The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-02-28

In another minute she naO How'll To
hc- room with her wet handhcrchiefS
and the ring 1t had been easy. She
had never stolen anything before, ANA
it was so terrible Il thing that she was
| faint and trcmhlc.i Ike Il leaf. She
| thought:
IN feel better III the morning. ana
! then III sec"
But 10 sleep came to her, and III the
| morning it was all she could DO TO
| rise and drag herself to the store. Her
| eyes were heavy and her head ached.
| She was pale and wan. The very
| f1oOrValkcr to win whose admiration
she had stolen stopped and said:
Miss Loveioy. are you ill!''
|. And he looked SO sympathetic that
Ida's chin quivered and her eyes filled
as she replied:
.'Jrst a little headache: that is all.
| you won't lie able to dance tonight
Hadn't / better get you excused To-
day? will if you wish
.lf You please she said weakly.
while she thought, what If he knew:
She looked very ill. The diamond
that was wrapped i'll handkerchief
in her bcsom seemed to weigh Il ton
and to burn like redhot iron. She
leaned against the shelves with
pinched features until he returned
with the desired permission.
"Shall get cab for your he asked
kindly.
"I-think-I will walk. The air may
do me coed. 1t is so warm IN here
Thank you very much
Ida had beautiful eyes. The floor
walker had often noticed this tall.
silent girl with her heavy braids.
plainly Of her own hair. He was tired
Of the ridiculous pompadours of the
other girls. Her voice was low and
sweet. and now it quivered with the
emotion that shook her very soul
She dared not look into his eyes for
fear he would know she was a thief.
She had not realized what she had
done fully until now, but now, know
ing IT, she trembled.
No thought Of the ball entered her
mind If she could only restore the
| rno'
She crept back to her boarding house
and TO her room She heard the girls
GENE home and heard their gay chat
ter as they were preparing for the
fancy ball.
Ijnllv she remembered that she had
intended to pawn that ring and buy
| Gown she had seen. all silver. like
nloonli"ht on still wafer. and she WAS
r!n
and a tinsel crown, let down her long
dark hair and call her costume
Might" All was over now, and she
was thief.
What if the sonora caused search
to be made? She must hide it unit!
she could replace it. The window was
closed now. Then the supper bell rang
She remembered that she had eaten
nothing all that day and went trem-
blfngly down. To her JOY the sonora
was not there. and the other girls were
all so full Of the bail that her silence
passed without comment.
At last all the other girls left the
house in gay spirits, leaving Ida alone
in her fear. shame and horror of her
!, self
The night the ring had been stolen
Sonora Valdez had sought for it every
where in her room. She knew where
she had left it. Nothing else had been
taken. She knew that she had put it
on the tree and that it was there When
she left. fer al four Of the girls mad
preceded her. and she had locked ana
tried the door. She was always very
mcthcdic:l
Some one must have key that hts
my door and came in while ! was
downstairs" she thought
The sonora did us the most of US do
ard took all her other valua bles to the
safe deposit vault. but she said no
word to any ore Of her loss.
IF l call the police" she thought
"and have a search made all the limo
cent will hate me, and / may never
find it. If l keep absolute silence and
watch some day the one who took II
will say some word or do something
which will betray him and show me
the thief. wish that it had been any
other jewel"
l ~>
next day brought no proof. That any
one could have reached the ring tree
from the bathroom window never en-
tered her head.
Scarcely had the merry party gone
to the ball when there was ring and
visitor for Miss LovejOy. She fell
as though she must die then as thu
handsome foorwalker came in.
Il heard you were not going to thu
ball. so 1 thought 1 would come in ant
Self you-are better"
Eyes. but l don't care very much TO
parties or balls'' All this while sh'
was wondering why he had come.
l. mo more do l." said he. Il lik
a quiet better I think was cut out TO
a home lover"
d 81 think I am. too." said Ida, with
: half sob as the memory Of her Grim
J. surged up in her mind, closing the doc
s. of any home for her.