The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-05-09
CHAPTER x11.-Mrss AL1cE,s poup1r

BIZ the next morning all Blankhampton
was in a blaze of excitement about the
robbery of Mrs. Lovelace's Jewels. She
had never been much liked in the town,
having from remote times gone in largely
for what i'll country towns is known as
carrying on.o Her equals objected to it
because they had q sort of vague starched
idea that it was not the right kind of
thing, that it let down their class and
lowered their order; her rivals hated her
little ways because they did not care about
being left II in the cold, and where
Mrs. Lovelace was there it generally hap
pened the men were to be found also, and
in % way not very well calculated to please
the other bellies of the place; her interiors
said openly enough that they did not
think the lady's carvings on respectable.
Yet-though nobody was really in their
hearts very sorry for Mrs. Lovelace's loss
the entire population of ~Blankhampton
went into a fever Of Excitement over the
robbery itself. 1t was too dreadful that
anything SO bold, so impudent. should
have happened in their unsuspecting
midst, that while the old ladies were out
with their card-cases or perhaps the young
ones were deep in their devotfons ut the
Parish, a thief had boldly walked into u
house In \ well-frequented t~horoughfare
aud had carried of n box Of Jewels.
1t was reasonable enough to the Blank
hampton people that a gang of thieves
should put a ladder against Lady Luci-
fer's window acd make themselves too
painfully at home In her private apart
ments, while as for that Mrs. Markham,
well, they simply thought it was too dis
gushing that an Australian squatter's wife
australians are all supposed to be squat
tiers to de~ep-roOted folk such us gather
around tho stately Cathedrals of this
country should ever have possessed such
a wealth of beautiful jewels, q woman
who had probably been quite a low cren-
ture to begin with, such as made Blank
hampton people wonder what Lady Luci-
fer could be thinking of to strike up an
intimate friendship with her, and even IT,
vite her to stay in her house.
But when these thieves came into the
very midst of the town, when they could
walk boldly into n lady's room in the mid.
die of the afternoon and help themselves,
then 1t was indeed coming home to them,
and society talked about nothing else.
And then when society had talked 1t we'll
over-society In the shape of Mrs. Fairlie
and Mrs. John Doughty, Mrs. Monson
u the young lady with the nose-soc ETY.
went home ana locked away its teaspoons.
It's imitation pearls and its brilliant paste
ornaments. Ali dear, but this is q funny
world.
In Ewes, however, the excitement was
even deeper, and the Inhabitants OF The
houses which had not been robbed felt
as people sometimes feel when the next.
door house has been struck with light.
ming, and like a man does when lie finds
himself In the midst of q railway accident
and the man next to him is struck dead
by his side.
DO you know" said Julia, during the
course OF that dinner, while the Staunton
sapphires graced the chimuey-shelf, do
you know, ! saw Alice Mauleverer 20 in
TO the Lovelace's about hnlf-past fou7 to-
dayf"
did youf' somebody asked.
"Yes. l was standing IN the window
watching the lamplighter light the lamps
lit was barely dark. And I saw Alice
Mauleverer cross the road Just here aud
go into the corner-house. She opened the
door and went in-as she always does.'
"Dit.. you see her leavei" her mother in
quired.
MOI did not wait to see Ii she stayed
or mo-. | noticed that the lights were
not burning-indeed, 1 had seen Mrs.
Lovel.-e go across the rond towards the
Mauleyerers' house about half IN hour
before
ut would have been odd II Miss Maui
everer had gone in Just at the right m
ment, wouldn't III" said Lady S%tauntop.
axcitedly.
However, the following day it tran
spIred TINT Miss Alice Maulevsrer had