The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-08-06


ma'am," said little Rachel, rather en-
barrassed by all this extra attention.
eff Miss Madison was suited"
Adrienne caught up the bandbox,
which Rachel had held oil the time, and
whirling around on her heel, ran up
stairs into the reception-apartment,
where Miss Madison herself stood, sur
rounded by group of people.
Miss Madison was tall, blonde-com-
plexioned young lady, with clear, hazel
eyes, well-rounded chin, and the air OF
one who definitely comprehended her
rights and meant to assert them. Her
mother, an irresolute, elderly lady, looked
feebly from her daughter to the police
man in plain clothes, who stood deferen-
TALLY before them, and then back again.
'Well, If the house is to be searched,
IL had best be done promptly, suppose, ="
said Miss Madison. Tell your man to pro-
ceed at once, Mr.. Jones'"
''But, my dear Corisande, do considerl"
twittered Mrs. Madison. 'Some of our
maids are so very superiorl The idea of
ransacking their trunks, as if they were
common burglarsp
''If they are innocent of stealing my
diamond ring they won't care" said Cori-
sande, indifferently. ''If they are guilty,
they deserve all the obloquy which can
descend upon them"
"Just here the French maid glided up
close to her mistress.
''Pardon, mademoisellel she whis-
pered, her half-closed gray eyes furtively
observing the detective as she spoke
tg,,,k ff 30 Akak n
clue to this mystery. The little milliner
girl is below stairs; she has just brought
home this bonnet. Perhaps mademoiselle
has forgotten that she waited in made
moiselle's dressing-room half an hour
last Wednesday. Mademoiselle has not
seen her ring since"
Corisande knitted her brows.
"To be suren said she. "But you
don't suppose that she has taken itY"
Adrienne dropped her eyelashes.
~ would venture to make no accusa-
ton, mademoiselle, said she, but per-
haps in moment of temptation"
"The matter is easily settled, = said
the detective. "We can have the Nung
person up here at once and search r. Z"
Little Rachel came up, much wonWer-
ing. She was startled when Adrienne
volubly explained to her the business
upon which she was summoned, but con-
sented at once to the search.
"Why shouldn't II" said she. simply.
81 have nothing to be afraid Of"
She turned her dress-pocket inside
out. A little, much-worn leather purse
appeared-an elevated railway ticket-a
scrap of poetry, cut from some news
paper, fell out-and then a diamond
ring. with one glittering fascet of fire,
set in its plain circlet of gold, flashed
suddenly upon their eyesl
"Hal" said Adrienne, pouncing upon
it, as some raven might pounce on its
prey. Mademoiselle can see for her
self All, wretchl perfdous thiefP'
And she shook Rachel by the shoulder
with one hand, as she held up the ring
with the other.
Rachel had turned as pale as ashes.
81 think l must be dreamingm said
she. 81 never saw the ring before in all
my lifep
'"Come, come" said the detective,
''that sort ofkhing won't go down. Pm
afraid you're old hand at the busi-
ness, for all yO POk SO young and inno-
cent"
OF course Rachel was arraigned be-
fore the court, but Corisande Madison
refused to appear for the prosecution.
"The matter has gone far enough, F"
she said. "The girl is not q hardened
thief. She stole the ring in a moment
of temptation. She has suffered sutfi-
GENTLY. don't believe she will ever Of
fend in this way again"
So little Rachel was discharged with a
reprimand from the magistrate.
But it was like clipping the wings of a
wild-bird and then bidding it fly away
into freedom once more.
The fashionable milliner who had en-
ployed the girl would have nothing more
to say to her. No one wanted her SER
vices. And on the few occasions when
there seemed prospect of getting re-
munerative work, the horizon was over
clouded at once when the question OF
references came up.
No one wanted thief about their
premises
One person, however, believed in little
working woman, who let lodgings and
did up tine laces and old ladies caps foI
| a livelihood.
"There is some jugglery about this
business" said she. my husband'l
daughter never was thiefw
II was in the bleak winter-time wheT
Adrienne Moncontour engaged the one
attic bedroom that Mrs. Holley still had
to let.
Adrienne had left Miss Madison's ser
vice some weeks before. She could moi
agree with the new housekeeper, who
loudly declared that the French maid
had once been employed as waitress in
a gambling saloon in Paris.
Perhaps there was some truth in this,
for certain it was that Adrienne had al
unconquerable mania for cards, and at q
genteel gambling place, frequented by
haggish old women and sage young ones,
she lost all her little savings, and crept
into Mrs. Holleys back attic bedroom
as she supposed, to die.
'I'm afraid she's bad lot, " said Mrs