The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-09-05
THE CADGETT JEWELS.
First They Made Dora a Bride and
then They Adorned Her.
1 hau been three months at Tide

III IN hOh%O ptpaiAAtlb OCllll4h - AON Vi
scrnggy poplar trees on a dreary stretch
of seashore, where the rocks broke the
tide into white sheets of foam when it
Numbered up twice a day, and the very
shrubs in the garden were sprinkled with
salt spray when the wind came from the
east.
Here, all alone, except for deaf old
man who came to work in the garden
and bring coal and water, lived Mrs.
Cadgett, my fathers cousin, and hither
/ had been sent to take care of her when
she was stricken down with rheumatic
fever. Jenny, my elder sister, had re-
fused to leave New York. "Just when
I'm getting along SO nicely in my art
school," said she; and Georgiana had
laughed at the idea. "Me shut myself
up at Tide Hall like q clam in its she'll
Not while the Euterpe sociables are GO
ing oni" And my father and mother
had decided that Dora must go. Dora
was generally the victim Of the family,
and there was nothing for it but for Dora
to submit.
"And besides" 1 could hear my moth
er whisper to my father, sit will be a
great thing to get her out of Jacks way
for the present.
She thought / didn't hear, but / did.
Poor Jackl He was, in his way, as
much of a victim as l was. 1t really
wasn't Jacks fault that the officers of the
bank where he was employed declared
that he had no financial talent. Nothing
seemed to go right with Jack Ny father
called him a rolling stone who would
gather no moss. My mother said he was
thoroughly inefficient. Jenny and Georgy
could possibly see in him. But / liked
him, and ! couldn't help it.
So when Mrs. Cadgett's summons came
1 thought / might as well be unhappy at
Tide Hall as on Twenty-seventh street.
had plenty to do. All the homework,
except what old Owen could do, fell to
my share, and my old relative required
endless waiting on. But then, when she
was in her more genial moods, she would
tell me the history of her old tapestries
and antique furniture, show me her jewel
casket, and even permit me to clasp
around my neck a certain old necklace,
stained purple with the glow Of anne
thysts, and outlined around with tiny
white diamonds.
at has been in the Cadgett family for
a hundred and fifty years." said she.
''My husbands niece, Jemima Cadgett,
expects to inherit it, but it is mine to
leave to whom / please. And though
Jemima wants my jewels she isn't will
ing to come here and live with mel"
Nor was the amethyst necklace all Of
the Cadgett jewels. There was a soli-
taire diamond, as large as q cherry stone,
set in a ring. There was an odd cameo
brooch and u pair of sleeve buttons of
pigeons blood" rubies, and a quaint
little dagger with its hilt incrusted in
small b~rilliants. / was never tired Of
looking at these trinkets.
Eyes, child, yes, they're pretty
enough" Mrs. Cadgett had said, ''but
what use are they to an old woman like
me? / sometimes think it isn't safe for
me to keep them here in this solitary
place, and only two women in the house.
Only, to be sure, nobody knows of
them!"
"Are they very valuable, Aunt Cad
gett?' asked I, for by that name she had
hidden me to call her.
'sThey're worth a thousand dollars at
the very least" said she.
So that "A stormy night when a mas
culine figure emerged out Of the flying
spray and deepening twilight close to
the back door, l gave a great start.
Owen had trudged to his home and ]
was all alone, amusing myself, as | often
did on the sly, by looking at Aunt Cadg-
ett's ornaments and trying their effect
on myself before the hall mirror, with a
strange breathless sense the while of
transgressing some unwritten law, for
the old lady never knew but that they
were safely locked in her chiffonier, of
which l kept the key. OF course, it was
wrong, but 1 was only II, and l led such
a solitary life.
Ihad the jeweled dagger stuck through
my hair, and the necklace clasped around
my neck, and was holding the candle
first this way and then that to catch the
coruscations of the tiny facets, when,
CHANGING to turn my head. / saw q face
iattened against the window glass. A
mans ace!
For q second my heart stood still. It
was for a second only, however. for ! in
stantly recognized the heavy black mus
tache and merry, sparkling eyes Of
Jack Mornington.
"Oh, Jackl oh. Jaeky' I cried, flying
to open the door and let him in.
disappearing, ehs' said Jack, after
he had given me a hearty kiss.
'Please don't tel of me, Jack. I was
only trying on Mrs. Cadgett's jewels.
One must do something in o lonely place
like this" pleaded /.
by Jove. though. it is lonely" said
Jack. 81 thought / never should find It,
and / don't know DOW how Pm ever to
get hack to the maitland"
Glow came you here. Jaok?' I asked.
81 wanted to see you, Dora, to tell you
good-by. Those beastly bank people have
turned me out, and I'm going to seek
my fortune?"
where. jack" / questioned.
Heaven only knows, | don't"
And. like two silly children that we
were, we looked at each other and burst
out laughing, l still in the glitter of Aunt
Cadgett's jewels, Jack warming his
ob;fIoI ho.J, ot tha litobor f,o