Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-01-11

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sweet little Annie guilty until it was
proven, yet he climbed the steps un-
| willingly, and with more unwilling
| fingers turned in the lock the key An
| ME had surrendered. When the door
was open he stood for a moment ir-
resolute. The room seemed the same,
yet not the same either. Where, the
evening he had called, pretty Japan,
ese screen had stood, was now a rather
shabby though scrupulously clean lit
tie stove, and thereon skillet with a
few potatoes left from the mornings
| meal; and dainty bed, with covers
thrown back and pillows airing, was
drawn out where had stood small
book cabinet he had particularly no.
ticed. John reassured himself he was
in the right door by several
little articles on the wall, and
while the busy detective was diving
around in Annie's one trunk and the
bureau drawers looking for the lost
treasure John was looking around at
this little jewel of room, fairy's s
paradise as it seems to him. Across
the foot of the bed was thrown dain.
| ty night-dress, to be sure, made of
cheap muslin and trimmed in crochet
lace, but John did not know the diff
ference between it and one of linen
trimmed in finest thread. Two small
slippers were set precisely under the
bed, and over stool by their side
was q pair of red stockings, turned in
side out, as though to air. Indeed, l
am telling the truth when 1 tell it, that
while the detectives back was turned,
searching Annies small dish cupboard,
John quickly stuffed that pair of rad
stockings in his coat pocket. Why he
did so he never could satisfactorily
explain. Then as he snt there on the
bed, looking around upon the tidy dis.
order, it came across him what was
the cause of Annie's confusion and dis
tress, for, astute as mankind is gen
orally believed to be, he could dimly
imagine that no little woman as nest
as Annie could endure to have her
castle caught in such confusion. Per-
haps had it been the detective alone
she would not have cared, and then
John smiled complacentiy to himself.
1t was her neat fitting dress and dain-
ty linen collars, and always spotless
white aprons that had first attracted
Johns attention, and then it was the
pretty face, with its pleasant smile
and Independent eyes that had in
creased that interest, until it had cul-
minated in his meanly pocketing her
red stockings.
AT last the detective gave up in de-
spair.
"5he never had them at all, replied
John calmly.
"Then what made her act so guilty? 2"
questioned the other, almost believing
himself in her innocence.
"Don't know" answered John lac
onically. When they returned to the
factory there was quite a confusion
and hub.bub, for the jewels had been
found by another detective employed
by Dingus, in the possession of a no.
torious pickpocket, who, disguised as
a woman, had slipped into the store
with the crowd of factory girls.
Everybody was glad and congratulated
Annie -eyen the smart detective did,
although he could not help wishing
she had been so considerate as to assist
him to gain that reward. But Annie
could not look John straight in the
face. Poor child what feelings would
have been hers had she known the
enormous bulge in Johns Jacket poe
ket was caused by her very identical
red stockings laid out TO air that
morningP John, of whom she had
never dreamt us other than "Mr.
Dart" even though she worked faster
when he came her way, and perhaps felt
more anxiety about the smooth masses
of light brown hair than at any other
time.
Well, when the two officers had
gone. and all had settled to work
again, John came to Annle's chair and
said kindly:
"Miss Annie, that detective turned
everything in your room in such awful
confusion it will take you all day to
straighten it up again, SO, if you like,
have gotten permission for you to
take the remainder of the day, and no
reduction to be made"
"Ihank you--you are very kind" "
she murmured, but she would not look
at him and seemed so confused that
big, good -natured John turned away
in pure kindness and let her make her
escape unnoticed.
Annie fed homeward, dashed into
No. 80, glanced wildly over the room,
then burst into tears.
sob, dear oh, dearl" she sobbed.
"rhere was my night-dress on the
bed, and my slippers, and my bed not
up-and oh potatoes in the skillet
Oh he will think am regular sloven
Why couldn't it happen any other
time than when l had to sleep SO late
1 couldn't even get my breakfast! Oh,
dear, he will never like me again! He
couldn'tl after seeing such looking
room" She did not stop to think that
her castle looked worse when they hat
left than when they entered, but as the
disorder worried her so much she coulc
not sit still and cry, she began hel
J task. 1t was some time before the de