The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-11-16

(; could put Dack bno pieces Wlllcu
had borrowed, when, all complete,
! would return it to its proper place
The key, however, I must restore t6
it's regular hiding place, as my ia
ther was, accustomed to put his val
uables in the safe atnight, and there
would be- great outcry if the key
should be missing
"Now, I never had turned q key
in any drawer lock in my life. In
fact, doubt if up to that day I had
ever required place to secrete any:
thing. My mother had free access
to everything in my room. The
servants were honest and trust
worthy, but still I felt that must
put those gems in secure place un-
til the morrow, and the case was
bulky. oblong in shape and might
attract attention. Now, in my room,
the furniture of which was mostly
old fashioned, was massive old
wardrobe. with a heavy cornice,
supported by brass feet, and the
thought suggested itself that upon
the top of that my case would he So
cure. I at once climbed upon chair,
but even On tiptoe could only reach
the top edge of the huge old thing.
So catching the case by its end let
it slip out CT my fingers, and it
quickly disappeared from my view.
There was q little click as it settled
down on the dust covered top, and I
got down from the chair just as the
bell rang for luncheon.
"The proper thing, I suppose,
would have been for me to be wor-
ried by the stings of conscience the
rest of tho day; but. strange to say,
during the busy afternoon never
gave the diamonds a thought. 1t
was not until I encountered Dilly
Smith, who was leaving the dress
ing room just as I entered with my
ohaperon and her daughter, that I
remembered them.
.'Dilly' eyes questioned my sue
cess, and she nodded approval when
T whispered that had followed her
advice. But somehow the desire 10
wear them was not SO keen. 1
primped and prinked before the mir
TOR to gain time. for. to tell the
truth, was ashamed to wear the
purloined gems. Suddenly, if an at
.tendant had not caught me, / should
have fallen. for I made the startling
discovery that the little package
containing the diamond brooch and
earrings was no longer in my pocket.
ST cannot describe the deathly
sickness that overcame me when /
realized that my mothers precious
Jewels were lost or stolen. Stolen
/ could not believe that they could
be, but lost they certainly were, and
what was to become of me? My
ohaperon, who had known me all
my life, was goodness itself to me.
"Of course when I had recovered
q little from my faintnoss I had to
go into the ballroom, but the time /
spent there was agony. The music
seemed to madden me with its hap
py strains. and at last my ohaperon
sent me home.
s'There I. a worn and spent young
creature, very faded and wilted
bud indeed, much to my consterna-
ton. found my mother up awaiting
my return. And after one look in
my face that smote me to the heart
1t was SO full of loving compassion
and grieving disappointment-she
told me that she had the brooch and
the earrings. With a great sob of
intense relief I fell upon her bosom
and asked her forgiveness.
sit seemed that while the hair
dresser was engaged with me my
mother had taken my aunt to look
at my ball dress, and while handling
it the little package fell from the
pocket, She was not at all suspi-
cious and was about to return it,
when something prompted her to
carry it away for private inspection.
Then when she found that 1 had
taken her diamonds without her
knowledge or consent she resolved
to punish me by allowing me to
think that I had lost them.
6 And, now,' she added, what
have you done with the rest, for I
found that the case was no longer
in the safe?'
'Oh. mother dear, I said, they
are safe enough. I know where
they are, and if you will come to my
room I will hand them over with
great pleasure, for indeed I never
want to see them again. I have
suffered so acutely for my disobedi-
ence.
Mother followed me at once to
my room, and just as I was, in my
ball dress, I put 81 high hassock on
the chair. climbed up and reached
over tho edge of tho cornioe, expect
ing every minute to put my hand
upon the case, but to my consterna-
ton nothing met my eagerly crop
ing fingers. For the scco-''l timo
4bo+ ,,i<,bt T t,rrnd doc. foiDt