The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-02-21

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} jeWeler Roversi was almost bare
/, Of patrons. Dignifed gentlemen,
3 gray or bald, were standing behind the
glass cases, waiting with waxen pla-
eidity for the opening Of the days bust
ness, and there was neither life nor
color in the scene save by the door,
where a golden haired young woman
daintily gowned was talking with Paul
Roversi, nephew of the proprietor.
Between them was a small, plain, in
expensive jewel case, open. and the
lady was looking down into it, where
lay a string of pearls, not large ones
!. nor especially notable to the ordinary
observer, but possessing reconcile mer-
it's which commended them dearly to
the connOisseur.
81 love them" said Mrs. Hasbrouck.
81 could look at them all day. Aren't
they beautiful And she pushed the
box toward Roversi, who looked at the
pearls for a few seconds and then
closed the lid upon them. Mrs. Has
brouck turned q tiny key in the lock.
Roversi escorted her to the carriage
which waited before the door, and
when she was seated he put down the
little green casket beside her. He had
, brought it from the store, holding it be-
fore him in both hands as if it had
been fragile, and when he had set it in
the carriage he uttered some words Of
: caution in a half testing tone.
I It mattered little what he said. He
fascinated her always when he spoke,
for his lips were delicate and wonder
fully mobile, and his eyes frightened
:, and changed with the current of his
thought Surely he was a remarkably
handsome young man, and the lady
was aware Of his charm to the point Of
positive pain. Yet she could never I'M
derstand why it should not be an I'M
mixed pleasure; surely it was one that
no human being had q right to deny
her. She was a widow whose married
/ life had scarcely a semblance Of reality
! in her memory. It was only a dream
Of a mans sudden and fatal illness,
and, looking back upon it, she seemed
! to behold herself in bridal dress and
( mourning Grape on the same day.
/ Three years had dimmed the picture.
/ She was a girl in heart and in loOks-in
all things, indeed, except the independ-
ence of her station and the control Of
great fortune. Roversi was her equal
socially, and, though he had not pen
ny Of his own, she had enough for two.
If he had extTavagant tastes, so that
he must go to his indulgent uncle twice
year with a handful Of debts, at least
he was a gentlemanly spendthrift, and
his follies had never brought him into
condemnation under the easy code Of
modern society. 1t is not probable that
Mrs. Hasbrouck analysed the young
mans character to any serious advan-
tage. Her fears and hopes, her joy and
pain, proceeded not from the workings
Of her mind, but was from the agita-
ton Of her heart.
Absorbed in meditations which were
upon the whole agreeable, Mrs. Has
brouck rode homeward with her pearls.
The carriage stopped beside the curb,
and the lady glanced out Of the open
window, expecting to see the familiar
doorsteps and red masonry before the
portal of her house. Instead she saw
the face Of 4 groom in her employ who
was standing in an attitude Of apology
with cap in hand.
BEG pardon, ma'am," said he. 81
was on my way to Mr.. Chandler's'-
a maker of saddlery-"about O saddle
cloth, If you'll be so good as to remem-
Der, and was this the pattern that you
wanted, ma'amP"
He took a bit of cloth from the in
side Of his cap and held it up.
"No," said Mrs. Hasbrouck. 'It was
the other"
After many futile efforts the man
found the right sample and went off !
upon his Grand Two minutes later
Mrs. Hasbrouck alightcd at her resi- |
dence, the Jewel case in her hand. She !
carried 1t Directs to q room on the |
second floor where there was a safe set |
into the wall. By a window Of this |
room she sat down to enjoy a last |
glimpse Of her favorite trinket before |
consigning 1t to the darkness Of the |
safe. She unlocked the casket with |
the key, which she had carried in her |
glove, and when the lid was up she |
stared, dumfounded, upon emptiness. |
The pearls were gone.
For some minutes Mrs. Hasbrouck's |
mind was the abode Of utter confusion, |
but presently there began to appear in
the midst Of this chaos the semblance !
Of solid facts and the outlines of a plan |
Of action. She locked the Jewel case |
and put II into the safe. Then she went |
downstairs to the telephone, but, after
contemplating the instrument thought |
fully, she turned away She had re-
membered that the Roversi establish
nent had private exchange and that |
the girl in charge of it could Overhear /
a conversation. The present affair /
seemed to demand an absolute discre- |
ton. 1t would be better to commune |
cate with Paul Roversi by note. She /
wrote, therefore, as follows:
Ny Dear Mr. Roversi - Your warning
was prophetic-my beloved pearls have |
vanished. I did not leave the carriage !