The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-08-30


his clerkship Mabel would not listen to
the suggestion that the bank would ad-
vance enough ON the diamonds to enable
him to make the investment.
Then Leander discovered that his wife
could be a very obstinate woman. It
was in vain that he laid before her the
benefit that would result from tran
sient disposal of the gems. She replied,
not without logic ON her side, that the
Little Catawba might be failure, and
then her precious securities would be
forfeited. Leander, man fashion, grew
angry, and after some hot words reached
the penultimate of passion.
81 wish," he said in tones of invec-
tive, "that burglars would get the hate
full stones. They might at least be Of
some use to them!"
1t is said that curses, like chickens,
come home to roost. After Leander had
asked forgiveness for his rudeness and
Mabel had sweetly extended the olive
branch of Cancellation he suggested that
she be doubly careful of her cherished
possessions
''The town is full of burglars, and
they know the people who have fine dia-
monds, and if they once set out to get
them they'll succeed" f."
Mabel did not sleep with the dia-
monds in the same room. Womanlike,
she thought if she secreted them in
some place where they would never be
detected they would be safe. Neither
the ash barrel nor the ragbag entered
into her calculations, but places just as
inconsistent did.
One night there was crash in the
room below. Mabel shook her sleeping
husband and whispered in his ear:
Burglars Get your revolver and go
down stairs. The diamonds are in the
bottom of the clock. "
Leander was startled and confused,
but as the noise continued he hurried
Oh his clothes, and taking his revolver
ran softly down the stairs. Mabel re-
manned where she was, shivering with
fear.
There was fearful commotion be-
low, the noise of falling furniture, open
ing and closing of windows and the
rapid firing of the revolver after some
flying robber. Then regard for her hus-
bands life compelled Mabel to hurry
to his assistance. She found him lying
on the floor, grasping his revolver.
She did not faint nor shriek but,
kneeling beside him, bathed his face
and besought him to speak to her.
"Where am II" he asked feebly as
he tried to raise himself care the dia-
monds safe?"
"Never mind the diamonds, " said his
wife. care you mortally wounded any
where?"
'I don't know" answered Leander
feebly, and, to her credit be it recorded,
Mrs. Leander assisted her husband to a
couch and sent off, OF rather called for,
assistance before she even thought of
her diamonds.
Then the open door of the clock told
the whole story. The diamonds were
gone, root and branch And they were
the only things stolen.
If Leander had been surprised at the
manner Of his wife on receiving the
jewels, he was astonished at the calm
Indifference with which she parted from
them. She allowed the usual course to
be taken to recover the thief or thieves
to justice, but when no results followed
she said she was glad of it; that the
gems bad been like an evil eye to them,
and for her part she never wanted to
hear of them again.
''I WONDER" she said, ffthat I did
not see it in that light before will
never keep anything in my house again
to tempt the cupidity of the wicked or
unfortunate. To that extent am my
brothers keeper -
But the effect upon her husband was
entirely different. Either he caught cold
on that night of the burglary or his
nervous system received a shock, for he
was almost i'll from the effects of his
tussle with the burglar. And he could
not endure TO have the subject men
toned before him. Not even the success
of the Little Catawba, in which a
friend had invested for him, gave him
the peace and rest he craved.
A little incident that happened at
that time did, however, help to restore
him TO his normal condition. His wife
received small package, accompanied
by soiled and dilapidated note, which,
upon being opened, read:
HoNoRD MADEM-i gets no sleap sence stoal
yure dimons; no yure lady an am retch if
Civ them up pra fur me.
an unnone friend.
And in the package Mabel found her
diamonds, exactly as she had last seen
them.
She was pleased-where is the woman
who would not have been?-and she at
onca showed her confidence in her hus-
band by placing the gems in his hands
for safe keeping in the bank.
81 wish had taken your advice ear
lier," she said gracefully. "It would
have saved us so much trouble. "
Leander murmured something about
all being well that ends well and at
noon brought her certificate of deposit.
There we leave them ON the way to
fortune and happiness if--if Leander g
conscience does not upset the whole
scheme. He would give great deal to
know, what no clairvoyant could tell
him, how much or how little Mabel has
discovered. Ny own opinion is that she
saw through it from the first and holds
herself equally guilty as accessory after
the crime, and with that sweet fckle-
ness which even an upright woman en-
ploys she will make herself loving ac-
eomplice, for If is . foregona conclusion
that Leander Clarke was his own bur