Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-10-31
MY AUNT'S EARRINGS.

MY AUNT'S EARRINGS.
Detective stories have always been my
favorite form Of literature. have read
many and have gained from them Q
thorough contempt for probability and
the police. The first thing you should
do when q crime has been committed. az
I often said to Uncle Poffkins, Is to sus-
pect the most unlikely man rs being the
criminal.
That was tho course I adopted when
Aunt Poffkins' earrings were stolen. II
was In the morning when the theft was
discovered. Aunt came down late and
ran into the room where Uncle Pofkins,
Dora and Iwere breakfasting. My aunt
bore traces Of stiung agitation. and she
had forgotten her cap.
my earrings! she cried. They are
gone-they are stolenr'
"God bless my souly" exclaimed Uncle
Poffkins. dropping his teacup as II he had
been shot and lcaping mp with yell OF
pain. He said the yell was attributed to
the heat Of the tea. which was trickling
down his legs.
Ny aunt explained. The earrings were
kept wrapped 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 u beau. Ny aunt and cousin ut
once concluded she was the thief and sent
for policeman. who searched her trunk
and found nothing. Of course. ] could
have told them that.
Meanwhile I kept my eye on Uncle
Poffkins. He was the one person who
could have no motive whatever in steal.
ing the earrings. lie was very rich,
most respectable and extremely slow
and noisy In his movements. Moreover.
my aunt would have given him the ear.
rings at any moment II he had asked for
them. Evidently he was the last man to
attract suspicion. Accordingly ! watched
Uncle Poffkins closely.
We passed q week of excitement. The
police were running out and In. Dora
cross examined the housenaid incessant-
". Aunt Pcfkins went abroad weeping
and reminding every one she met that
the earrings were d present from Uncle
Poffkins ON the occasion Of their engage
ment.
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 II he thought
be could put me of the scent by that
clumsy maneuver. never left him
alone. tracked him to the city. hung
about all tie morning. shadowed him
when he went to lunch. when he IT,
turned. when he crossed over to the ez.
change.
Unknown 10 him was on his bus
inside II he rode on the top and on to,
when 1t rained and he s.owel himself
away inside. He never escaped me e.
cept when he was in his o.iice. AT last,
after 10 days weary chasing. I was 70.
warded. Ineed not say that the police
had discovered nothing. The house WIS
still topsy turvy and my aunt subject TO
intermittent Mysteries.
That wronged creature. the house.
maid, did her work with q mop in one
hand and In the other q handkerchief,
wet with innocent tears. But to return
to Uncle PofSins. The tenth day after
the earrings had disappeared. as he VIZ
brushing his hat before leaving the
house and looking at my aunt's tei '
bedewed visage. his conscience snoic
him, and he - far forgot himself rs To
exclaim audibly;
"I'm blamed II ! can stand this any
longer.' The folly Of the man was iu-
credible. had him now! In an instant
was after him. He took bus. tool
a cab, and we started for the city. Now
came the odd thing-Uucle Poffkirs
disappeared.
How 1t happened I do not know, bat
when the bus pulled up to the bank
Uncle Poffk ins was not to he seen.
questioned the conductor. but he hid
evidently becn bribed and told me ve:y
rudely that he had something better TO
do than answer my riddles. He drove
ON. and I was left for the first time at
fault.
Il was evening before ! saw Uncle
Poffkins. I was going home In very
iisconsolate state. when. about 200 yards
from our gate, espied him ahead OF me.
Quickening my pace, I stealthily APP
preached him. He opened the gate and
passed In; noiselessly followed him.
A little farther on. sheltered by the
shrubbery, he stopped, and after u
stealthy glance toward the house took
from his coat pocket small morocco
case. Istood on tip,oe just behind, and
with mingled horror and satisfaction rs
I looked over his shoulder I saw the
earrings! was right. Uncle Poffkins
sighed.
'Shall give 'em to her or noty be
said to himself. "It's rank waste. Still,
it will keep her quiet watched tie
struggle between his good and his evil
angel. Clearly the good angel had tri.
umphed 20 far a. to bring the earrings
within 80 yards Of Aunt Pofkins. hut
now came the tug Of war. II was severe.
and Il ended In the victory Of evil.
Uncle Poffkins. shutting the case with q
snap. exclaimed:
"It's all blamed nonsense! I'll take
'em back to Abraham tomorrow Abra-
ham no doubt was the receiver. for my
uncle went on In satis6ed tone;
"Hell make no trouble about taking
en-" He was putting the cass into his
pocket when my feeling overcains me.
Respect for ones elderly relatives b .
praiseworthy feeling. but Il must not be
allowed to override higher dut,sa
dung myself on Uncle Pofkins, cryipg:
Surrender You cannot escape me!
Ny uncle fela heavily on the gravel path
I fell heavily on the top VI him and pin
ioned bis arms 10 the grounl.
"Tom! he exclaimed. ''what ths uis
chief-ars you drunk
1T u useless. SIR began. ''to afyec
I'm I bal reached this point whcu
was violently collarsd from behind, hft
ID bodily Oh my uncls's chsst. whsrs
had ben sitting. and was depodtsd On
grAss plat, while dep voics ssid ihn'
ears:
"Now. then. yosag ma. tsrn q ~
Yoa'rs . lively IN. yoa sra IurA ~
amt and now y9 uncle.s h ~
Il -..lt.-~s 49, ~ v>orkn