The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-06-24
geleet gtnrp.
THE LUCKY STONE
BY HOWARD FIELDING.

/
Annie had wasted eight hours and had
raised 90 cents
1t was an afternoon at the end of sum
mer. The city had been left in the oven
a little 700 long that year; it was overdone;
| it had begun to smell burned. The coolest
looking place that Annie had seen during
the day was high Stoop house on the
shady side of the street She herself was
upon the sunny side because she had been
too much occupied with pecunisry problems
to consider the adyisability of crossing.
She stared at the high stoop house, and
| she said II wonder could Miss Colbert be
back from the country yetF speaking
aloud ior she had reached that degree OF
nervous tension where the safety valve OF
uuintended uttersnoe gives its warning Of
danger.
| Miss Colbert was an actress who had
played in the city nearly all of the previous
winter, aud Annie had been her laundress
''She would give me little somethin
in advance, said Annie, but of course
she ism { here.
However, being at her wits end for a
very small sum of money, Annie cFussed
the street aud rang the bell at the basement
door Of the high stoop house. Nobody
answered, and, as the door was ajar, Annie
entered the lower hall Failing TO find a
servant, she sseended the stairs TO the first
floor, aud a. she thus came directly at the
door Of the large room at the rear of the
house. Miss Colbert room, it seemed
simplest to knock.
Il was always hard to hear a knock OF a
call to Come inl al this door Tor it
opened from small veSubule aud there
was a psrtiere at the other end Of t.
Upon this occasion ii Is probable that An
nie experieneei genuine Authorization
She was - anxious to hear Miss Colbert 5
voice that she heard ii, though the actress
wa n0t there. and Annie catered an empty
room
UYon 4 table standing near the window
there was a glass plate, and it was hespel
! high with Jewels The light of the irrvil
day sursed in aud beat upon them and
they dashed It back in thousand spark
ling sprays.
''Geel' said Annie softly "wonldn' {,
that jar you ?
She glanced fearfaIly toward the win.
dow.
''it's wonder she woalln I set em cut
in the back ward she continued i
never saw the ike of her Anybody ooald
climb in herp
On the edgc "a the plate there was a
loo~e stone about the siEe Of an average
PEA In comparison with the others il
looked very small, and Annie was Of the
opinion that It could BE- removed without
MiS Colberss missing it This, shrn,
repruzSpted the extrcme Of pEudence and
forh.-aranoe Aahic nslled the stooe
around IN the palm ot her hand Ii mas
have been pssspiFa,ion which dullcd the
glitter u the stone or the phenomenon may
have had an explanation within the do
maia of morals, bat the simple fact is that
the gem light faded and It's attraction
died. Annie laid il back upon the plate
at last, wiih faint sensation Of nausea.
The touehstone had revealed hrr weak.
ness. she lacked the power to steal
There Was a noise under the window
and Annie looked out upon the top Of a
mans bead aud upon hong ssepladler
which he was bringing out Of the basement
into The yard lie glaneed upward, and
then hls mouth And Annie opened stimuli
taneos,sly, aad their eyss became round.
Tom Wilson, said Annie, where i
yoa come from
I'm workia for Mrs Booth, said
he.
you WASH the last time heard Of
you, said she, with WOMAN cruelty
toward the man she iAyors
That night, said Tom in 4 cautious
tone. Il was in the TOsnb, That ;
where | was. an | never done IT, They
got the wrong man when they gog me,
An they took drop to themselves after
AwhiIe AN let me 20. WASH tried. in
diclment dismissed You know what that
means.
Ii means that they couldn prove it, -
fair. won say it You wasn guilty -
that the lruth--an Eve always believed
it,
..Where's Mr. Booth now said An
ME. To change a painful subject
she gone out, he replied, ian the
girls are upstairs. I've beeu eleanin up
the yard
4 sudden resolution seemed to seize
upon him. He turned the ladder about
and mounted to the top of it, coming al
most TO level with Annie at the window
Il told Mrs Booth that L d been down
to Mexico, he said hurriedly, almost in
whisper, AN now / m goin for fair, an'
You re goin' with me
What YOU mean ,? demanded An
ME, frightened by his manner.
What do We want to be so poor for p
said he, white with excitement. Look
at them diamonds saw em from across
the yard | saw her tryin some of EN-
in her hair an lookin' at EN- in the sun.
What d'you think that outfit worth =?
Well, WE'LL guess We wouldn do thing
with that money down in Mexico
You're dreamin' retorted Annie.
"Who told you I'd 20 with you even if
the money was yours :?
"You as good as told me that once, -
said he, with fierce intensity, and the next
instant, exercising an agility of which he
would have been incapable in calmer
moment, he transferred himself from the
ladder to the window, where he perched
with his feet hanging out.
.'lf ever told you that, said Annie,
lit was when | took you for an honest
man
'Tm that today" he replied. "I
neA stole nothin' Ill swear TO that.
B We been behind the bars for three
months I've had my medicine, an
now
He choked with dry throat, and, be-
ing unable to proceed, he made his mean
ing clear by extending a hand toward the
plate. Annie caught him by the wrist.
"Don't do that, Tom r she cried.
"You CAM get nothin that way in this
world-nothin that 5 worth havin'. 1t
amt the way to get me-that's certain.
| wouldn 90 with you if you had as many
of EN- as would fill key o beer unless