The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-09

my mother up awaiting nv return Ana
aIteT one look IN my face that smote me
70 the heart-it was so full of loving
compassion and grieving disappointment
she told me that she had the brooch
ana the earrings. With great sob of
intense relief, i fell upon her bosom and
asked her forgiveness.
1t seemed that while the hair-dresser
was engaged with me, my mother had tax
en- my aunt TO look at my ball dress and
While handling ii the little package fell
from the pocket She was not at all sus-
something prompted her to carry it away
Tor private inspection. Then when she
found that l had taken her diamonds
without her knowledge or consent, she re-
think that pi had ioE them 4Li0"ihS me 10
And, now, she added, what have you
done with the reSt7 For found that the
case was no longer in the safe
oh, mother dear said they are safe
enough. know where they are, and if YOU
VIII come to my room l will hand them
over with great pleasure for indeed l new
er want TO see them again; have suffered
so acutely for my disobedience.'
Mother followed me at once TO my
room, and just as was, in my ball dress
put high hassock on the chair, climbed
up and reached over the edge of the cor
nice, expecting every minute to put my
hand upon the case; but to my consterna-
ton nothing met my eagerly cropping fin
gers. For the second time that night I
turned deathly faint and sick, and chung
trembling to the wardrobe until my moth
er helped me down. She was taller, and,
taking my place, with the aid of a lighted
candle, she scanned carefully the dusty
top of the wardrobe, but the tragic look
on her face told me that the case of dia-
mohds was no longer there!
Go to bed child she said. Tomorrow
we Will search further. Your father must
not know of this for both our sakes He
has always insisted that the bank was the
proper place for my jewels; but it was a
so seldom wear them; pleasure which |
fear / Will never enjoy again, and what
your father would say if he knew of this
l dare not even think.
Il never knew how / put In the rest of
mat night, but did not close my eyes.
In the morning, after father had gone TO
his office, and aunt had gone visiting, my
mother and a servant with a high step
ladder investigated that wardrobe, top,
bottom and back. but nothing except dust
rewarded their search.
Then 1 was in deep despair MY mother
was like an angel. She did not reproach
me, but saw that she did not believe that
the wardrobe.
If you had, child she said, 1T would
certainly be there, as you say no one saw
you DO II. 1t could not walk awayr
That it certainly could not. mother
replied, but surely put the case on the
TOP or the wardrobe. / wish you would
tell tabher, or let me. He might be able
But mother. good, simple soul. de-
chned In the meantime. l did not sleep.
and hardly ate, and consequently soon
became a subject for the doctor. saw
that my illness puzzled my father. as
hitherto l had had perfect health, but
gratifed every wish, except to allow me
TO tell my father, and to divulge 70 him
my secret trouble seemed the only thing
which longed TO do.
But 1t happened one day that father
met the husband of my ball room chap
erone. That lady, who had called, OF
course, had been urged to secrecy by my
mother, She, good woman, did not be-
lleve in having any secrets from her hus-
band, so told him, and he. forgetting or
ignoring her caution, when he Encounter
ed my father, inquired if the case of
missing diamonds had turned up
saw when my father entered my room
that day that he knew at last, and before
mother returned he was in full possession
OF all that knew about the gems.
But, oh, father l said on conclu-
sion, mother has behaved like an angel
Say or do what you like to me, but do
not be cross to her, for 1 cannot bear II,
even though she will not believe that 1
put the case OF diamonds, or rather drop
ped 1t out of my hand over the edge of
robe
ITO my surprise my father started and
all the gravity left his face.
It's all right, child he said. You
dropped the case on the top of the ward
robe and would swear that this moment
the missing gems are reposing in the dust
OF ages on the false bottom of that prec-
ious old wardrobe. You and your mother
might have saved yourselves a good deal
week ago.
"At this moment mother came into the
room and when he had spoken to her he
walked toward the wardrobe hitching up
the knees of his trousers as he went The
next thing knew~he was down on his side
on the floor, and after considerable effort
he Slipped aside a metal button or some.
thing which gave a click similar to the
noise which heard when the case of dia-
monds dropped from my hands on to the
wardrobe top could see from where I
lay on my couch a little. hinged board
hanging down. Then father turned over
on his back and CROPPED with his fingers
as far as he evidently could reach and in
a few minutes held out with very dusty
hand rhe missing case of diamonds
1t is needless to say that got we'll at
once and mother let father put her dfa-
monds in the bank for safe keeping, An
eccentric aunt of my fathers had had the
wardrobe built At the side of the corntce
there was a piece of board with a spring
that covered a recess between the inside
shell and the outside of the wardrobe
which recess ran from top to bottom
Father had heard of 1t as a child and
investigated it when a growing boy but
had forgotten 1t until I mentioned that I
had dropped the case; then he rernem-
bered and knew at once what had become
OF the missing diamonds, and that" said
grandma, in conclusion, sis why 1 do not
care for the gems"