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

Il
would return it to its proper place.
Tho koy, however, must restore to
its regular hiding place, as my fa-
ther was accustomed to put his yal.
uables IN the safo at night, and there
would bo a great outory if the key
should be missing.
Now. never had turned koy
III any drawer lock in my life In
fact, l doubt if up to that dny had
ever required a place to secrete any
thing. My mother had free access
to everything i'll my room. Tho
servants were honest and trust
worthy. but still I felt that I must
put those gems i'll u secure plaoe un-
til tho morrow, and tho case was
bulky. oblong i'll shape and might
attract attention. Now, in my room,
tho furniture of which was mostly
old fashioned, was massive old
wardrobe. with heavy cornico,
supported by brass feet, and the
thought suggested itself that upon
the top of that my case would be So
cure. ut once climbed upon q chair,
but oven on tiptoo could only reach
the top edge Of tho huge old thing.
SO catching tho case by its end let
1T slip out OF my f lgcrs, and it
quickly disappeared rom my view.
There was IL littlo eli, X as it settled
down on the dust covered top, and l
got down from tho chair just as the
boil rang for luncheon.
"Illo Noper thing, I suppose,
would have been for mo to DO wor-
ricd by tho stings of conscience tho
rest of tho day; but. strange to say,
during the busy afternoon I never
gave tho diamonds u thought It
was not until 1 encountered Dilly
Smith who WAS leaving tho dress
ing room just as entered with my
ohaporon and her daughter, that
remembered them.
"Diiiy uyos questioned my sue
CESS, and sic nodded approval whom
whispered that had followed her
advice. But somehow tho desire to
woar them was not SO Keen I
primped and prinked boforo tho mir
ror to gain time. for, to tell the
truth, was ashamed to wear the
purloinod gems. Suddenly, if an at-
tondant had not oaught me, should
have fallen. for made the startling
discovery that tho little package
containing the diamond brooch and
earrings was no longer in my pocket.
II coanot describe tho deathly
sickness that overcamo mo when
realiz I'd that my mothers precious
jewels were lost or stolen. Stolen
I cou d not believe that thoy could
be, but lost thoy certainly wcrc, and
what WAS to become of mo? My
ohal'eron. who had known mo all
my iifo. was goodness itself to mo.
''Of course when l had recovered
little from my faintnoss had to
go into tho ballroom, but tho time I
spent there was agony. Tho music
seemed to madden me with its hap
py strains. and at last my ohaperon
sent me home.
''Thore I, 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
it was so full Of loving compassion
and growing disappointment-she
told me that she had the brooch and
tho earrings. With great sob of
intense relief fell upon her bosom
and asked her forgiveness.
''Lt soomed that while the hair
dresser was engaged with mo my
mother had taken my aunt to 1cok
at my ball dress, and whilo handling
it tho little package fell from the
pocket, She was not at all suspl-
oious and was about to return it.
when something prompted her to
Garry it nway for private Inspection.
Then when sho found that I had
taken her diamonds without her
knowledge or consent she resolved
to punish mo by allowing me to
think that I had lost them.
And, now,' she added, what
have you done with the rect rect, seor 7
found that tho case was no longer
in tho snfo?'
"'Oh. mother dear, I said, they
arc safo enough. I know where
they are, and if you will como to my
room I will hand them over with
great pleasure. for indeed I never
want to see them again. T have
suffered so acutely for my disobedi-
ence.'
Mother followed me at once to
my room, and just as was, in my
ball dress, I put high hassock on
the chair. climbed up and reached
over the edge Of the oornioe, expect
ing every minute to put my hand
upon the case, but to my oonsterna-
lion nothing met my engerly CROP
ing fingers. For the seed time
that night I turned dea;. y faint
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