Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-07-18


need not deny it. You were the only
person alone in the room."
Sometimes, after a certain amount Of
tension and high pressure, people do not
know just what they have or have not
done. Mary Frances Robbins sat be-
numbed while the words repeated them
selves: "You took Isabel's purse" She
could not have told, if you had asked her,
whether she had or had not taken it.
She wondered vaguely, where she had
put il if she had taken it; her desire was
to get it quickly and give it to Isabel.
eve will go to your mother. Put on
your hat and coat"
Trembling from head to foot, the child
obeyed. How they reached home, she
never remembered. Was she thief
walking through the streets? Were peo-
pie looking What would mother say? :?
Now the door of her house opened, and
from the inner room came cheerful. low
ing voice: "Is that you, darling? How
late you are !" And because ofthe pause
that followed, mother came, with look
of apprehension on her face.
"What is it? Is my child i'll or hurt.
Miss Sharpley? Mary, tell mother"
How many, many times in the past had
the words, "Tell MOTHER" brought her
to her mothers arms but now she stood
rigid and unresponsive.
"Miss Sharpley, what is the matter
with my child ?"
Miss Sharpley, more certain than ever
of her position as judge and jury, related
the charge and the verdict. There SEEM
ed no appeal. But the defendant was no
longer without counsel and support.
Mother stood with gathering wrath in her
gentle eyes, with heightened color in her
cheeks, with immense dignity in her
slight frame. But before the case was
opened for the defense, the prisoner at
the bar was gathered into her mothers
arms, with the words:
"My precious child, they have made
you think you really did it. Mother knows
you did not"
Sitting and clasping her child, she ad
dressed the oversuspicious teacher:
"Miss Sharpley, some day you will
find you have made very grave mistake.
When that time does come, shall expect
you to come to me and Mary and tell us.
You may go now."
Miss Sharpley found herself outside
the door, walking down the street. Some
thing had charged the atmosphere round
her, and her head was pounding. Doubts
of herself shot like little pains through
her heart. What if the child had not TAX
en- it2
Now incidents OF this kind are not so
quickly closed as could be desired. On
the following day, even before the noon
intermission had come, there was not a
pupil in Room 10 but was whispering or
writing or saying, "They say Mary Rob-
bins took Isabel's purse. 1t dosen'tseem
possible" Gertrude, Eloise, Georgiana
and Edna had heard Miss Sharpley say
so when they had fingered in the hall af-
ter their dismissal. And she didn't deny
it," "Why didn't she come to school
TO-DAY if she didn't do il ?''
But there were stanch and loyal little
friends, who said, "I'll never believe it
in this living world unless Mary tells me
so herselfW
Room 10 took sides, and TO their credit,
the majority were on the side of Mary,
whose empty seat seemed reproach TO
every one. Miss Sharpley was not una
ware of the tenseness OF feeling; her
nerves were like needles, her voice sharp
er than ever, her face forbidding. She
started when books dropped or doors
closed suddenly. II was relief to her
when the noon hour came.
Isabel somehow felt that the girls were
down on her." "Just as if it was my
fault that my purse was stolenP She
did not realize how cruel il seemed to
Mary's companions thatany circumstances
could have arisen like these. Isabel, ex-
cited, keyed high by her apparent unpop-
ularity, fairly flung herself into the room
at home where her mother and her grand
mother sat.
"Well, the thief is found, and whom do
you supposeitis2 Mary Robbins, whom
you've always thought was such pat
tern for me- Miss Sharpley kept her
after school last night, and she owned up
to it. So therel And the girls are too
mean for anything about it !"
"IsabeI, what is this all about ?" lsa-
bel's father came from the library, where
he had been reading his paper. He held
up his hand TO quiet her excitement.
"Now tell me whole story from the be-
ginning"
Isabel told il in somewhat subdued
voice, for her father looked very grave.
When she had finished, he said:
"Now tell me once more. You say
that you took your purse to school and
put il in your desk over the noon hour.
That seems very singular thing for a
little girl to do with new gift so highly
valued. Why did you not put it in your
pocket and bring it home 2"
81 on'tknow, father, but didn't. You
can see. can't you 2"
"Bring the coat you wore that day."
"Why, If is this coat have on now.
You can look in the pockets,if if you don't
believe me"
Here her grandmother's voice brokein:
"Isabel, wasn't thatthe day you chang
ed from your thin coat to your warmer
one at noon2 II was so sharp outdoors,
you know"