The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-03-28

need not trouble yourself, Lady Linacre,
he said, with curious dryness. He wa
still standing by the fireplace. at is no
about you.
"Then where in the world is it ?" re
torted Mrs. Galantine. 'Do you know 2
"If you do, for goodness sake speal
out" Mrs. Burton Smith added indignant
ly, while every one turned and stared a
the civilian.
"You had BETTER" he said, "ask Mr.
Wibberley =
That was all. But something in hi.
tone produced an electrical effect on every
one Joanna in her corner-remote, lik,
the Indian, from the center Of the distur
bance-turned red and pale and flashed
angry glances round her For the rest
they wished themselves away. 1t was i'm
possible to misunderstood the insinuation
The words, simple as they were, had in q
moment put graver complexion on the
matter Even Mrs. Burton Smith was
silenced, looking TO her husband He
looked furtively at Wibberley.
And Wibberley? Up to this moment
he had merely thought himself in an un
pleasant fix, from which he must escape
as best he could, at the expense of little
embarrassment, slight loss of self re-
spect. Even the latter he might regain
tomorrow. if he saw fit, by telling the truth
to Mrs. Burton Smith, and in time the
whole thing would become a subject Of
laughter, stock dinner anecdote But
now-now at the first sound ofthe Indian
voice, he recognized his danger, and saw
clearly in the hundredth part of a second
that ruin, social damnation, perhaps worse,
threatened him. His presence of mind
seemed to fail him suddenly at sight of the
pit opening at his feet. He felt himself
reeling, choking, his head surcharged with
blood. The room, the expectant faces all
turned to him, all with that strange ex-
preston on them, swan round before him.
He had to lay his hand on a chair to steady
himself.
But he did steady himself, so far that
those who marked his agitation did not
know whether it proceeded from anger or
fear. He drew himself up and looked
straight at his accuser, holding the chair
suspended in his hands. "What do you
mean?' he said hoarsely.
81 should not have spoken, the civilian
continued, returning his gaze and speaking
in cool, measured accents, ''if Burton Smith
had not twice appealed to us, if any joke
was being played, to confess to it. -
"Well?5
"Well, only this, the old gentleman re-
piled; "that saw you yourself take Lady
Linacre's bracelet from that table few
moments before it was missed, Mr.. Wib-
berley."
"You saw me?" cried Wibberley. This
time there was the ring of honest def.
ance, of indignant innocence, in his tone
For if he felt certain of one thing it was
that no one had been looking at him when
the unlucky deed was done.
Il did" replied the civilian dispassion-
atelly. "My back was toward you. But
my eyes were on this mirror he touched
an oval glass in Venetian frame which
stood on the mantelpiece-"and saw
clearly, quite clearly. | am bound to say
that, Judging from the expression of youl
face, | was assured at the time that it was
a trick you were playing jest only"
Ernest Wibberley tried to frame the
words "And now ?"-tried to force a smile
but he could not The perspiration sprang
out in great beads on his face He shook
all over. He felt himself-and this time
it was no fancy-grOwing livid.
"ro the best of my belief added the
civilian quietly, "the bracelet is on your
left arm now"
Wibberley tried to master, but could
not, the impulsc--the traitor impulse
which urged him to glance down at his
wrist. The idea that the bracelet might
be visible-that the damning evidence
might be plain to every eye-overcame
him. He looked down. OF course there
was nothing to be seen; he might have
known it, for he felt the hot clasp of the
horrible thing burning his arm inches
higher. But when he looked up again,
fleeting as had been his glance, he found
that something dreadful had happened to
him. He faltered, and the chair dropped
from his hands. He had never met looks
like these before. He read in every face
save one suspicion and condemnation.
Thief and liar He real the words in
their eyes, the eyes of his quondam friends
Yet he would, he must, brazen it out; and
though he could not utter word he looked
from them to-JOanna.
The girls face was pale and scared; but
her eyes-they answered his right eagerly
were ablaze with Indignation. They helC
no doubt, no suspicion. The moment hi,
look fell on her she spoke. "Show then
your arm !" she cried, impulsively; "shov
them you have not got it, Ernest !" with
such scorn, such generous passion, in hel
voice that it did not need the telltale nam,
which fell too glibly from her lips to betra,
her secret, at least to every woman in tht
room
"Show them your arm !" All, but tina
was Just what he could not do And as h
comprehended this he gnashed his teeth
He saw himself netted and entrapped, an,
his rage and misery were so written in hi
face that the best and most mercilul q
those about him turned from him in sham
and pity. Even the girl who loved hin
shrank back, clutching the mantelpieee il
the first spasm of doubt and fear and an
guish. Her words, her suggestion, ha
taken from him his last chance He say
it was so. He felt the Nemesis the NOR
bitterly on that account, and with som
wild gesture and some wilder word h
turned abruptly and hurried from the room
blindly seized his hat aud went down to tn
street.
His feelings when he found himself ou
side were such as it is impossible to d,
scribe in smooth, passionless sentences
He had wrecked his honor and happines
in an hour. He had lost his place anon
men through a chance word We talk an
read of thunderbolt from the blue, bu
still the thing is to us unnatural. Som
law abiding citizen whom a moments pa
sion has made murderer, some strong ma
whom stunning blow has left crushed an
writhino ON the Ground. a twisted cripple-