The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-01-23

completed her spoils She was very wroCn
with James, who, she declared, had grossly
insulted her by stationing himself in the
hall to watch her, just as If she were COM
mon thief.
She had scarcely finished speaking when
NE door opened, and, to my horror, Maria
vi laIked in. What she must have thought OF
he, sitting there with these five women,
an not even conjecture; for reasons which
iii be rendered obvious the subject has
never been discussed between us. She
looked as if, by some mistake, she had
" Inferred the wrong house.
I III see you are engaged" she said at
ieigth, and was about to withdraw.
Pa was too confused to speak or move.
= 1t Mrs Dark begged her to remain, and
Ofbd watched and listened like one in
Sream. 1 learned afterward that Uncle Joe
ad had an attack of govt, hence Maria's
bturn at an unexpectedly early hour.
sThere is no need to describe in detail the
tSocess of disgorging. Miss Mildew pro-
Zced my ivory paper knife, number of
D amps, several packets of post cards and
n books; Mrs Stone very nearly the
yle contents of the plate basket, and
-ass White many objects of bric-a-brac,
ttd-without a blush on her mournful face
Il my gold vase ALI the things were laid
IN q table which had cleared for that pur-
Nose and set in the center of the circle. As
U.e gezed at her superior pile, Miss White
l|sit s.gay her handkerchief and smiled,
IfiOhile the other three looked as il they
loould have eaten her.
des'And now it's my turn" said Mrs. Dark.
Epleasantly.
into her lap, and there came tumbling
out all the jewelry which l had
previously seen. Among it | noticed
Nor the first time Mrs. Arbuthnot's brace
ct. In my dismay | could not help
tealing glance at Maria, but, except for
look of wondeTInent, her beautiful face
IS as calm as if the whole transaction had
serest for her.
* you'll admit. ladies' sa Mrs.
DARK, With satisfaction, 'that '&,'s licked
! Ene lot of you"
There were arguments; Of course; there
were many reasons given for setting asid
the verdict. And, when logic failed, abus
was poured out without stint. The four de
feated ladies declared themselves to be tn
victims of an Infamous conspiracy origin
ated by Mrs. Dark. But in the end w
escorted them to the door and they de
parted, Miss White weeping copiously
Looking back at their conduct-which cal
do calmly now-l must say that my only
feeling is one of pity for them. l an
morally certain that they had no NOR
sense of wrong-doing than poor Maria has
When they were gone l interviewed Mrs
Dark alone, for her behavior had raiset
| CerUdlu suspicious HlI1u.
''May 1 ask your object" inquired 0
! her
81 have been put up to this job by tn
police.'
81 thought So"
''Here," said she, bringing out the pape
which had already seen in her hand, lis
list of the missing things, the last of the 10
being bracelet belonging to Mrs. Arbuth
not. And here'-pointing to the jewelry-
''are the missing things themselves. | cal
that neat, 1 do. I'd made up my mind to
. fortnight or more in the house, but an houl
! you see, has done the trick"
Fortunately, had no trouble in hushin
the matter up: and, if it had effected a cur
in Maria, it would have been the most we
, come thing that ever happened to me. On
! would have thought that such an exhibition
of kleptomania as she had witnessed woul
have given q salntary shock to her system
! and turned her mind into new groove
Alas! it did nothing of the sort; she is a
bad now as she has ever been. You VIII
have been endowed with a normal min
may feel inclined to blame rather than pit
her. But would beg of you to remembe
that your mind might have been cor
stituted as hers is, in which case you woul
, not and could not have acted differently
! There may be q remedy for poor Maria
I malady: if so, l should be very, very gla
| to know it. - Ercbng,0e