The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-09-02
the Jewel CASE.

"I shall not be gone more than a
week, Meta" said Mrs. Darkedale
"and of course I feel that can
leave everything in your charge,
without the least anxiety"
"Of course you may, Mrs. Darke-
dale" said Meta, flush of pride
mantling her cheek.
"One favor, however, I must
ask" added Mrs. Darkedale, land
that Is, that you will not receive any
company during my absence
She looked keenly at Meta Gray.
The girl colored deep scarlet.
II suppose you mean the Fen
leys." said she, not without some
constraint in her manner; 81 do not
expect to see them while you are
gone"
every WELL" returned Mrs. Darke-
dale; "you are a good girl, Meta,
and think l may trust YOU"
Mrs. Darkedale was the relic of
an Eastern merchant, who had left
her widowed and childless about
two years previously.
Meta Gray was a distant relative,
who had come to the Darkedate
house, partly because her cousins
widow had written her cordial
invitation, and partly because she
had nowhere else to 60. She was a
pretty, enthusiastic young creature,
who had strange ideas of the world,
and who rather despised the promis-
ing wholesale grocer whom Mrs.
Darkedale had selected as an eligi-
BILE match for her, because he was a
wholesale grocer.
Sugar aud raisins are so vulgar"
said Meta, turning up her pretty
little nose.
"No more so than stocks and
bonds" retorted Mrs. Darkedale.
And much to the good lady's vex-
alton, Meta persisted in selecting for
a bosom friend a dashing damsel
called Eudora Fenlsy, who fitted
dresses and trimmed bonnets in a
strictly private fashion, and had a
poetical brother who gave guitar
lessons. Meta Gray was not often
obstinate, but this was one of the
few occasions on which Mrs. Darke-
dale got, as she herself phrased it,
"thoroughly out of patience with the
child"
Il believe they have bewitched
her." said Mrs. Darkedale. GLOW
ever, I'll say no more about IL. Per
haps the fancy will wear itself out,
after awhile e-and l have often
heard that opposition is the worst
thing in the world to fan fame.
So Mrs. Darkedale went away to
he friends sick bed, and left Meta
GRAY in possession, with only old
Hannah, the maid to share the hon
Ors.
1t was novel and rather pleasant
responsibility to order the dinner
and decide on the desert and, when
that was settled, Meta went NJ
stairs to "tidy up Mrs. Darkedale's
room, strighten the guipure lace
coverlet and put the articles that
the good lady had left scattered on
chairs, sofa and dressing table in
her haste of preparation. .5..
As Meta folded up cashmere
scarf, something dropped with q
clink on the floor.
"Mrs. Darkcdale's keys" she ex-
claimed aloud.
1t was true. The little bunch
had somehow caught on the long
fringe of the scarf and got jerkee
| out of the old lady's pocket, and
she had gone off without them.
Meta was still looking at them
and pondering to herself Mrs. Dark
dals's CONSERVATION AT discovering
her loss, when there came sof'
tap at the door, and Miss Eudor'
Fenley rustled in, bringing with ne
a general impression Of sparkling
beauties and fiuttering ribbons, ant
q decided odor Of potchoa'a.
"Eudora," exclaimed the girl
"How you did startr' said Endo
|ra. with an effected little giggle
lNo, I didn't ring. Hannah wa
cleaning the doorsteps, and jus
slipped in and came straight u
here. as didn't find you in tn
parlor. What is that you have I
your hand? Keys?"
2Yes," said Meta; "Mrs. Dark
dale's keys. She has gone off an
forgotten them. See-here's II
china closet, and this big one looI
| the silver beaWfet, and here's tn
wardrobe key, and the little Of
with gilded top belongs to the jswe
lb0x." ng.
aThe jewel-box," said Eudor
with sparkling eyes. "Oh. Met
that will be the very thing. I 9
Igoing to q ball tomorrow night, q
ITUa 4 mink satin and wreath. and