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

Then | wns i'll deep despair My
mother WAS like an angel Sho did
not rcproach me, but saw that she
did not believo that / had ever put
the case upon the top Of tho ward
robe.
" If you had, child, she said, it
would certainly bo there, as you say
no ono saw you do it. 1t could not
walk away
+" That it certainly could not,
mother, l replied, but l surely put
tho case OH tho top of the wardrobe,
wish you would toll father or let
me. Ho might bo able to do some
thing
But mother, good, simple soul,
declined. III the meantime did not
sleep. and hardly ato, and conso-
quontly soon became subject for
tho doctor. l saw that my illness
puzzled my father. as hitherto had
had perfeot health, but my mother
was my devoted nurse and gratified
every wish except to allow me to
tell my father, and to divulge to
him my secret trouble seemed tho
only thing which lcngcl to do.
But it happened one day that ia
ther mot the husband of my ball
room chapcron. That lady, who
had called, of course, had boon urged
to secrecy ly my mothor. She, good
: woman, did not believe in having
any secrets from her husband, su
told him, and he, forgetting or ig-
noring her caution, when ho cncoun-
tered my father inquired if the CASE
of missing diamonds had turned up.
Il saw when my father entered
my room, that day that ho know at
last, and before mother returned ho
was i'll full possession Of all that
knew about tho golns.
" But. oh, father, said in con
olusion, mother has behaved like an
angel! Say Or dc what you like TO
me, but do not DO cross to hor, for I
cannot bear it. oven though sho will
not believe that put tho case Of
diamonds, or rather dropped it out
of my hand over the odgo of the
cornice, on to tho top of the ward
robe.
''Tc' my surprise my father start
ed, and all the gravity left his face
It's all right, ohild, he said.
You dropped the case on tho top of
the wardrobe, and 1 would swear
that this moment the missing gems
are roposing in the dust of ages on
the false bottom of that precious old
wardrobe. You and your mother
might have saved yourselves u good
deal of suffering if you had told me
of this woek ago.
Sat this moment mothor cano
into the room, and whom he had
spoken to hor ho walked toward the
wardrobe, hitching up tho knees of
his trousers as ho went. Tho next
thing knew ho was down on his
side on tho floor. and after consider
,,blo effort lo slipped aside metal
button or something which gave
little click similar to tho noise which
/ heard when tie case of diamonds
dropped from my hand on to the
wardrobe top. ] could see from
where lay on my couch little
hinged board hanging down. Then
father turned over on his back and
groped with his fingers as fur as he
evidently could reach. and il few
minutes held out with very dusty
hand tho missing case of diamonds.
1t is needless to say that I got
we'll ut once. and mother let father
put her diamonds in the bank for
safe keeping. An eccentrio aunt of
my fathers had had tho wardrobe
built. AT tho side Of the cornice
thero was piece of board with q
spring that covered q recess between
tho inside shell and the outside Of
the wardrobe, which recess ran from
top to bottom. Father had heard of
! it ..s q child and investigated it
when a growing boy, but had for
gotten it until mentioned that I
! had dropped the case. Thon he re-
mefnbered and knew at once what
;; had become of the missing dia-
monds, and that" said grandma in
conclusion. ''is why do not care for
tho gems. "-Hayden Ingram in
Philadelphia Times.