of pearl and
gold from his pocket. 81 found it lying
on tho stairs, aud thought it a u,ost cx,
cellcnt opportunity for giving my careless
little wife lesson"
Jane clapped her hands at the sight of
the restored treasure, and danced out Of
the room in girlisf gcc.
"A perfect child" m,rmurcd the I,u,-
band, looking after her with smile and
a sigh blending unconsciously into one
another. "Wcll, if | don't make haste |
shall be too late for that engagement in
the city. Let me see the note. are in
my irn,, SAT-, believe Nothing like
locking up Things and Keeping the KEY.
Yourself. Ii Jane only followed nv cx-
unpc-'
Mr. W.ltrr pusd al,rurtlv. -ce:ins
IN ia vGrbus ,tds,ts, with nrrv.,m, ha,,r.
,g 42lns..iiing Which seemed MT tn D..
forth .nuiig.
lrVerv strange mn,trrrd he. i,itiug
. lip. 81 always la,t it in that waist,
mt pocSe.. P.'s,iily may haze laid il
N lie table AIN ,ngnt ih.r. papers"
tn. aforesaid paper. rti,tlcd hit!,rr
tu.i thither, iikr animated snow flakes, us
Mr.. Walter lurri,aliy sought amongst.
:hfir confused misses, but il was all in
vain.
II can't have lost it I" he exclaimed, in
lire perplexity. "And every one OF those
notes are locked up in :he safe, with no
earthly chance of ever getting Mt them
But am certain the key can't be lost
never lose anything! 1t won't do to wait
many minutes; III just put,on clean
shirt and run down town. Hang the
keyW
Mr.. Walter hastetied up to his dressing
room to complete the details of his toilet,
ere ilu left the house bit his trials we're
not yet destined to-teFminate. He was O
methodical man, therefore his wardrobe
was. carefully locked; he alwsys kept
things in one place, therefore the keys
were snugly reposing in one corner of
the inaccessible iron safe.
He rushed frantically back to the IL
brary, hoping faintly that the key might
be on the mantlepiece, where he had not
yet searched. No, it was not there; but
a trcacherous ink.stand was, the contents
whereof, by one unlucky sweep of the
elbow, descended in On ebon cataract
over his shirtfront-the shirt-front upon
which alone he had depended
"Well, here Is q catastrophe |" he mur-
mured, gloomily stanching, the ink flow
with his pocket handkerchief. "How-
ever, can button my coat over for the
present. Let me see-there 10 that money
I promised to pay Smithson to-day, and
now"
He stopped short; cold dew of dis
may branI.ing ON his forehead-the
dRwers was q Sxturers OF she
wretchenlsoh safsl = ga {
Pennllt:S and shirtless, what more 'des-
perate state of affairs could his worst en-
emy desire for him? There was lower
deem yet .however-Tvould he mot be
chasaG GSrieSS lskewiSa ifliia wife bl1daId,
byiany inopbutSnne ,chanpA, discover ShaS
be, the model Of rule and order. had lost
his key SO .h4aght NE. Walter, as he
went off to q dSys of perplcxities and
ih the city.
"If ever I tease Jane again about log
ing thinga," he muttered fnwardly, as no
entered the room On returning home, +
hope to be drowned with o huud.ed-
weight off keys about my ,neckal les
q Judgment upon me p
He unbuttoned his coat as he sr oke.
of the ink-stains of the morting,
Jane uttered faint scream, and shFafik
back, exclaiming, "My dear Philip, what
Is the matter with your shirt 2"
'The matter! Oh !nrsaid he, coloring
and laughing. IL remember nnw-f
split little ink over IL this morning It
don't signi!y much.
"Do letme get yoa .ut another, my
dearm
"No, no." said he, eagerly detaining
heSS u isn't at all! worth while. Do ait
down, MY Inve, aud be easy."' stkli
But Jane started away To carry her
baby up to the nursery. Just ~ she
reached the door, something jingled soft
ly in the pocket of her little silk apron
she stopped In the passage. .'" -!t,"f
a'"Oh !iby the way, Philip, here is the
key 10 your iron safe. ] found it on the
table, this afternoon; and"
she Gddeds with. an, arch sparkle IT, i;er
roguish eyes, "I thought Il would b, ON
excellent opportunity for giving my hus-
band lessotis2 hiss M IBfi- fsJ!nsM
She laid theikeY,in his hand, and ran
out OF the r.e:n, as he recoiled inyoiun-
tarily from, the sound Of his own peGanic
words. AS he contemplated the glean,-
Ing words of the little steel mischief
maker in niihgied delight and |mortifica-
tion,- the echo of james merry laughter
on the stairs reached his ear like chino
of silver bells. z .,.tsq
snHe laughed too--he couldn't help It'll
erMfSsfJan Walter was discreet little
female. She mover alluded to she subject
ofithe keys again, and her husband was
never after known TO rsproach herSfer
tAreleaAness. a7'iiB
S41g ,i The hlimaG heart silks apickle jar
-ryou iujll get nothing out of It If you
shake itin hurry. tst6ffai
-; Ninhsharie In n sort of farroting