Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-08-13
! AMistakenGirl
She Found That She Was Not as
Wise as She Thought
BY EsTEI1-E MARSH
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
By EsTELLE MARSH

would marry Donald Chase. and now
comes Oscar Richmond to mix me all
up. Donald is steady, honorable, has
excellent judgment; Oscar is hand
some. full of sentiment, fascinating. I
know should remain true to Donald,
but Oscar carries me right Off my feet
The question of money does not en-
ter into the matter. Donald is doing
very WELL earning fair salary and
with a prospect of being a partner.
Oscar is out Of business just now. l.
don't exactly understand why. He Is
very reticent ! Hike reucence In q
man; It bespeaks self control. Oscar
can talk with me by the hour without
revealing any of his affairs or course
If he proposes to me I shall expect that
he will tell me everything.
l have tried to get Donald to tell me
why he distrusts Oscar. He says he
doesn't himself know why. 1t is quite
likely that his distrust Is due to jeal-
ousy. Donald is so honorable that he
would not like to believe himself capa-
BILE of doing a rival an injustice He
is unconscious that he is moved by
jealousy.
/ / wonder who is this Girard Roberts
he has brought to see US. He has
known US but a few weeks, yet 1t seems
that we have all been friends for years.
It's strange how some people have
faculty of insinuating themselves at
once into ones good graces. Already
call this man by his first name, and,
though / have known Donald since
was sixteen years old. | still call him
Mr.. Chase.
l have sounded Girard Roberts as to
what he thinks of Oscar Richmond.
His reply was, He's a bang up good
fellow" That doesn't help me- But
it's the most / can expect from Girard,
who is all on the surface. Those peo-
| pie one becomes familiar with on short
acquaintance seldom have any depth.
| asked Girard what he thought of
Donald and received the same reply,
Hes a bang up good fellow too"
was served right for relying upon the
opinion of such a lightweight person.
Girard Roberts seems to have plenty
| of money as well as taste for jewel
| ry The other day Aunt Aida was
showing him diamond she wished to
| turn into funds. He told her to go
among the jewellers, ask them to fix
a price on 1t and he would give her
$40 more than the highest bid. She
did so and got bid of $270 for the
stone. Girard told her 1t was cheap
at $500 and he would give her that for
| ha
were present when the sale was
made. and Girard laughingly told us
that he would rely on US as witnesses
in case aunty backed out. He didn't
have the money with him, but said he
| would bring 1t the next afternoon at
| o'clock.
When he called aunty was out. o.
car and / were in the library. Girard
called to me to say to aunty when she
came in that she would find the money
for the diamond under a vase on the
mantel in the parlor. l promised to
do so. Oscar asked me to go to walk
with him, consented; went upstairs
to get my hat, and we walked to the
park. When l returned had forgot
ten all about telling aunty that the
money for her diamond was on the
parlor mantel Indeed, never thought
Of 1t till just before going to bed; then
told her. She went downstairs to
get 1t. 1t was gone.
Everybody is dissatisfied with me
and am dissatisfied with myself for
being so thoughtless as to have left
$500 so long in an exposed position.
1t has upset the whole household. The
servants who consider themselves un-
der suspicion are going about looking
very glum. Aunty is furious with me.
expected Girard would show his feel |
fngs toward me very decidedly. What |
lovely fellow he is, after all! He
told me not to give myself any con-
Germ about the matter; that doubtless |
the money would run up, but If 1t did |
not there was no one to blame but |
himself since he should not have left |
so much money In such place. He |
explained that he did not leave It with |
me because I was flirting" as he |
called 1t, with Oscar and he didn't like |
to intrude upon us.
asked him who he suspected, and |
he said that. since the front door stood |
Unmatched and any one might have
during the evening when we were all
upstairs. doubtless some person enter
ed, possibly for an ordinary purpose,
and, seeing the money, appropriated 1t
and skipped.
! have had stroke-an awful vista
ton! Donald Chase turns out to be the
thief who took the bills left on the
mantel to pay for aunty's jewel. This
morning when he was at business
constable called at his room with n
search warrant and found the bills in
his bureau drawer. To think that Don
aid. whom we have all known so long
and considered the very soul of honor,
should have done such thing!
How could he have taken the money
without our knowing It? What Girard
Roberts told me is the only thing that
fits the case Doubtless Donald called.