Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-09-16

do there is Some mistake here
! .ssNo,' persisted Louisa, for Miss
Sallie missed the cross almost directly,
and we hunted everywhere, and then it
dropped out of her pocket and Louisa
nodded her head sagely. could hardly
wait to get down to Alice's. Mrs. Lee,
her cousin, opened the door for me with
very lofty air.
The wretched girl is up stairs. Miss
Lang, she said; you can see her, of
course
81 stopped on the stairs. 'Mls. Leer
l exclaimed, you are not cruel enough
to believe this of your cousinP'
Mrs. Lee only tossed her head, and /
flew up to my poor Alice. She was
pacing her little attic room with a white
face and a scared, strange expression.
"'Oh, Esther she exclaimed, this is
horrible, horrible!' And then excitedly
she told me the story.
1T was the same Matte had related,
but Alice renewed assurances that she
could not understand how the cross came
to be in her pocket. eyH 1sf9 eaes-s1
Before the next night twenty YER
sions of the story were circulating in
Burtnet, and / do believe Mrs. Lee en-
couraged them. She had always re
sented her husbands invitation to Alice,
and believed this would afford good
excuse for sending her home. b
Mrs. Rogers tried to stem the tide of
public opinion as kindly as possible, but
she could not deny facts, and in three
days Alice had bidden us farewell
which seemed to me perfectly tragic, for
she went away from Burtnet in this
cloud of disgrace. s....-s 49, -.s...-t
1t was long time ago, yet | remember
as if it were yesterday all the effects of
that fortnight; the void Alice's absence
caused; our dullness without her CHEEKY
voice and gay laugh; Miss Lennox's s
nervous irritability; the girls perpetual
references to the subject, and conjectures,
which Miss Lennox finally silenced by
saying in the school-room she wished it
understood that she considered Alice
Arthur perfectly blameless; that there
was some mystery, but that until it was
solved she desired all discussion on the
subject to cease.
THAT same night / was taking tea in
Miss Lennox's room, when DR.. Bridge
called. The doctor was the healer of all
kinds of woes in Burtnet. and his kind
face comforted us now
He had been out of town fortnight.
Z So have come to see you, Miss Len
nox,' he said. gravely, about cur young
friend, Alice Arthur. She never stole
that crossr
oh, doctor!' we exclaimed together.
"' Now said he, sitting down, 'I'ye
Just heard Of it, and l think I can H.
Illuminate the question little
I" He smiled knowingly; of course we
were feverishly excited at once.
The doctor continued
L 4l1z4 II.
Rogers lungs have been troubling her
lately. Well, itso happened 1 was called
in to see her the very day those girls
were at Fairbank. Now, was waiting
for Mrs. Rogers in room up stairs
directly opposite sallie's. It was about
four o'clock in the afternoon, but warm
so that windows and doors stood open;
Sallie's door was half-open, so that as |
happened to glance across the hail l was
struck by the pretty reflections of green
vine from an opposite window in that
long mirror of hers. Then / noticed a
shadow across it; then girls figure;
now. you know my hobby about straight
shoulders. Inever thought who it was.
but only. "What a crooked back!" /
could see tie figure at tull length reflect
ed in the mirror as she stood at the
dressing table hidden by the door, She
was putting something about her neck.
1t looked like necklace; 1 saw the
glitter of gold. She clasped it and moved
back and forth as if enjoying the effect
"'Who was itp'
's' That's what I've come here to find
OUT said the doctor, shrewdly. Il
couldn't see Ter face-but it wasn't
Alice Arthur. Presently Mrs Rogers
step sounded; the girls figure darted
away out of sight, and but for this horrid
accusation, never should have thought
of it again
Miss Lennox and I exchanged
glances; she said, in a half-whisper:
60 Louisa?"
And L
".'Lydia?'
f'ts Youknow3 my hobby about stoop-
ing shoulders the doctor went on
Now was so impressed by it should
know that girls back in a thousand /
just longed to put her into braces
8t'We had to laugh. hfE =.
"' Well,'' said Miss Lennox, sit won't
do to accuse another innocent person,
but if you can come here tomorrow,
doctor, about one, I'll contrive to have
you survey the girls shoulders without
their knowing it.. Then we may be
helped. It's good cause, doctor. IF
my poor Alice has this upon her name
much longer, she will be ruined for
life 4da gF 5-f Il ess ~ ia
"We were much encouraged, though
perplexed; and, although I was not
present when the doctor came next day,
] can tell you all the circumstances of
his visit.
'tHe took his seat in the window of
Miss Lennox's parlor. Above the low
mantel there was a wide, old-fashioned
mirror, very useful that morning.
Miss Lennox, on some pretext, sum-
moned Matte Jones' Sent her to the
mantel to find a pair ofspectacles. Mat
tie fumbled about, brought them to the
table, and went off on a message. When
they were alone Miss Lennox looked at
the doctor. fs
So No., he said, smiling.
Another summons brought Lydia
Samson. The same tactics and the same
result. Next Fanny Jones. Dr. Bridge
was growing impatient when Louisa
Bywell appeared, with the excited air
common to her these days.
Miss Lennox sent her to the mantel.
Then said: aes
Louisa, fasten your chain more
securely M
"The girls hands went up to her neck.
She secured the clasp with her little
fidgeting air, found what Miss Lennox
wanted, and went off on an errand.