The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-05-29
MWell ), said Adele. mit,s iust .

"Wen," said Adele, "it's just
pleasure to have them to look at.
Poor little Adele was the penniless
orphan of penniless parents, and she
taught drawing in large school in Bos-
ton, where Phil had happened to see
her and love her at first sight. Phil was
coming before long now for his month s
vacation, and she was only living by
counting the hours. A little restless till
then, the light talk of the girls seemed
to her unmeaning chatter, in which she
had small interest, and she used to
wander off by herself, sketching effects
on her little pocket boards, or lying IN
the fern or under the shadows of the
cliffs, with an unread book in her hand,
by the hour together. Occupied with
her own fancies, and with a drawing OF
the outlines of old Worlds End, it was
not strange that she did not particularly
notice the demeanor of the girls, or, II
she did observe them whispering with
their heads together, that she should
have thought it no more than the Gus
tomary mischief and merry-making.
She was standing alone one morning,
Just as the sun was drying the grass and
moss on the top of Breezy Bluff, be-
hind her the great purple mountain,
below her the dewy verdure of the hill
sides; hawks were soaring and sweep
ing over her head in the marvellous
blue of the stainless sky, and under her
feet the tops of the woods were bowling
and bending. 1t was not like daily life,
she was saying to herself. 'sThis
10 fl 1.11 =
one had died, and were really approach
ing heaven And in her white gown,
with her bright brown hair floating out
about her face in the wind that famed
so pure a color there, and with her
luminous eyes borrowing the very color
of the skies, she looked almost as if she
were. AS she stood there, rapt in
reverie and happiness-the world was
so beautiful, and Phil was coming any
day now, and she had hardly any other
thought - she did not notice Miss
Mahoney, under big umbrella, toiling
up to meet her, till that individual was
close upon her.
81 have followed you here, Miss
Montrose," said she, sullenly, in her
most rasping tones, "to save you any
modification before the other boarders,
and to ask what you have done with my
Devonshire point
"With what?"
"With my Devonshire point.''
"What | have done with your Devon
shire point? Why, Miss Mahoney, what
do you mean?" she exclaimed, descend
ing from her day -dreams.
81 mean what | say. My Devonshire
point has disappeared. 1 have searched
everywhere for it-so have two or three
others-every box, every bag, every
basket, every drawer. l have shaken
every garment, have left no nook or cor
ner neglected, and it is not to be found.
You were the last person seen with it
the only one who appreciated it. What
have you done with itp''
"You must-you must-you must be
dreaming, Miss Mahoney," said Adele.
"What in the world should l do with
your lace?"
"Finish bridal toilette with it, per-
haps," said Miss Mahoney.
"Do you mean-is it possible you can
mean"
"Miss Montrose, mean that some
body has taken my lace, and that, to be
plain, suspicion points to you, and that
l am giving you chance to restore it
to me before call an officer. For
doubtless, since you could do such a
thing, you know the value of that lace. -
:" Am l talking to crazy womanp"
cried Adele.
"No," said Miss Mahoney. "But
am talking to thief
For moment Adele was dumb.
Then the full meaning of the accusation
smote her, and her anger flashed up like
a flame. elbow did it happen,'' she
broke forth, "that so dreadful, so con-
temptible woman came under the same
roof with me! Leave me-leave me
this instant! refuse ever to speak to
you again.
"You will speak to the officers of the
law, then," said Miss Mahoney, using
her umbrella like a tip-staff. "The
people at the house have but guessed
that suspected you. Now l shall speak
at once to Mrs. Pierson and the other
boarders, and tell them my certainty
l never dreamed that coming into a
country farmhouse 1 was coming into a
den of thieves" And she was as good
as her word.
Adele herself hurried down the noun
tain, slipping and scrambling and roll
ing. But fast as she went in her indig-
nation, Miss Mahoney's long legs had
gone faster; and, as she drew near the
house, she saw that the usual gay morn
ing parties on the piazzas were absent,
and she presently understood, by the
sound of the loud forgetful tones that
came through the open window, that the
loss of the Devonshire lace was under
discussion.
"Mr. Philip Hunt will learn" Miss
Meyer was saying, "that before one
marries beauty it is best to see wheth-
er or not she is kleptomaniac."
"Kleptofddlesticks!" cried Miss Ma
honey. ga thief's thief Rich or
poor. She has my lace, or she hasn't.
If she has, she's a thief, and four strong
walls will hold her before night-fall, and
save the lace of other people,"
1t seemed to Adele that she was GER
tainly going mad herself. She walked
in among them and stood looking about
her, white as ashes, and with blazing
eyes. T" Is there any one here capable
of believing such a frightful thing as
this woman's wordsp" she exclaimed.
"Miss Montrose!" cried Mrs. Pierson