Omaha daily bee., 1883-05-12

bh"N kip"b "ySNN's ny
respect.
"whst can 1 do for you, madam
l asked.
She had been looking oil around
her, as il seeklDg something.
"You sell the goods, do you notf'
she asked, eagerly.
yes, madam"
"You would know the articles Sent
hsre7"
"Probably."
She loo ksd about her again, and
| the color came aud went In her face
n~ervously.
II have Just come from Clutchem &
Keep" she began In hurried toncs, as
II ashamed of admitting her kuowl.
edge of those gentlemen. They
Aforementioned was forced--,o
part with" Here she paused for
= moment; then looked up at mo
with a faint smale. "You hear this
said so often that l will only weary
YOU"
Somehow or other, it seemed to mo
Iihad only then understood the posi-.
bllity Of q heart sorrow being attached
to the exchange of goods such as had
that day sold.
81 am anxious to help you,
madam"
And l wat! l believe l was grow.
Ing superstitious, too; for 1t 5eemed
to me as If a ghostly pageant was
crossing and recrossing that dim mir
ror, and the old screen shook as II
slghs or sobs were coming from 1t.
"Thsnk you! l am looking for a
cedar cabinet" said the lady, gently;
(which was among the articles l
parted with Clutchem & Keep, and
am told 1t was sent here for sale. l
wish to redeem It at any price"
She stopped suddenly as she cas- my
face change.
A cedar cabinet!
l remembered 1t at once. The
hurt on my hand recalled It, also
that II had been labelled for that days
sale.
She grew frightened OF my hesita.
tion.
"Do not say that 1t Is gonel" she
cried, RI lug quickly, and grasplng my
arm. "Oh, God would not 80 ttil ct
me! Look, look everywhere for 1t, l
beg, l pray you!'
Her hands shook so on my arm
that l could feel the quiverlng of her
thin fingers.
1 tried to think to whom we had
sold a cabinet that day; then 1t
flashed on me that there had not been
one In the catalogue.
Had [ made q mistake and sent II
west with a brio.a.brac LOTT If 80, 1,
could be recovered. 1 felt glad fol
my error, but the poor little woman
mistook my silence and broke dowr
completely, sobbing so pitifully that
knew then that some great cause wa
hidden beneath her desire to reclaim
the old cabinet.
1T is moro to me than life o.
DEATH" she cried out, passionstely
|, looking straight before her. 81
means my children's honor. Listen
and you will be Influenced by m,
! great need to find this cabinet for me
, l believe 1t contains the certificate o
my marriage, and my obildren's bap
: tism, without which I cannot Ia,
. claim to my husbands estate Il
> France. 1t is not the money l want,
b abe added, with proud spirit; 81 can
not bear to touch that; but my chi
i dren shall not be robbed of the RICH
! to their fathers name"
: She paused to look at me, | felt a
= II a severe tension upon her nerve
= had given way at last, and, orushe
i by the fear Of the cabinet being lol
to her, her silence and reserve ha
y broken down, and that che appsAle
q to me unconsciously in her need,
Q The shadowy pageant passed to gu
q fro across the mirror, and as she wei
y on ~psssionately with her story,
q sremed to me I saw the whole ga
d episode pass In review on the dim su
face.
Q "Fifteen years ago my husband d,
l. serted me. Evil Influences led hi
astray, and while for my children
q sake l would have pardoned him,
r. never saw him again or heard or
word of him until l learned throue
% the papers that he was del
ID and had left an estate to his wife an
81 children.
ID 81 could not grieve, except that |
had died In his sin, u%nforgiven by m
t. l WAS poor, for he left me only ii
r: household furniture, and l ha'
TX toiled all these years to maintain n
ne children. So, for their sakes, 1 appli'
he to a lawyer to obtain possession Of Il
l. estate.
ut "Oh, the shame, the despair, of fl
It's Ing another claimant In France to n
I children's name and honor.
as $50 must prove our claim as wi
nd and childreh,' said the carel
as French lawyer, by the product
It's Of the marriage and baptismsl cert
or cates!'
Sand I knew not where tn
ed were.
sa "The minister was dead, the "
he nssses gone l knew not where.
lat 81 felt as If my carelessness h
up dishonored my children, and for d.
could get no relief from my horril
l anxiety until, by a fash, as If fir,
nh heaven, I remembered that l h
placed the certificate with other pap,
lea In the old cabinet that / had part
,dy with to Clutchem & Keep. I we
,as to them; they had sent it here for sa
10 and now"
he She broke down with q moan of
av spair. 1t was more than ] could stal
The cry and the pitlful story fore
u me Into action at once.
81 "You shall have back the cabin
madam l said, solemnly, as II dev
ort Ing my life to Ito search.
sob, sir, you will do a noble dc
mn If you but fEd it for me-" che cri