Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-07-19

and as she did 80 fatefully ly-pool
little woman III tod . good lool
at her. She was stil enng and pref
ty.
Behind her hung 0g mirror. II
had grown dim han N there. and
had misty shadow yer It. and il
the two angles Of che B6Fner stood q
faded old Japanese zen and tai
rchest Of drawers
The store was now npty. and the
light was leaving il. che sun was
creeping away frcm doOr-sill and
mounted up 70 the AZ IL be had
only waited for che - DO over.
The lady had a face That touched
me at once. She was pale and timid
bat there was that in her face that
made me take off my hat while talk.
ed to her. / don't know how to ex
press it but it was as If | stood in
the presence of death, and the natural
reverence of that great mystery com
manded my respect.
What can do for you, madam 2
/ asked.
She had been looking around her
as if seeking something.
"YOu sell the goods, do you not 2
she said, eagerly.
She looked about her again, and
the color came and went in her face
nervously.
"Yes, madam"
"You would know the articles sent
here?"
Probably"
81 have just come from Clutchem
& Keep" she began in hurried tones,
as if ashamed Of admitting her knowl.
edge of those gentlemen. "They-
had-some-things-I was forced
to-part with" Here she paused
for a moment; then looking up at
me with a faint smile. "You hear
this said SO often that I will only
weary you.
Somehow or other, it seemed to me
I had only then understood the posi-
biIitY Of heart sorrow being attach
ed to the exchange Of goods such as
had that day sold.
Il am anxious to help you, mad
am"
And I was I believe was grow
ing superstitious, too; for it seemed
to me as if a ghostly pageant was
crossing and recrossing that dim mir
ror, and the old screen shook as il
sighs or sobs were coming from it.
''Thank you! / am looking for a
cedar cabinet" said the lady, gently,
(which was among the articles
parted with to Clutchem & Keep, and
am told it was sent here for sale.
wish to redeem it at any price"
She stopped suddenly as she saw
my face change.
A cedar cabinetl
l remembered it at once. The hurt
on NV hand recalled it, also that it
had been labeled for that days sale.
She grew frightened at my hesita-
ton.
"Do not cay that it is gonel |" she
cried, rising quickly, and grasping my
arm. "Oh, God would not SO afflict
mel Look, look everywhere for it, I
beg, l pray you"
Her hands shook SO on my arm that
! could feel the quivering of her thin
fingers.
l tried to think to whom had sold
a cabinet that day; then it flashed on
me that there had not been one in the
catalogue.
Had l made a mistake and sent it
West with the bric-a-brac lot =? If so,
1T could be recovered. felt glad for
my error, but the poor little woman
mistook my silence, and broke down
completely, sobbing SO pitifuny that
| knew then that some great cause
was hidden beneath her desire to re-
claim the old cabinet.
ut is more to me than life or
death" she cried out, passionately,
looking straight before her. ut
means my children's honor. Listen,
and you will be Influenced by my
great need to find this cabinet for me.
| believe it contains the certificate of
my marriage and my children's bap-
tism, without which 1 cannot lay
claim to my husbands estate in
France. It il not the money want, I"
she added. with proud spirit-"I can
not bear to touch that but my chill
dren shall not be robbed of the right
of their fathers name"
She paused to look at me. I felt
as if a severe tension upon her nerves
had given way at last. and, crushed
by her fear of the cabinet being lost
to her, her silence and reserve had
broken down. and that she appealed
to me unconsciously in her need.
The shadowy pageant passed to and
fro across the mirror, and as she went
on passioHately with her story, it
seemed TO me | saw the whole sad
episode pass in review on the dim sur
face.
Fifteen years ago my husband de-
serted me. Evil influence led him
astray, and while for my children 3
sake would have Pardoned him, |
never saw him again or heard one
word OF him until / learned through
the paper that he was dead, and had
left an estate to his wife and chill
dren.
II could not grieVe. except that he
had died in his sin nnforgiven by me.
| was poor, for he left Inc only the
household furniture. and have toiled
all these years TO maintain my chill
dren. SO. for their sakes. applied
to lawyer to obtain possession Of