The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-05-28


Grandma Wilde's pearls ! For, in
her infatuation, Zaidee had taken
them from their case, and decked
her neck and arms with their limpid
sparkle and hung their dead white
pennantS in her ears, after she had
reached the crowded dressing room
at the hall For it wouldn't do to
let even Mugs into this last piece OF
aHdacity.
What would grandma say if she
knew Zaidee asked herself, with
varying color, and pulses that beat a
degree faster at the idea.
1t was almost daybreak before
they reached home, and Zaidee let
herself into the little ivy-draped
door in the round tower with her
key, and crept shivering up the
winding stairs to her own room.
Il hope the fire hasn't gone out" +"
she said to herself, for my feet are
as cold as stones, and ! do believe
my bones are frozen stiff"
TO her infinite delight the room
was all resplendent with freight
when she came into t,.like Cinder-
ella returning from the Princes ball
and there sat Mugs rocking her
self back and forth before the fire.
oh. Miss Zaideel oh, Miss Zai-
deel" she cried. 81 thought you
never would come home. You're to
go to Mrs. Wilde at once. She's
waiting fer you"
Iaidee stood still in a sort of a
trance Of horror.
Mugs, you don't mean that
that she knows?" she faltered.
"Oh, bless you, no, my dearl"
said Mugs, tugging away at the
white gown. Get those things off
as quick as ever you can. Missis
has sent for you. Hurry on your
pink merino dressing-gewn. We've
had a terrible trouble since you
went away -
Zaidee looked around her with a
bewildered air.
The house certainly is not burn
ed down, said she. And if grand
ma wants me to come to her, she GER
tainly can't be dying nor dead"
1T amt that" croaked Mugs.
ITS burglars! We've been rob
bed I"
''Ch, Mugs" cried Zaidee, con-
science-sricken-''not through the
ivy-door that | left unbolted. Be
cause it was locked
No, Miss, no" said Mrs. Mugs.
Thank Providence there was no one
near that door! It's a deal too close
to the stables where Thomas sleeps
with arevolver. 1t was the laundry
window they came through, Miss,
where a pane of glass was cut out,
Just as neat is if 1t was sheet of pa
per and scissors, and the bolt draw
ed, aud everv bit of the old crested
silver taken. and Missis' diamonds.
and-I don't know what all ! And
we never knew nothing till Betsy
came down with the toothache to
get her peppermint bottle off the
kitchen dresser, and found things
lying around, and the wind blowing
through the open window enough TO
take the house off of its founda-
tious y
And the thieves, Muggs?" gasp
ed the girl.
"Oh, they far enough away, III
90 bail, groaned Mugs. We've
sent of Thomas to the village con-
stables, but it won't do no good,
mark my words. Come, dear, ye're
ready now-make haste, or Missis
will wonder what on earth is keep
ing you all the time.
And half believing herself to be
Zaidee was hurried along
the softly carpeted corridors, over
which the rosy light of dawn was al
ready beginning to beam.
Old Mrs. Wilde sat up in bed,
looking haggard and hollow-eyed in
her black silk hood and gorgeous
shawl.
"Oh, Zaidee. Zaidee, how could
you ever sleep through all this dread
full confusion" she cried. "Oh, I'm
so thankful we weren't all murdered
in our beds"
Grandma said Zaidee, gently,
don't be troubled, We are all alive
and well Let the silver 90, and the
other things
"Oh, but that is not ALL" sighed
Mrs. Wilde Il haven treated you
well, Zaidee. I haven't done as /
ought. The diamonds were not
large, and the silver was old-fash-
ioned-I don't care so much for
those. But the pearls, the old fam
ily pearls, Zaidee, that were worth a
dollars By your grand
viii they were to have been
yours on your 18th birthday, but
/ kept them back, thinking you
would want to wear.them every day,
and lose them, perhaps, because you
were So young. And they are taken
too The empty case lay on the bu-
reau, with the rest of the boxes Oh,
Zaidee, can you ever, ever forgive
me?"
ZaiGee hesitated a moment, and
turned very pink, and then, uncer-
tain whether to laugh or to cry, she
drew the pearls from her bosom, ex-
claiming:
"Oh, grandma, dear grandma, it is
for YOU to forgive me. Here are the
pearls all safel / borrowed them out
Of the case toto wear. | went to
the military ball tonight with Col
onel Battersby and Phoebe and AL
icia, and ! wanted something to put
around my neck, aud | was very
wicked and took the pearls"
And here Zaidee stopped short,
appalled, at the remarkable facial
of Mugs, who, in the
background, was gesticulating to her
not to betray her (Muggs) share in
the escapade.
But Mrs. Wilde uttered an excla-
nation of intense relief.
"My darling Zaidee," she cried,
Il never was so glad in my life OF
course it was very wrong for you to