Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1893-02-14
MY AUNTS EARRINGS,

my 1aNOr1I6tOrm or literature. i have
read many. and have gained from them
a thorough contempt for probability and
the police. The first thing you should
do when crime has been committed, as
often said TO Uncle Poffkins, is to sus-
picion the most unlikely man as being
the criminal.
That was the course / adopted when
Aunt Poffkins's earrings were stolen. It
was in the morning when the theft was
discovered. Aunt came down late and
ran into the room where Uncle Poffldns,
Dora and I were breakfasting. My aunt
bore traces of strong agitation and she
had forgotten her cap.
/" My earrings /" she cried. "They
are gone-they are stoIenP
"God bless my souli" exclaimed
Uncle Poffhns. dropping his teacup as
If he had been shot and leaping mp with
q yell of pain. BE said the yell was at
tributed to the heat of the tea, which
was trickhng down his legs.
My aunt explained. The earrings were
kept wrapt in cotton wool in jewel
box on her dressing table. The box was
never locked, and the housemaid had ac-
cess to the room. The girl had only
been in the house week, and was
known to have beau Ny aunt and
cousin at once concluded she was the
thief, and sent for policeman, who
searched her trunk and found nothing,
of course, Icould have told them that.
Meanwhile, / kept my eye on Uncle
Poffkins. He was the one person who
could have no motive Whatever in steal
ing the earrings. He was very rich,
most respectable and extremely slow and
noisy in his movement; moreover, my
aunt would have given him the earrings
at any moment if he had asked for them.
Evidently he was the last man to attract
suspicion. Accordingly, watched Uncle
Poffkins closely.
We passed week of excitement, The
police were running out and in. Dora
cross examined the housemaid inces.
sanity. Aunt Poffkins went about
weeping and reminding every one she
met that the earrings were q present from
Uncle Pofkins on the occasion of their
engagement.
My uncle himself affected to make
light of the matter, and went so far as
loudly and ostentatiously to curse the
earrings. he was wrong il he thought
he could put me off the scent by that
clumsy man@uvre. never left him
alone; tracked him to the city, hung
about all the morning, shadowed him
when he went to lunch, when he re-
turned, when he crossed over to the ex.
change.
Unknown to him was on his bus, in
side If he rode on the top, and on the top
when it rained and he slowed himself
away inside. He never escaped me ex.
after ten days weary chasing, was re-
warded. 1 need not say that the police
had discovered nothing. The house was
still topsy turyey and my aunt subject
to intermittent Mysteries.
That wronged creature, the house
maid, did her work with mop in one
hand and in the other handkerchief,
wet with innocent tears. But to return
to Uncle Pofl1ins. The tenth day after
the earrings had disappeared, as he was
brushing his hat before leaving the
house and looking at my aunt's tear-
bedewed visage, his conscience smote
him, and he SO far forgot himself as to
exclaim audibly:
"I'm blamed if can stand this any
longerl' The folly of the man was in
credible. had him now Inan instant
was after him. He took bus, took
cab, and started for the city. Now
came the odd thing PoRlins dis.
appeared.
How it happened do not know, but
when the bus pulled up at the bank
Uncle Poffldns was not to be seen. I
questioned the conductor, but he had
evidently been bribed, and told me very
rudely that he had something better to
do than answer my riddles. He drove
on, and / was left for the first time at
fault
It was evening before / saw Uncle
Pohkins- was going home In very dis
consolnte state, when, about two hun.
dred yards from our gate. espied him
ahead of me. Quickening my pace, I
stealthily approached him. BE opened
the gate and passed in /; noiselessly fol
lowed.
A little further on. sheltered by the
shrubbery. he stopped, and, after a
stealthy glance towards the house, took
from his coat pocket small morocco
case. I stood on tiptoe just behind, and.
with mingled horror and satisfaction as
looked over his shoulder, saw the
earringsl Twas right Uncle Pofkins
sighed.
Shall I give 'em to her or mott" he
said to himself It's rank waste. Still
1t viii keep her quiet 1 watched the
struggle between his good and his evil
angel. Clearly the good angel had tri-
umphed so far as to bring the earrings
within fifty yards of Aunt Pofkins, but
now came the tug of war. It was severe
and it ended in the victory of evil. Uncle
Pofhns. shutting the case with a snap,
exclaimed;
It's all blamed nonsense III take
'em back to Abraham tomorrow .
Abrahams. no doubt, was the receiver,
for my uncle went ON in satisfied tone /:
He'll make no trouble about taking
'ern." He was putting the case into
his pocket when my feeling oTercan
me. Respect for ones elderly relative
Is praiseworthy feeling, but It mus
not be allowed to override higher duties
flung myself on Uncle Poflzins. crying
tSurrender; You cannot escape me e
Ny uncle fell heavily ON the gravel path
fell heavily on the top of him and pin
Toned his arms to the ground.
Tom " he exclaimed, what the
mischief you drunk" -