Daisy's Necklace

Chapter 12

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Why, true, her heart was all humanity,

Her soul all God's; in spirit and in form,

Like fair. Her cheek had the pale, pearly pink

Of sea-shells, the world's sweetest tint, as though

She lived, one-half might deem, on roses sopped

In silver dew; she spoke as with the voice

Of spheral harmony which greets the soul,

When, at the hour of death, the saved one knows

His sister angel's near: her eye was as

The golden pane the setting sun doth just

Imblaze, which shows, till heaven comes down again,

All other lights but grades of gloom; her dark,

Long rolling locks were as a stream the slave

Might search for gold, and searching find.

In an upper room of a miserable, dingy house which faced the spot where the old Brewery used to stand, Edward Walters sat one January evening reading the Express. There was one paragraph among the city items which he had read several times, and each reading seemed to strengthen a determination which had, at the first perusal, grown up with him.

It was simply a police report-such as you read over your morning coffee, without thinking how many hearts may be broken by the sight of that little cluster of worn-out type. A young man, no name given, recently a clerk in the house of Messrs. Flint & Snarle, had been arrested on the charge of stealing a case of jewels from his employers.

Daisy, with dry eyes, read it again and again. Dark doubt and trusting love were at conflict for a moment; for doubt had pride for its ally, and love was only love. But the woman conquered. Mortimer, who had been arrested early in the forenoon, found means to send Daisy a note, in which he simply said-"I am charged with stealing the necklace, but I am as guiltless of the crime as you, Daisy."

"You tell me that you are innocent," said Daisy, looking at a small portrait of Mortimer which hung over the fire-place-"I do not question, I only believe you!"

And then Daisy did a very strange thing, and yet it was very like Daisy. She untied the brown ribbon which bound her dark lengths of hair, allowing them to fall over her shoulders; then she braided the string of pearls with her tresses, and brought the whole in a beautiful band over her forehead. And she looked like a little queen with this coronal of jet and pearl shading her brows.

Daisy next picked the jewel-case to pieces, and threw the minute shreds into the street. This was scarcely done, when the door-bell rang impatiently.

Every place in the little house was investigated, but in vain; no necklace was to be found. Yet twice the breath of one of the searchers fell on the pearls in Daisy's hair. The two officers left the house in evident chagrin.

Happily for her wishes, Mrs. Snarle had been absent during the search; and thus far had been kept in ignorance of Mortimer's disgrace. But Daisy could not hope to keep it a secret from her long, for they both would probably be summoned as witnesses in open court. The thought of giving evidence against Mortimer went through Daisy's heart like an intense pain. It terrified her, and her warm little heart was floating on tears all day.

The cloud which had fallen on her seemed to have no silver lining; all was cold, black and sunless. But there is no mortal wound to which some unseen angel does not bring a balm-

Daisy remembered Mortimer's words: "Promise that you will not doubt me, whatever may occur in connection with this necklace-that you will love me, though I may be unable to explain condemning circumstances, or dispel the doubts of others"-and the words came to her freighted with such hope and tenderness, that her sleep that night was deep and refreshing. Doubt had folded its wings in the heart of Daisy Snarle.

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