The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-31
MRS. BLUEBEARD.


Suzanne trailed her fingers idly over
the piano keys in a little impromptu
prelude of troublous chords before
she answered the query.
Il suppose it is" she said, Grossly.
I'm sure I can't tell whether it's real
antique or not. 1t looks old and dusty
and is all covered with heavy carv-
ings, if you mean that sort of thing.
Why Bess,' she turned to the ques-
Homer with sudden energy, 7
wouldn't have thought a thing about
it If he had shown it to me, or even
mentioned it. He told me about
everything else in the house, and I'd
never have known thing about this
if I hadn't told Nora to clean out
that catch ALL as she calls it, at the
turn of the garnet stairs. There is a.
large WindOWlesS space over the
dining room wing, and it was in
there"
.'And locked" concluded Bess, posi-
lively
Every drawer. I asked Nora how
long it had been there, and she said
It had come with Bobs trunks from
home. while we were on our honey
moon I'm not bit curious" she
paused.
"Of course not" assented Bess
warmly, cor suspicious
only Interested"
Bess nodded her head wisely over
the interested sigh.
s
telling you a word about it, and
hiding it in there out of sight, and
then the fact of it being locked shows
that someone didn't want it opened. -
As she gave her conclusive point of
logic BeSs rose She was pretty and
petite, with a decisive tilt to her chin.
ana the confidence of eighteen in her
blue eyes.
Sue You always did. But if I had only
been married a month and had found
a locked desk in my house that I knew
nothing of [ know what I'd do
Young Mrs. Sheldon left the piano
with an impatient movement. She was
tall and slender beside her sister, and
the indefinable charm of a bride was
visible in her dainty negligee toilette
of white crepon.
clared.
Bess raised her eyebrows and smiled
mischieyously.
'Of course you do. 1t NAV be onIv
some old love letters or souvenirs that
he DOESN'T care to part with Do you
remember Adelaide Clifford?
That was two years ago"
BesS laughed.
'GOodby, sis Believe in Bob all you
want to He is a dear, and if it were
1, I'd hunt locksmith, all the same. -
Mrs. Sheldon stood at the window
and watched the small, girlish figure
as it vanished down the street among
the huttering snowflakes. 1t was dusk
The room was unlighted as yet, and a
sudden sense Of loneliness stole over
her in the semi-gloom, the first she had
experienced since the joyous wedding
Of a month ago. If the affinity Of
moods and colors were true, she was in
harmony with the soft velvet gray of
the twilight tone that was stealing
over the world.
New Years eve and Bob away. The
tears blinded her eyes. OF course it
was business, merely flying trip to
New York for the firm made all the
more imperative by his neglect of bust
ness during the honeymoon, but she
felt a vague rebellion in her heart
against even the separation of a few
days.
And there was the locked desk
Bess words and arguments ran
swiftly through her mind. Come to
think. Bob had told her not to tire her
self by runma ging while he was away.
Rummaging! That meant hunting in
the garnet and running the risk of dis
covering the desk
And Bess had spoken of Adelaide
clifford. There had been talk of a
summer engagement, she remem-
bered- Adelaide was older than Bob.
Some way she had always blamed her
for the romance and had looked upon
Bob as an impressionable yOungster.
But If he cherished her letters and
keepSakes then he must have loved
her- adelaide was engaged to old Mr..
Thurston now-Copper Thurston, the
boys called him. Perhaps after all,
Bob had been jealous of the copper