The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-12-18

John had visited ammo room nN-
foro. lust once, not many evenings be.
fore. He had taken a book % read /
and a small baakot OF fruit thinking /
that IA neat q way % begin her court
ship aa any. He had thought, % he
left that evening, u was the protliesh |
brlqhteal little room be bad ever seen,
iar exceeding any 10 bis unelo'a grand
mansion. he had little thought the
next time he climbed the stairs 20
room No. 80 would be upon such o
painful Grand He could not believe
sweet little Annie guilty until II was
proven, yet DO climbed the steps I'M
willingly, and With more unwilling /
fingers turned Ia the lock tho key AN /
mic had surrendered. When the door
was open he stood for q moment ir'
resolute. The room seemed the same,
vet not the same either. Where, the
evening ho had called, pretty japan
eso screen had stood, was nov o rather
shabby though scrupulously clean 1T
tie stove, and thereon o skillet with q
few potatoes left from the mornings
meal and O dainty bed, with covers
thrown back and pillows airing. was
drawn out where had stood O small
book cabinet be bad particularly no
tioed. John treasured himself ho was
! in the right door by several
little articles on the wall, and
while the busy detective was diving
around in Armies one trunk and the
bureau drawers looking for the lost
treasure John was looking around at
this little Jewel Of O room, fairy's
paradise as IL seems TO him. Across
the foot OF the bed was thrown q dain.
" night.dress, 10 be sure, made Of
cheap muslin and trimmed in crochet
lace, but John did not know the diff
ference between il and one Of linen
trimmed in finest thread. Two small
slippers we're set precisely under the
bed, and over a stool by their side
was q pair Of red stockings, turned in-
side out, as though to air. Indeed, I
am telling the truth when tell il, that
while the detectives back was turned,
, searching Annie's small dish cupboard,
John quickly stuffed that pair Of red
, stockings in his coat pocket Why he
/, did so he never could satisfactorily
explain. Then as he sat there on the
bed, looking around upon the tidy dis
G order, it came across him what wa
. the cause Of Annie confusion and dis
9 tress, for, astute as mankind is gen
orally believed to be, be could dimly
: imagine that no little woman as neat
as Annie could endure to have hel
> castle caught in such confusion. Per
: haps had it been the detective alonl
y she would not have cared, and thel
d John smiled complacently TO himself
4 It was her neat fitting dress and dain
70 ty linen collars, and always spotles
o white aprons that had first attracte
s. Johns attention, and then it was th
D pretty face, with its pleasant smil
70 and independent eyes that had in
, creased that interest, until it had Gu
minated in his meanly pocketing he
II red stockings.
-. At last the detective gave up in d.
! spair.
) = "She never had them at all, reptile
John calmly.
"Then what made her act so guilty
:, questioned the other, almost believin
n himself in her innocence.
20 Don't know" answered John la
T. onically. When they returned to Il
~ factory there was quite confusio
&, and hub hub, for the jewels had bee
IL found by another detective employC
q by Dingus, in the possession Of n
~ torious pickpocket, who, disguised
=, a woman, had slipped into the stoi
= with the crowd of factory girl
- Everybody was glad and congratulate
- Annie even the smart detective di
~ although he could not help wishil
"a she had been so considerate as to asst
~ ~ him TO gain that reward. But Ann
l ~ could not look John straight in Il
~ face. Poor child what feelings won
- have been hers had she known t
- enormous bulge in Johns jacket pc
' ae ket was caused by her very identiC
- - red stockings laid out TO air IL
- morning? John, of whom she b
:, never dreamt as other than ''N
, o. Dart" even though she worked fast
~ when became her way, land perhaps f
WY more anxiety about the smooth mas
10 10 of light brown hair than at any oil
Iva time.
wi. Well, when the two officers /
gone, and all had settled to VIZ
let again, John came to Annle's chair q
til. said kindly:
EN- "Miss Annie, that detective turr
10 everything in your room in such av
IN confusion it will take you all day
left atraighten it up again, SO, if you il
lin. have gotten permission for you
oAi. take the remainder of the day, and
ODDS reduction to be made"
"Thank you-you are very kin
last she murmured, but she would not !,
Of at him and seemed SO confused t
r I big, good-natured John turned az