The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-03-05

turned.
"Of course it is only small
Marguerite worried, "aud
Of course she might forget to return
it sometimes; but I can't understand
how she can always forget"
Before Miss Abigail had been OF
her nephew's long she noticed Mar
guerite's careless way Of handling as
we'll as spending money.
"Now," she thought, one morning,
''there is that roll Of bills Charlie gave
her for tho hospital to-day. She just
ran a pin through them and stuck
them to her cushion. Like as not
that French maid will pick off q five
dollar bill, and Marguerite will never
miss it. believe Twill pocket it my
self and sec"
So into a big purse went tho
money, to keep company with tho
DISCRIMINATING store Of market
funds.
But Marguerite did miss that five
dollar bill, and moreover she knew ex-
actly where it went. Song birds, per-
haps, may not look as wise as owls,
but surely their eyes are brighter, and
oftentimes, when they ore perched on
a rosebush, pouring out their very
hearts in song, they are keeping
sharp lookout for their dinners, as
many a fitting moth could testify.
Marguerite very soon learned that
it was not safe to leave money where
Miss Abigail could find it. She no.
ticed it was never taken from her
purse or cash drawer, but stray
dime or o dollar never failed to van
ish if it were left alone in Aunt Abb
CALLS company. At first she was
aghast at her discovery.
GLOW can she?" she would soy over
and over to herself. "Such q church
woman, too, and SO good to me! I
love her in spite of it.
It was hard to keep her discovery
to herself, but she remembered the
odd look Mr.. Van Essen had given
her when he had asked her to love
his old aunty, and overlook her Pc
culiarities in money matters for his
sake.
"Oi course he knows she's KEEP
tomaniac," Marguerite thought, land
was too generous and loving to say so.
Well, can be generous, too"
Then she comforted herself with
tho reflection that Aunt Abigail was
going back to Vermont soon, and had
made will in Charities favor.
One dreadful thought haunted and
worried her. Suppose some day
Aunt Abigail takes something from
some one else? What could l do?'
No detective ever Swallowed suspect
mora vigilantly than Marguerite did
Aunt Abigail.
"Come, Marguerite" exclaimed
Miss Abigail, the morning Of the day
she was to leave, "don't keep Charlie
standing there saying good-by any
longer! I I'm going to take you down
to the jewelers. and let you choose a
diamond as bright as your eyes to
help you remember your old aunty."
ooh, how lovely" cried the delight
ed Marguerite, while Mr.. Van Essen
added his enthusiastic thanks, ex-
claiming, as he drew on his gloves:
"But don't, Aunt Abigail, pray don't
let her 60 into q glove store! I hap
pened to look into her account book
last night, and find she has been buy
ing unnumbered pairs Of gloves. I
actually believe half the money I have
given her for household expenses has
gone for gloves this month"
Marguerite flushed, then laughed
saucily:
"We'll buy what we want, won't we,
aunty?"
A little pang shot through her.
elbow 1 must watch the dear old
thing!" she thought. ''It would be
too dreadful if she should"
But the thought was not formulated.
It really was too dreadful.
Once at the jewelers., it was hard
work to watch Aunt Abigail as tray
after tray of the glittering stones was
placed before them, and she became
more and more absorbed in choosing
pin.
Suddenly she noticed a puzzled look
come into the face of the clerk who
was waiting on them, and he began
carefully counting the pins in the tray
before him. It seemed for a moment
as if her heart stopped beating, and
she turned first scarlet and then dead,
ly white as she saw him shove the
tray hastily into a case, and calling
another clerk, asked him to finish the
sale.
"Why, what's the matter, dearie?"
asked Miss Abigail. 'You look as if
you had seen a ghost"
ooh, auntie," cried Marguerite,
softly nndar her hrsoth tsoma oro