Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-03-27
MY AUNI'S EARRINGS.


thorough contempt for probability anG
the police. The first thing you should
do when a crime has beer. committed. rs
often said TO Uncle Poifkins, is 10 sus-
pect the most unlikely man as being the
criminal.
That was the course | adopted when
Aunt Poffkins' earrings were stolen. II
was in the morning when the theft wa
discovered. Aunt came down late an.
ran into the room where Uncle Poiibins,
Dora and were breakfastiug. My aunt
bore traces Of strong agitation. and she
had forgotten her cap.
my earrings" she cried. They are
gone-they are stolen!"
"God bless my soul!" exclaimed Uncle
Pofkins, dropping his teacup as il ho .-..l
been shot and leaping up with yeI 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 i'll 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. My aunt and cousin at
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 | kept my eye on Uncle
Potfkins. 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 movements. Moreover.
my aunt would have given him the ear
rings at any momest 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 incessant-
ly. Aunt Poffkins went abroad weeping
and reminding every one she met that
the earrings were present from Uncle
Poffkins ON the occasion of their engage
ment.
Ny 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 maneuver. | 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
inside if he rode on the top, and on top
when it rained and he slowed himself
away inside. He never escaped me ex-
cept when he was in his Office. AT Last,
after 10 days weary chasing, was re-
warded Ineed not say that the police
had discovered nothing. The house was
still topsy turvy 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 a handkerchief,
wet with innocent tears. But TO return
to Uncle Pofkins. 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
longer" The folly of the man was in
credible. had him now! In an instant
was after him. He took bus. took
a cab, and we started for the city Now
came the odd thing Poffkins
disappeared
How it happened do not know, but
when the bus pulled up TO the bank
Uncle Poffkins was not to be seen.
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.
1t was evening before | saw Uncle
Poffkins. was going home in very
disconsolate state, when, about 200 var Is
from our gate, espied him ahead of e.
Quickening my pace, stcalthiy 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 a
stealthy glance toward the house took
from his coat pocket a small morocco
case. Istood on tiptoe just behind, and
with mingled horror and satisfaction as
I looked over his shoulder | saw the
earrings was right. Uncle Poffkins
ighed.
''Shall / give EN- to her or noty" he
hid to himself. Its rank waste. Still,
It will keep her. quiet" l watched the
struggle between his good and his evil
angel. Clearly the good angel had tri-
umphed 80 far as to bring the earrings
within 80 yards of Aunt Poff'sins, but
now came the tug of war. 1t was severe.
and it ended in the victory of evil
Uncle Poffkins, shutting the case with
map, exclaimed:
Its all blamed nonsense! I'll take
em back to Abraham tomorrow. Abra-
nam no doubt was the receiver. for my
nncle went on in satisfied tone:
He'll make no trouble about taking
en-" He was putting the case into his
pocket when my feeling overcame Inc.
Respect for ones elderly relatives is a
praiseworthy feeling, but IL must not be :
allowed to override higher duties. ]
flung myself on Uncle Poffkins, crying:
Surrender You cannot escape mel"
Ny uncle fell heavily on the gravel path.
fell heavily on the top of him and pin
ioned his arms to the ground.
n a. H