The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-09-05

Chores Aunt Cadgett's zane thump-
ing on the floor" cried I. "Her signal.
She wants me-"
Aunt Cadgett was unusually exacting
that night. l thought I never should
get her settled to her satisfaction, and in
the midst Of it / remembered that l had
left the Jewel casket down stairs. Sup
pose that she should take a fancy to In
spect it, as she often did at night l
trcmbled at the idea,
Fortunately, however, she did not, and
I crept quietly down stairs after she was
asleep.
Jack was asleep, too, lying in an I'M
consciously graceful attitude, with his
cheek pillowed against his arm, and
there where | had left it, after we had
both admired the antique ornaments,
was the leather case on the dresser shelf,
"Thank goodness!" l said to myself, as
i put it back into the c%hiffonier drawer
and noiselessly turned the key.
I sat beside Aunt Cadgett's bed that
night, catching what scraps and frag-
ments of sleep l could, for her rheuma-
tism racked her fiercely and she was to
take her medicine every two hours.
And when l woke in the early morning
she was sweetly sleeping, the sunshine
streamed cheerily across the floor, and
Jack was gonel
"Dora," said Mrs. Cadgett to me the
next day, "hring me my jewel case"
/ obeyed, thinking but little of the
order.
"Open it," said the old lady.
Iopened 1t. There was only the faded
velvet lining with its worn compart-
ments. Not a trinket remained. Igave
a great start.
"Oh!" 7 cried, where are the jewels2''
81 suppose you haven't stolen emp
said Mrs. Cadgett.
ssI?s
"Nor old OwenP'
'.Of course not"
"No one else has been in the houseF'
looked at Mrs. Cadgett. She looked
at me with eyes that glittered like
piercing dagger points. / fell, sobbing,
on my knees, and buried my face in the
bed clothes.
Jack has been here" said I. "He
slept in the kitchen that rainy night.
He saw the jewels. / was trying them
on Oh! Aunt Cadgett, it was very
wrong and wicked of me, but / meant
no harml Oh! I'm quite, quite sure OF
that! And if any n has stolen your
jewels"-
mo one has stolen them, child" said
Mrs. Cadgett, with a sort of low, chuck
ling laugh. They're safe here, under
my pillow, where I put them that night
after you brought them up here. Imam
aged somehow to take the key out of
your dress pocket and hobble to the chit
fonier after you were asleep. knew
there was a man down stairs-I had
heard his voiee-and Thought my treas
ures would be safest under my own hand.
Besides, / couldn't bear the idea of hav-
ing a sly traitor in the house. You
haven't been sly, Dora; you have been
confessing it all. Don't cry, little girl; ]
forgive YOU"
"But l don't deserve to be f~orgivenr'
/ sobbed out. 81 have been sly. Give
your jewels to Jemima- Cadgett, please
give her everythingi"
MIS- duBetb Snllieu anu SHOOK neI
head.
.sNow," said she, "tell me all about
this Jack"
And l told her, and she comforted me
with words of sympathy and kindly ca
resses such as l never had expected to re-
ceive from her.
That was last year. Jack and l were
married a month ago, and Aunt Cad
gett's wedding gift to me was the leath-
ern $ of jewels. Jack is to be overseer
of the great Cadgett orange orchards
down in Florida, and Miss Jemima says
she don't care a straw who wears the
jeweled dagger and the amethyst neck
lace, SO long az Aunt Cadgett is suited.
She is so good about it. And as soon as
Aunt Cadgett is able to be moved we are
all going to Florida together.
And 1 am SO happy! But Jack and
Aunt Cadgett both say / deserve it,
Shirley Browne in The Fireside Compan-
ion.