Frostburg mining journal., 1883-09-01
FROsTBURG MD. SATURDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER l. 1883.
Probably"

81 have just come from Clutchem
& Keep" she began in hurried tones,
as ifashamed of admitting her knowl.
edge OF those gentlemen. "They-
had-some things-I was forced to
part with" Here she hushed for
a moment; then looked up at me
with faint smile. "You hear this
said so often that I will only weary
you"
Somehow or other, it seemed to me
l had only then understood the posi-
bility Of heart sorrow being attach
ed to the exchsngs of goods such as
| had that day sold.
II am anxious to help you, mad
am"
And I was | l believe l was grow
ing superstitious. too; for it seemed
to me as if ghost was crossing and
recrossing that dim mirror ard the
old screen shook as If sighs or sobs
were coming from it.
"Thank you am looking for a
cedar cabinet" said the lady, gently,
(which was among the articles l part
ed with to Clutehem & 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 cabinet
remembered it at once. The hurt
on my hand recalled it, also that it
had been labled for that days sale.
She grew frightened at my hesita-
tion.
"Do not say that it is gone" |" she
cried, rising quickly, and grasping my
arm. "Oh, God would not 30 aflict
me Look, look everywhere for it,
| beg, pray you."
Her hands shook go on my arm
that I could feel the quiveriug of her
thin fingers.
1 tried to think to whom I had sold
a cabinet that day; then it flashed on
me that there had net been one in the
catalogue.
Had | made mistake and sent it
West with the bric-a. brac lot? If so,
it could be recovered. l felt glad for
my error, but the poor little woman
mistock my silence, and broke down
completely, sobbing SO pitifully that
| knew then that some great cause
was hidden beneath her desire to re-
claim the old cabinet.
at is more to me than life or
DEATH" she cried out passionately,
looking straight before her. at means
my children's honor. Listen, and
you will be influenced by my great
need to find this cabinet for me. l
believe it contains the certificate Of
my marriage and my cbildren's bap
tism, without which I cannot lay
claim to my husbands estate in
France. 1t is not the money l want"
she added, with proud spirit-"I can
not bear to touch that but my chill
dren shall not be robbed of the right
to their fathers name"
She paused to look at me. I felt
as if severe tension upon her nerves
had given wsy at last, and, crushed
by her fear of the cabinet being lost
to her, silence and reserve had broken
down, and that she appealed to me
unconscious.y in her need.
The shadowy pageant passed to and
fro across the mirror, and as she went
on passionately with her story, 1t
seemed to me I saw the whole sad
episode pass in review on the dim
surface.
Fifteen years ago my husband de-
serted me. Evil influences led linn
astray, and while for my children's
sake l 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 al estate to his wife and children.
II could not grieve, except that he
had died in his sin unfOrgiven by me.
II was poor, for he left me only the
household furniture, and have toiled
all these years to maintain my chill
dren. So, for their sakes, applieA
to lawyer to obtain possession Of
the estate.
"Oh, the shame, the despair, of
finding another claimant in France
to my chlldren's name and honor.
az must prove our claim as wife
and children, said the careful French
lawyer, by the production Of the mar