The Sunday herald., 1881-02-06
CHARMING PICKPOCKET.

Miss Illione Howell sits on the top step g
the back porch OF the Pebble House, gain
out upon the river---blue as the sky abov
II, and elriust as bright--which flows gentl
by at the foot of the garden.
Everything looks bright and beautiful thi
warm, pleasant, fragrant October day. Th
garden walks, formed of many small rlit
tering stones, encircle the bede of auttim,
flowers and plots of feathety grass like broat
gray ribbons thickly sewn with precious
gems and the little summer and bath houses
Duiit oi some dark wood, and incrusted will
more brilliant pebbles, CLEAN and GLOW
through the trees at the waters edge, as th,
homes of the diamond gnomes much CLEAN
and glow In the heart of the dark browr
earth. Nor does the sheen and glitter enc
with them, for the Pebble House itself is dec
Grated around each window and door-im
bedded in some mysterious manner in tn,
frames-with many colored stones, each on,
sparkling bravely in pygmy mimicry of tn,
setting sun.
But lovliest of all things that adorp tbi,
wonderful October day-lovelier than flasbinc
river, cleaning sunshine-steeped pebbles
flaming gladioles, and bec loved four O clocks
Is the lady, young and fair, with golden
| brown hair, large blue-gray eyes, pale oval
lace, and sweet small mouth, leaning back
ag ainst the Pebble House porch, the foliage
OF the Virginia creeper that enrobes IL drop.
ping over her beautiful head. There ia n
tender, dreamy look in her large eyes, and a
| soft smile about her prettily curved lips. AZ
she sits there SO motionless, gazing out upon
the river. One can see at once that she
is wandering in dream-land; but, alas she
is doomed to be rudely recalled TO earth
| again.
Kleptomania, indeed, " said loud girl
ish voice hear her, and Miss Ada Warden, a
| little brunette with magnificent black ewes
and heavy black eyeslgows, comes suddenly
out on the porch, arm-in-arm with her in
separable friend, Linda Lees, whose eyes are
as blue as Ada's are black, and whose eve.
| brows are the faintest shadows of those he
longing to her friend.
Why do they never call it that when
the-the-''
Kleptomaniac, drawls Linda, sinking
into an easy chair, and clasping her pretty
hands above her head with generous yawn
that seems to indicate her weariness of the
subject.
"Oh, thanks!" continued Ada, in the
same loud voice. swinging her broad-briii-
med hat carelessly to and fro" klepto-
maniac, to be sure-happens to be poor
thing of that sort ?"
Don't look at me, dear,' Miss Howell
begs, in tones that would have delighted
Shakespeare himself; "I'm sure don't
know, and she yawns too, but such cum
ming little yawn, as though red rose bud
mad suddenly made up its mind to unfold in
to the smallest of red roses.
A" Well, upon my word" exclaims Ada
Indignantly, looking from one of her friends
to the other, you both appear to be in re-
markable spirits this afternoon. can't
stand it,. must run away in search of some
one less boisterous. No, won't either, for
mere comes Herbert Moore, my cousin of
cousins, attended, prince of good fellows as
ne is. by slaves bearing iced sherbets and
cakes OF dew and honey-that is, lemonade
and macaroons. Girls, aint you glad I've
got such duck of cousin, and that l
coaxed him to spend his vacation here in
stead OF at Newport And now for his
opinion on the subject. y Nl =
What subject p asked Herbert Moore.
And then, without waiting for an answer. he
turns to the lovely face enwreathed with the
vine leaves, and says: "May sit at your
feet, Miss Howell I've been roaming, Pve
been roaming, and I'm deu-. Beg pardon
awfully tired" -
"Wouldn't you rest better in chair 2"
and she leans forward with a bright smile on
her lips and In her eyes.
. Not at all, thank you" seating himself
step or two below the lady.
Mrs. Sherwood" begins Ada, between
two bites of a macaroon.
Oh, that affair of the diamond bracelet
poor thing" says the young man.
What, do you believe in kleptomania 2"
drawls Linda, from her easy chair.
That's the way they explain it," Ada
goes on. She has been an innocent picker
up of costly trihes since her childhood, her
father at first, and then her husband. re.
funding. But Mr.. Brown, the jeweler, with
heart as hard as his diamonds, threatened
prosecution, and only consented to com
promise on condition that he should be al.
lowed to warn his brethren of gems and gold.
ana SO IT all came out. Oh, dear what
shocking thing, especially when one re-
members that the-the"
Kleptomaniac," Linda again lazily sup-
gests.
More thanks, Linda lovS-that the
kleptomaniac came near being one of one's
intimate friends Do say something, Her
bert" -
The most charming girl ever met in
my life" Herbert responded, gravely, "was
q pickpockat." -"
Miss Warden chokes with her lemonade.
Miss Lees drops her hands from their favor.
ite position above her head into her lap,
with an echo of the word "pick pocket.'i
and Miss Howell looks down OH the young
man with questioning look in her lovely
eyes.
"Tell us instantly, Herbert, that's darl-
ing" gasps Ada, and Herbert obeys.
Last winter, coming home TO nv lodging
one night, just after parting with my chum,
George Cutlbert. Ada
MISS Warden, with toss of her curly head |
and Hush on her brown cheeks, commands /: |
z" Don't address yourself altogether to me,
sir. It isn't polite.'
Beg pardon" said Herbert, mischiey- |
ously, "but for some reason or other. | |
always think of you when think of George. |
Well, I'd seen George of to Europe that |
afternoon, after we'd roamed together for |
four years without quarreling once. ! won
der II that could be said ofany two women ~
ne pauses, but his audience maintaining
dignihed silence, proceeds with his story. |
A" naturally felt very lonely after his de- |
parture, and being unable to read, and in |
no humor to make calls, l determined to go |
to some place Of amusement. II was cold |
night, and as Jack Frost and | had never |
been on very friendly terms, in order TO |
avoid protracted struggle with him, se- |
lected the nearest theatre, regardless of |
what the performance was to be, II |
CHANGED that they were playing most dis
nal piece"
What was II ?'' asked Ada.
Ada with great solemnity-" not for |
the world would give any one, not even |
you, my gentle COZ, clue by which Well, |
! was but just seated when most lovely |
girl, followed by her escort-a young man
whose resemblance to her led me to believe
him to be her brother-sank into the chair |
next me-"
What did she look like'" slyly quss-
questions Lydia.
J" Miss Lees, | must repeat the remark | |
made to my cousin moment ago. No word |
or act Of mine shall lead to the Suffice it |
to say, she was lovely. The curtain rose as
soon as she had taken her seat, and from