The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1904-09-23
T Ees and la.elllssaeen
BEL AIR, Nd, SEPT. 20. 1904.


Of discovering the desk.
And BeSS had spoken of adelaide
Clifford. There had been talk of Il
summer enga cement. she remembered.
Adelaide was older than Rob. Some
way. She had always blamed her for
the romance and had Looked upon Rob
as an imprcSSionahle youngStCr. But il
he had cherished her letters and keep
Sakcs then he must have loved her.
adelaide was engaged to old Mr.. Thur
ston now. Copper Thurston. the boys
called him. Perhaps after all Bob had
been Jealous of the copper made mil
lions and had married her in fit of
pique.
She turned from the window with
sudden determination. 1t lacked half
an hour of dinner time. \ lonely din
ner for bride. she thought. as she
went upstairs her first New Years eve.
Perhaps Ivy the time the midnight bells
rang out she might be making Il few
strange resolutions for the coming year.
1t was dark Oh the garnet stairs. She
stopped ut the door of BOb's dressing
room and took IA candlcstick from the
mantel. 1t was Il wedding gift, Il Jap
anese bronze griffin with outspread
wings and spiral. sinuous tail
AS she held it to the gas jet to light
the candle something foil on the rug ut
her feet. and she picked it up. 1t was Il
small, old fashioned ordinary brass
key. She looked at it hcsitatingly. 1t
had never been on Bobs ring. she
knew. The space between the wings
of the bronze griffin was clever idea
for conccalmcnt.
She set her lips closely and went up
the garnet stairs with the candlestick
in one hand and the key in the other.
Halfway there was Il turn at small
landing, and it was ut the angle made
bv this that she had found the little
low door leading to the "catch ALL"
She opened it now and entered, half
closing the door after her.
The desk was pushed to one side
with some trunks and boxes. 1t was Il
quaint, antique affair of mahogany, Sc
verely colonial in style. The main
body was crescent shaped, supported
on hand carved legs. There were four
drawers, two on each side. and a
small, low cabinet of pigconholes on
top.
Suzanne stood motionless before it
for several minutes. trying to make
up her mind to insert the key. When
she did so in the lock of the nearest
top drawer. her hand tremblcd slight
ly, and she held her breath. The key
turned easily, and the drawer was
ready for inspection. but she did not
open it, Thoughts whirlcd like the
futtcring Snowfiakes through her mind,
and she stood again irrcsolute.
She had told BCSs that she believed
love for him had been the unfalter-
ing belief and confidence in him. 1t
was the very keystone of her marriage
faith. and yet at the first blow of suS-
picion it gave way.
Bcss was IL child, with the impulsive
Judgment of child. She had been
wrong to even tell her of the desk.
wrong to discuss Bob or his motives
with her at all or to listen for an in
slant to any doubt of him. even in jest.
She must have faith and wait. He
had probably locked the desk against
the curiosity of the servants and had
forgotten it in the hurry and excite
ment of the wedding. She must be-
lieve in him. The mere fact that they
were married did not give her Il coro-
ner's right to hold a postmortcm over
his dead past.
There was the sound of fOotStep
on the stairs, and she rclocked the
drawer quickly.
I'll he down In Il moment. Nora
she called. You may serve dinner"
The voice that answered was famll-
lar and masculine. She nearly let the
candle fall in her surprised recognl-
ton of ii.
Its only l. Sue. What on earth are
you doing in thcreT"
She stood mute and motionlcss as he
bent his head and entered the low door
1t was Bob. and he was smiling and
happy. his clear eyes seeking for the
glad welcome he expected.
81 only ran down for tonight" he
added. Il couldn't let you face the
first new year alone. sweetheart"
His arms reached for her. but she
shook her head and handed him the
key.
Il haven't used it," she said broken
ly. But. oh. Bob. came so near 1t.
You don't have to tell me what's in
the old thing. I'll believe you just
the same, and don't want to know"
Know what:' he demanded. Don't
cry, Sue" He drew her TO him ten
derby. What's up, anyway"
THAT desk" she sobbed. ITS lock-
cd"
us it," He stared at the desk in
bewildcrmcnt. We'll. the key was on
my mantel. dear. You found it all
right. didn't you? Couldn't you I'M
lock it,
Il could, but-but l don't wish to
know your private affairs" She tried
to draw herself away, but he took her
hands and held them from her tear
wet face so that he could see her eyes.
"Suc, darling" he said, you blessed
little Mrs Blucbeard. that desk is
wedding present to you from Grand
mother Hadlcigh. It's been in the fam
lily since the year I, guess. and there
isn't a single thing in those draw
ers. 1t came the last minute the day
we were married, and was SO heavy
and unwicldly | told father to send 1t
along with my things and have it put
away somewhere until we came home.
And / laid the key In the griffin for
safe keeping. What did you think
was in it,
But Suzanne silenccd further ques-
tioning in her own effectual way. The
keystone of her happiness was firm
and immovable. But as they went
downstairs to dinner she registered one
New Years vow In her heart. In the
future she would let love laugh at lock-
smiths.
n