Pocahontas star herald., 1915-02-19
A LADY OF THEORIES
BY ANNE o'HooAN.
(copyrlght)

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In Athenetown the towers OF the
State university buildings and the
chimneys OF the great leather fac
tories are equally prominent In the
landscape In like manner. the wealthy
manufacturers and the dlgnlhed pro.
fessors are equally prominent In the
social life OF the city. Wealth and
learning vie with each other In at
tracing people to Athenetown,
Mrs. Wilson-whose husband Is the
professor Of political economy and so
GEOLOGY at the eollege-is lady OF
theories. One OF her theories touches
upon the brotherhood OF man and the
Just division OF property Had she not
been actuated by this theory. she
would never have installed Jenny
Marks In the second story bed.
room OF her house In the other
houses on College Hill this particular
room served either as a guestroom or
n room for one OF the family Mrs.
Wilson had no children and few
guests.
Besides" she Argued, should ! not
strive % make those who lab.r for me
comfortable rather than stray visitors
who are not half so tired az the end
OF the day as my Jenny Is? Especially
as the third.story bedrooms viii do
perfectly for yisitors-and Jenny is
a treasure
Both OF these statements were true.
Before very long, Jenny neat. delt
and always amiable. made reputa-
ton in the housekeeping circles OF
Athenetown. where everybody knows
everybody else's affairs, and where
good servants are scarcer than hens
teeth.
When housekeepers. farsighted and
fortunate, were hard put for the sery-
fees OF waitress. Mrs. Wilson very
amiably lent her treasure.
Soon Jenny was playing maid in the
dressing room OF Mrs Leading Manu-
facturer Hardy-when that lady gave
d reception: she had waited on the
table at Mrs. German Professor voE
Schmitt's FIRST big dinner; and had
gained a familiar knowledge OF vari-
Gus other leading houses
II was in the early part OF Novem-
ber that Athenetawn began TO enjoy
its annual riot of limitations and haz,
ing.
But. strange to say. the annual orgy
OF Stiffness provoked comparatively
little comment In faculty circles
There we're few perfunctory warn
ings against rowdyism. a few rou'
tine reminders of the purpose OF col
iege life. but nothing more.
The truth was that Athenetown. at
this time. was too much excited over
a series OF skillful robberies to bother
much about the inevitable autumn out.
break of ruffianism.
Mrs. Letheridge had lost a pearl col.
lar: Mrs. Hardy a set OF diamond OF.
naments: Mrs, Won Schmitt, some rare
sapphires collected by her mother-in.
law. Silver safes had been rined OF
their contents in half a dozen houses
before Thanksgiving day. Detectives
came and ransacked houses. servants
trunks and pawnships. Fathers OF
families slept with revolvers beneath
their pillows.
The police in all the surrounding
cities were notified to be on the look
out for the stolen property.
You've escaped entirely, haven't
your" said Mrs. Webster (the faculty
bride" of the year, TO Mrs. Wilson, as
the two ladies sat at their luncheon
in the latter's sunny dining room
Il haven't anything worth taking.
laughed Mrs. Wilson. IT'S one OF
the advantages of poverty. But Meth.
er have you lost anything, nave your
The faculty bride nodded. Yes,
have. Our house was entered last
night-please don't say anything about
II, for 1 have more hope OF an arrest
il the news is not bruited abroad.
They-or he-took a lot of trhlkets.
We hope to trace them, however, by
means OF a set OF old-fashioned to-
pazes which were stolen. They are
unmistakable, II happens, and their
description was telegraphed all over
the country this morning
''But the thief will not try to dis.
pose of them in their settings, will
ne? And when they are removed
It's the stones themselves that are
unmistakable,' answered the bride,
as Jenny came in to remove the salad
plates. They are very remarkable.
In the heart of each there is a defect
that makes, If you examine it under
the microscope, a tiny, starry radia.
tion. Every leading jeweler and pawn.
shop keeper in the neighborhood has
been informed They we're stolen
once before from my mother-they
were hers-and we recovered them
just because OF these defects In fact,
a gentleman is now serving a sen
tence in Joliet for failing to know this
little secret"
Mrs. Wilson looked half-reproachful.
ly at her guest "Ah,' she said, dis
honesty is, Of course, dreadful, but do
you ever stop to think of the injustice
that are the parents Of it; the Unequal
tiles of property, Of hap"