Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-06-03
roo LATE FOR
THE TRUTH
IOriginal.l

you so long to discover that you loved
him."
Thereby hangs tale"
Tell it."
IF do, you will possess a secret of
which my husband is ignorant"
"Give me your confidence"
81 have kept the hOrrid thing so lonG
that it will be relief 10 tell you.
must 90 back fifteen years 10 time
when | was twenty. Then | got into
a terrible trouble. For what? Wo-
mans propensity for leaving valuablcs
about where they may be appropriate,
ed. l was visiting at the country house
of my husbands parents. l was IA
vorite with his mother, and Henry
found no difficulty in inducing her to
invite me down. He had not yet pro.
posed to me, but l knew that he would
soon do so.
I'VE were 4 merry party. twas mid
summer, and our time was passed in
summer sports-reading, driving, boat,
ing, croquet, lawn tennis. One even
ing before dinner l stepped into the
bathroom to wash my hands, and there
on the marble slab was a diamond
ring. l recognized it at once as the
property of Lucy Crane, girl about
my age, who had doubtless taken it
off to wash her hands and forgotten
it. What 4 joke it would be to apprO,
pirate it, let Lucy think that it was
lost, then produce it. l slipped it on
my finger, went to my room, put it III
nay portemonnaie and, leaving the
portemonnaie on the mantel, went
down TO dinner.
I'VE had finished the dessert and
were slipping our coffee when there
was a noise without, and we all went
on the piazza in time to see the but
Ter and the ceachman chasing 4 man,
who was running like stag. He stun
bled and fell, and in another moment
they were on him. Then he was led
back and was searched in presence of
the household"
The narrator put her hands to her
face for n few moments, then proceed
ed
II never can think Of that scene with
out a terrible suffering. The butler
took from the man my portemonnaie,
and, not knowing to whom it belonged,
opened it. The first thing he took from
it was one Of my cards; the second,
Lucy Cranes ring. turned white as
a sheet. 1t was q few minutes before
the situation-the apparent situation
dawned upon every one, and when it
did it was my telltale pallor that re-
moved all doubt that L had stolen the
ring.
II went to my room and locked my
self in. What was l to do? What
could | do? Nothing. No one came 70
me, and did not go out, though l went
neither to bed nor to sleep. At sun
rise left the house.
give years passed, during which the
secret of my supposed dishonesty was
so we'll kept (by Henry's request that
it injured me only with him, his fam
lily and the guests present at the time
the ring was stolen. But it was n ter
riblc period for me. One day a rough
looking man accosted me on the street
and asked for money. 1 took out my
purse and gave him coin. He kept
looking in my face intently. Suddenly
he said, I've seen you before
"Whcre?
"I've just done a term for taking 4
pocketbook. You were there when |
was searched
care you that man?
"'Yes. 1 got into the house when l
supposed all the family had gone down
to dinner. Then saw you go into the
bathroom and pick up ring
81 didn't intend to steal it. intend
ed to give its owner a lesson for leay-
ing it where it might be stolen
81 knew that by the look on your
face-a mischief look. Your back was
toward me, but l saw you in the glass
over the basin. 1 followed you and
saw you leave the ring in your pocket
book on the mantel, and as soon as you
left the room / went and got it.
az have been resting under suspicion
for your act for five years. l blurted,
tears coming in spite Of my efforts to
keep them back.
"He looked from me to the coin in his
hand and back from the coin to me.
"T'll testify to your honesty he
said.
Ono one would believe you
"T s'pect you're right he replied
thoughtfuIly. AT least it wouldn't do
to tell the truth. 4 lie might help. I'll
think it over. Who shall / tell about
ttT
81 gave him Henry's address, then left
him without attaching much impor-
lance to the meeting. In the first
place, didn't think he would take any
trouble in the matter, and, in the sec
ond, if he did had no confidence that
he would be believed.
1.-TWO weeks passed, and had ceased
10 think about the ex-convict, wher