Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-06-16

mere |"
"Probably"
She looked about her again, and
the color came and went in her face
nervously.
II have just come from Clutchem
& Keep" she began in hurried tones,
as if ashamed of admitting her
knowledge of these gentlemen. "They
-had-some-things-I was forced
-to-part with" Here she paused a
moment; then looked up at me with
faint smile. You hear this said SO
often that L shall weary you"
Somehow or other, it seemed to me
I had only then understood the pos
sibility of heart sorrow being at
tached to the exchange of goods such
as l had that day sold.
81 am anxious to help you, madam"
And I was! 1 believe l was grow
ing superstitious, too; for it seemed
to me as if a ghostly pageant was
crossing and recrossing that dim
mirror and the old screen shook as it
sighs or sobs were coming from it.
s'Thank you'll 1 am looking for a
cedar cabinet" said the lady, gently,
(which was among the articles part
ed 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 cabinet!
remembered it at once. The hurt
on my hand recalled it, also that it
had been labelled for that days sale.
She grew frightened at my hesita-
ton.
do not say that it is gonel" she
cried, raising quickly, and grasping
my arm. "Oh, God would not SO
affiict me! Look, look everywhere for
it. beg, 1 pray you'll"
Her hands shook so on my arm
that 1 could feel the quivering of her
thin fingers.
I tried to think to whom had sold
cabinet that day; then it flashed
on me that there had not been one in
the catalogue.
Had / made mistake and sent it
West with a bric-a-brac lot? If so, it
could be recovered. | felt glad for
my error, but the poor little woman
mistook 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.
"It is more to me than life or DEATH"
she cried out passionately, looking
straight before her. "It means my
children's honor. Listen, and you
will be influenced by my great need
to find this cabinet for me. Ibelieve
it contains the certificate of my mar
riage, and my children's baptism,
without which l cannot lay claim to
my husbands estate in France. 1t is
not the money / want" she added,
with proud spirit; Il cannot bear to
touch that; but my children shall not
be robbed of the right to their fathers
name"
She paused to look at me. 1 felt
as if 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 passionately with her story.
it 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 him
astray, and while for my children's
sake I would have pardoned him, l
never saw him again or heard one
word from him until / learned
through the paper that he was dead
and had left an estate to his wife and
children.
II could not grieve, except that he
had died in his sin, unforgiven by
me. was poor, for he left me only
the household furniture, and I have
toiled all these years to maintain my
children. So, for their sakes, I ap-
piled to lawyer to obtain possession
of the estate.
"Oh, the shame. the despair, Of
finding another claimant in France
to my children's tame and honor.
II must prove our claim as wife
and children, said the careful French
lawyer, by the production Of the
marriage and baptismal certifcates!'
"And / knew not where they were.
"The minister was dead, the wit
nesses gone I knew not where.
II felt as if my carelessness had
dishonored my children, and for days
could get no relief from my horrible
anxiety until. by flash, as if from
heaven, / remembered that had
placed the certificate with other
papers in the old cabinet that ! had
parted with to Clutchem & Keep. ]
went to them; they had sent it here
for sale, and now you"
She broke down with moan of de-
spair. It was more than / could
stand. That cry and pitiful story
forced me into action at once.
'sYou shall have back the cabinet
madam" / said, solemnly, rs if de-
voting my life to it's search.
'sOh, sir, you will do noble deed
| il you will but find it for me-" she
cried. gratefully, looking at me with
beaming eyes.
The face looked to me as il hale
came over it, and I dimly felt why ]
stood bare headed before her. Truly
I had stood in deaths presence-the