Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-20
RIGHT AT LAST.

1blOA III uhOls
1.-TWO hundred and thirty.six pounds,
he said, putting the accounts away to clear
the table for tea, as Crawford brought IN
the things ''Why, don't call that much.
/ believe reckoned on their coming to
great deal more. I'll go into the city to-
morrow, and sell out some shares, and set
your little heart at ease. Now don't 90
and put spoonful less tea in tonight to
help 10 pay these bills. Earning is better
than saving and am earning at famous
rate Give me good tea, Maggie, for l
have done good days work. !"
They were sitting in the doctors con-
sultiDg room, for the better economy of
fire. To add to Margaret's discomfort, the
chimney smoked this evening. She had
held her tongue from any repining words
for she remembered the old proverb about
a smoky chimney and scolding wife /; but
she was more irritated by the puffs of
smoke coming over her pretty white work
than she cared to show and it was in
sharper tone than usual that she spoke, in
bidding Crawford take care and have the
chimney swept. The next morning all had
cleared brightly off. Her husband had
convinced her that their money matters
were going on well the IRE burned briskly
at breakfast, time, and the unwonted sun
shone in at the windows. Margaret was sur
prised when Crawford told her that he had
not been able to meet with chimney
sweeper that morning, but that he had
tried to arrange the Goals in the CRATE so
that, for this one morning at least, his
mistress should not be annoyed, and by
the next he would take care to secure
- -.l o,,J
acquiesced in all plans about giving a
readily because she felt that she had
spoken sharply the night before. She de-
clded to go and pay all her bills and make
some distant calls on the next morning !;
and her husband promised to go into the
city and provide her with the money.
This he did He showed her the notes
that evening, locked them up for the night
In his bureau and, 10, in the morning they
were gone They had breaktasted in the
back parlor, or half-furnished dining room.
A charwoman was in the front room, clean.
ing after the sweeps. Doctor Brown went
to his bureau, singing an old Scotch tune
as he left the dining-room. 1t was so long
before he came back, that Margaret went
to look for him. He was sitting in the
chair nearest to the bureau, leaning his
head upon it, in the deepest dependency.
He did not seem to hear Margaret's step,
as she made her way among rolled-up car
pets and chairs piled on each other. She
had to touch him on the shoulder before
she could rouse him.
flames, James p she said in alarm.
He looked up at her almost as if he did
not know her.
20, Margaret !" he said, and took hold
of her hands, and hid his face in her neck.
dearest love, what is it" she asked,
thinking he was suddenly taken i'll.
Some one has been to my bureau since
last night he groaned, without either
looking mp or moving.
g And taken the money, said Margaret,
in an instant understanding how 1T stood.
It was great blow; great loss, far
greater than the few extra pounds by which
the bills had exceeded her calculations !;
vet it seemed as If she could bear it better.
90. dear p she said, that is bad ; but
after aldo yen know" she said, trying
to raise his face, so that she might look
into it, and give him the encouragement of
her honest loving eyes, at first 1 thought
you were deadly Ill, and all sorts OF dread
full possibilities rushed through my mind .
it is such a relief to find that it is only
money"
'Only money y he echoed, sadly, avoid
ing her look, as il he could not bear to show
her how much he felt It..
.And after all, she said with spirit,
9 it can't be gone far. Only last night
here. The chimney-sweeps- must send
Crawford for the police directly. You did
not take the numbers of the notes y ring
ing the bell as she spoke.
mo; they were only to be in our pos
session one night, he SAID.
mo, TO be sure not.
The charwoman now appeared at the door
with her pail OF hot water Margaret
looked into her face, as if to. read guilt or
innocence. She was protege of Christie's,
who was not apt to accord her favor easily,
or without good grounds an honest decent
widow, with large family to maintain by
her labor-that was the character in which
Margaret had engaged her; and she looked
it. Grimy IN her dress-because she could
net snare the money or time to be clean
her skin looked healthy and cared for; she
had straightforward, business-hke ap-
pearance about her, and seemed in no ways
daunted nor surprised to see doctor ana
Mrs. Brown standing in the middle OF the
room. in displeased perplexity and distress.
She went about her business without tax
ing any particular notice OF them. Mar
gsrets suspicious settled down yet more
distinctly upon the chimney. sweeper but
he could not have gone far, the notes could
hardly have got into circulation. Such
sum could not have been spent by such
man IN so short time, and the restoration
of the money was her first, her only OBJ
iect. She had scarcely thought for sab
seauent duties, such as prosecution of the
offender, and the like consequences of
crime. While her whole energies were
bent on the speedy recovery of the money,
and she was rapidly gong over the neces-
sary steps to be taken, her husband " sat
all poured out in his chair, as the Germans
say no force in him to keep his limbs in
any attitude requiring the slightest exer-
ton his face sunk, miserable, and with
that foreshadowing of the lines of age
which sudden distress is apt to call oHt on
the youngest and smoothest faces.