The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1882-11-16

the cnance - earn my own nVlnS
They believe me to be q thief. AS well
die of fever rs die of starvation"
Miss Price looked gently at him.
There is no need of either" said
she. 81 have a few dollars in the
savings bank. You are welcome to
them until you can work and earn
something for yourself"
John raised himself on his elbow
and stared at her.
"Why do you give me your hard
earned savings?" said he, bluntly.
because you need them more than
I do," said Miss Price, sewing away.
Judson uttered low, bitter laugh.
81 thought the race of Christians
was extinct" said he; "but I believe
there are some left"
After that he recovered rapidly.
But on the day on which he. first sat
up there came g. laundering knock at
the door and in walked old Mr.. Goldi-
love, plump, clean-shaven and looking
eminently respectable in his fur
trimmed overcoat and new kid gloves.
Judson started.
"Have you come to arrest me, sir"
said he.
"Not at all, my dear fellow-not at
all p said the cid gentleman, briskly.
"Look here p
And opening his hand he showed
snugly reposing in the palm some
thing small and sparkling like drop
of blue dew.
cts the Mordaunt sapphire!" ex-
claimed the lapidary, eagerly.
Exactly" said Mr.. Goldilove; "it's
the Mordaunt sapphire. And where
do you suppose we found it?"
-1.:" 81 am sure, SjsuI dp not know an.
swered Judso3 0se fever-bright
eyes were still - \ y Ipon the glitter
ing blue jewel a, iaoeiae momentarily
expected to see ir f6elt away.
"Why," chuckled Mr.. Goldilove, 81
was the thief, Judson! L stole it my
self. Ia, la, hal"
"You, sir?" calculated John.
"I sent this coat to the furrier's,"
said Mr.. Goldilove, "to have the trim
ming repaired where it had ripped
away. And the furrier found the sap
phire lodged neatly in a seam. 1t
must have clung to the fur some time
when I leaned my elbow carelessly on
the table--slipped in at the ripped
place and tucked itself comfortably
away. And all thetime was scold-
ing about you, Judson, and be-
lieving you in my heart to be a thief,
I was carrying about the missing
jewel myself. Good faith, my dear
fellowl I've thought since if the
Lord judged us as hardly as we judge
each other our chances in the other
world would be mighty slim, eh? But
Pm sorry-sorry from thevery bottom
of my heart-and I beg your pardon,
Judson! And your old place at.the
shop is waiting for you, with little
rise in wages, whenever you choose to
come back"
And he cordially wrung the lapi-
dary's hand once more and hobbled off /;
and it was not until he had gone that
Judson discovered that he had left a
twenty-dollar bill on the table, folded
in an envelope directed to "John Jud-
son."
When Miss Price came in as usual
on her way home from the shirt fac
tory where she worked John Judson
had story to tell her.
"You've kept my heart up many a
time, Miss Price," said he, "when it
has been like a lump of lead in my
breast, with your tales about the vari-
Gus little adventures you had had seek
ing for work in all those downtown
places, and now I've got an adventure
to relate to you!"
Miss Price burst into tears when she
heard it.
"Im so glad, Mr.: Judson" she cried.
"Oh, I am SO glad! But I knew all
along that you never took that jewel"
"God bless you for that!" said Jud-
son, in low voice.
When Mrs. Feathertop came up she
was full OF Mr.. Goldilove's good-nature
the pennies he had given her little
ones, the praise he had adjudsed to the
shining, glass-tcppcd counters and
piles of wkolesomc-looking bread.