The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-07-18

DOrFOW Inc money. 1 udI S0IIlGS II.
But it did not "settle" the matter,
for, though Adele crept back into bed,
intending to sleep, it was only to toss
to and fro till dawn, when she fell
into a troubled sleep, in which she
dreamed that numberless seal brace
let's were chasing her through thick
cts of green. At last her foot caught
and she stumbled and fell, with the
bracelets jingling about her ears, and
she suddenly woke to find the sunlight
filling her room. Adele sprang out of
bed, made hurried toilet and arrived
downstairs late for breakfast.
Two weeks before, Adele and her
cousin Mona had come to the lake
district, and the rays had flown hap
PLY and quickly for both, till the day
before, when Adele had espied the
seal bracelet in a souvenir shop win
dow.
do come inside and look at it,
Mona," Adele had coaxed.
Together the cousins had examined
the bracelet, and Adele had tried it
on her pretty, rounded arm. But $40
was more than she could afford to pay
for it, even though the proprietor of
the shop assured her that it was "dirt
cheap at the price"
All the way back Adele had dwelt
upon the bracelet, until at last Mona
had laughingly said:
vanity of vanities, all is vanity
with you, cousin mine"
To which Adele had retorted warm
ly, "It's all very well for you to talk
like that, Mona, when you have more
money than you know what to do
store"
Mona's cheeks had flushed, and
Adele, instantly ashamed of her rude
ness, had slipped her arm around her
cousin, begging to be forgiven. That
afternoon Mona had gone across the
lake to spend the weekend with a
friend who was summering in the
hills. Adele had been included also
in the invitation, but was prevented
from accepting because of an engage
ment with a friend whom she had
invited from the city to spend the
weekend with her.
After breakfast, Adele flew upstairs
and, opening Mona's trunk with the
key left in her keeping, helped herself
to SO gold piece and set off for the
souvenir shop. Here disappointment
awaited her. The bracelet had been
sold. And yet, as Adele retraced her
steps to Mrs. Norton's, she was con-
scious of a feeling of relief. After
all, her remittance might not come in
time for her to replace the borrowed
money before Mona returned, and ex-
plantations would be awkward. Be
sides, she had really been quite ex-
travagant since coming to the lakes,
and she needed all of the remittances
| for expenses.
When Adele reached the boarding
house she hurried upstairs, eager to
put the $40 gold piece back before
going to the station to meet her
| friend But upon opening her purse
| she found the money missing. For a
moment Adele stood perfectly still
turning hot and cold alternately. Had
she lost it at the souvenir shop? But
| no, she had not even opened her purse
| there. What had become of the gold
piece? Try as she would, Adele could
not answer the question. She remem-
bered taking it hurriedly, and with a
guilty feeling, out of Mona's coin box
in the upper tray of her trunk, and
dropping it into her silver mesh bag
from which it had most mysteriously
disappeared. Adele unsuccessfully
searched the floor, under the bureau
and the trunk, the bed and the chairs
and when she heard warning whis
tie she flew downstairs and on her be.
lated way to the station.
Adele spent a miserable Saturday
and Sunday, and her friend, not know
ing the cause, decided that Adele
could not be well. Monday morning
saw the departure of the visitor and
| the receipt of letter by Adele from
Mona, in which the latter stated that
she would not return until Tuesday
But there was no letter from Adele's
father accompanied by check. Adele
spent another miserable day, and was
only comforted by the hope that her
remittance would arrive on the next
mornings mail, before Mona put in
an appearance.
The next day was Adele's birthday,
and when the mail failed to bring
either letter or remittance from
her father she suffered another dis
appointment. Mona arrived about 10
o'clock, radiantly happy.
Many, many happy returns of the
day, cousin mine!" she cried, gayly
Shut your eyes and hold out your
hands and see what the fairies sent
you"
"Oh!" Adele cried, Nlelightedly,
opening her eyes and seeing the seal
bracelet
Il bought it for you that very day
we first saw it," Mona laughed.
But Adele's delight was short-lived
and, suddenly, the whole miserable
story was out.
take the bracelet back, Mona;
don't deserve it." she finished.
- l.