The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1898-11-03

4.
. . stood still vas in love with that sin
whom ten seconds before | had nes,
seen.
| Rtx,d alter her hll she was ont
! sight Then gsEed At the sacred spt
on the pavement where she had stood, 40
behold. there lay little purse. pickle
: II mp reverently aud FASTENED after be-
but she was lost IN the ,hropg Of Roget
' street.
reached Oxford circus and turned an
reirsced my steps. and presently lssw th
eirl again. She was gazing into snoihe
shop window, lpicked my way delicst
ly through the feminine crowd. My srr
.. brushed hers, and the blood rnsbed from
!. my heart to my ears. She turned. On
eyes met, and by all the saints in heaven
her eyes we're browni II was not she, bu
some other girl dressed exactly like her.
My hand fell from my hat and ! gaspet
, 81 apology, ! was wiggling away. whei
. hand grssped my wrist and tried L
wrest the purse from me. | turned ant
beheld large man in i'll fitting clothes.
Ah, would your be said, Quieti
He dug his knuckles into the back o
my hand. / restrained fierce desire tC
inHlot the same treatment on his countt
nance and ssid: Let &c, you asst Gan
you see I'm not . pickpocket? ! picked
up this purse five minutes ago. and
Yes; I've heard oil that before, several
times. | don't want to hear it again,
Have you lost your purse, miss2
The girl with the brown eyes searched
for her pocket, found it, and then felt in
IL.
Yes, l havei she exclaimed.
broke Iut into cold perspiration.
Wrenching my wrist free, ! held ont the
purse. Bot this is not your purse.
But it is. Oh yoa bad, wicked mani
felt you take i'll
This settled the matter. was march
cd oil to Vine street between two police
men. The girl and the detective went 10
Q cab.
The magistrate was sitting, Having
been searched, was placed in the dock
and the pi,l IN the witress box. She
made b pretense Of being dissolved in
tears, ind psthetically besought the
auth critics to relesse me. But the msgis
trste "a white barred, fttheily old gentle
man n-soothinely explained to her how
necet ssry it was for IAe protection ofthe
publ that rosues should be punished.
AT length this wretehed woman, commit
ing perjury for the sake OF a paItry purse,
gu ffered the oath to be administered and
swore the purse WAS hers.
Silence, prisoner said the fstherly msgis
trAte still fstberly. but in different
way. You will not mend matters by
blnsphemy. A month. Take him away.
Twas taken away to the cells and a little
later to Pentonville.
Iu this impolite retirement spent the
seven most hideous days and nights OF my
life. But on the eighth day came release.
A warden entered my cell. and with more
respect than had yet received 10 the
prison told me that my innocence had
been discovered and that hsc been par
doned for the offence | had not committed.
My good name and my clothes having
been restored to me, was requested-s
refreshing change from being ordered-to
step into . private room. Here found
three ladIes-s msjestic mstron, the girl
with the brown eyes who had procured me
. weeks living free OF expense, and msrve
lous to relate the girl with the blue eyes,
with whom was still 10 love. Both girls
we're. except for their eyee, exactly alike
Twins, began to see.
The girl with the brown eyes had tears
10 them. The girl with the blue eyes also
had her handkerchief to her face. But
this she has since informed me, was be
cause the bumor OF the affair had just |
struck her, She was hiding what might
have seemed TO me indecent mith The
mstron said eravely:
S.r. an awful wrong has been done To |
you, fer which ! question whether we
can make sdequst, smends. can, how
ever, express my most deep and sincere re
gr,t. Bot before | endesvor TO explain |
permit me to Introduce myself. am
Mrs. GeofIrey Festh,rstone. and these are
my dsusbt,rs, Msbel and Alice.
P.rion me, Mrs. Festher,tone, l ssid.
l have slrssdy had the honor Of an intro
duction TO Miss Alice Feather tone, and
the result OF the Introduction was such
that. having no natural tsets fer penal
servit11e, | would r.tatr not pursue the
aca nsintsnce.
Yorr anger is just, Mr.. Felix. Bot you
will ct lesst permit me to explain. On
the day on which tais swful thing happen
ed my dsusht rs wors new dresses exact
ly alike,
Ah, thst explains II. see now.
Doubtless tbst young lady, 10 the funefs
OF her hesrt, was desirous that Others
should shsrs her good fortune. I, too,
had new dress on the day 10 qut stion.
Miss Mabel Fest1erttone put her hapd
kerchef to htr face sssin. Mrs. Feather
stone biz ber lip, bnt proceeded. The
DIRE ssm sktr had msde the pockets of these
dresses ridicuiously shallow. Mabel de
clsrsd thst she would never dare 10 put
any thing in her pocket fer fear OF having
1t tsksp, bot Alice laughed IT the ides
and declared that she was CONT etett 10 /
guard ber pocket II Mabel was net. They
vent shopping, and Alice insiftsd on PIT /