The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-09-16

tda'S chin quivered ana ner eyes nlleu
as she replied:
"Just little headache; that is ALL"
"You won't be able to dance tonight.
Hadn't / better get you excused to-
day? will If you wish"
'Tf you please" she said weakly,
while she thought, "What If he knew"
She looked very i'll. The diamond
J that was wrapped in a handkerchief
| In her bosom seemed to weigh 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 good 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 thief.
She had not realized what she had
done fully until now, but now, know
Ing it, she trcmbled.
No thought of the ball entered her
mind. If she could only restore the
ring!
She crept back to her boarding house
and to her room. She heard the girls
come home and heard their gay chat
ter as they were preparing for the
fancy ball.
Dimly she remembered that she had
intended TO pawn that ring and buy
gown she had seen, all silver, like
moonlight on still water and she was
going to get veil of spangled tulle
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 1t until
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-
blingly down. To her joy the sonora
was not there, and the other girls were
all so full of the ball 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 1t
ON the tree and that it was there when
she left, fer all four Of the girls had
preceded her, and she had locked and
tried the door. She was always very
methodical.
"Some one must have key that fits
my door and came in while l was
downstairs" she thought.
The sonora did as the most Of us do
and took all her other valuables to the
safe deposit vault, but she said no
word to any one of her loss.
IF | call the police" she thought,
"afid have Il search made all the inno-
cent will hate me, and | may never
find it. If l keep absolute silence and
watch some day the one who took 1t
will say some word or do something
which will betray him and show me
the thief ! wish that 1t had been any
other jewel"
So the sonora went to sleep. The
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 a ring and
Il visitor for Miss Lovejoy She felt
as though she must die then as the
handsome foorwalker came in.
81 heard you were not going to the
ball, so | thought / would come in and
gee-if yop-are better"
Eyes, but | don't care very much for
parties or balls" All this while she
was wondering why he had come.
"No more do l." said he 81 like
quiet better. think was cut out for
n home lover"
Il think / am, too" said Ida, with a
half sob as the memory of her crime
Eurged up in her mind, closing the door
of any home for her.
at seems to me that things We're
better when women didn't have to &c
from home to work, and the men did
1t all, and the women kept the homes
YES" she replied weakly. at seems
MS IL home Of ones own, no matter
how small or poor, should be like
heaven
Miss Lovejoy. forgive me II l seem
abrupt, but would you care for home
with me? Don't speak yet. / have
watched you long time. You are moi
IKE the other girls, silly and frivolous
They think of nothing but dress and
nonsense. l have loved you longer
than you know. ! should not have
dared to speak, but cannot bear that
you should remain any longer in that
store. 1t was-is killing you. 1t is moi
the life FOR you. We will have little
home. and you shall be its queen. viii
you he my wife-my dear wife"
Ida gasped for breath. and for one
blissfu moment she looked at hin
] with ineffable love and joy, and theI
she sank fainting to the floor.
2 Charlie went away elated. This